Conceptualizing the Organizational Role of Technical Communicators: A Systems Approach

Little has been written about the organizational role of technical communica tors. Using a systems approach to organizational theory, we argue that techni cal communicators engage in tasks that permit them to function as "boundary spanners. "As boundary spanners, technical communicators both disseminate and make sense of information required for coordination between organiza tional groups and for effective responses to the environment. We discuss the implications of this position for managing and educating technical communi cators.