Genre use in business settings across countries

In this panel discussion we attempt to explore genres use in various professional settings in different cultures/countries. Extensive research has been done in the area of genres as ‘social actions’ (Miller, 1984; Bazerman, 1988), genres as a system (Orlikowski & Yates, 1994) and genres as part of discourse community practices (Swales, 1990). Researchers tend to agree that genre is dynamic and situated in the social and business contexts. We would like to continue the dialogue by examining genre use in different cultures as well as across cultures. Specifically we will address some of these questions: (1) What are the major issues in the analysis of professional genres across cultures? (2) What other interdisciplinary dimensions and local theories can be incorporated to complement genre theories? 3) Finally, what are the implications for cross-cultural genre education and training? (Plenary panel)