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Article published In:
Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 14:5 (2023) ► pp.777–800

Rhetorical strategies for the construction of a corporate identity

A case study based on Huawei annual reports

| University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| City University of Hong Kong
| University of Science and Technology Beijing

Using Huawei annual reports as data sources, this study examines rhetorical strategies in business discourse for the construction of corporate identity. A socio-pragmatic framework is proposed for analysing such strategies, incorporating a textual analysis of rhetorical strategies, a discourse analysis of pragmatic functions and discursive tendencies, and a social analysis of the construction of corporate identity. The research concludes that, among other strategies, allusion and reference demonstrate the discursive tendency of commodification, while parody and metaphor highlight the discursive tendency of democratisation. In terms of the constructive functions, allusion, reference, parody, and metaphor are used to construct the commerciality, legitimacy, approachability, and entrepreneurship of an enterprise, respectively. This study highlights the importance of rhetorical strategies for the construction of corporate identity and the necessity for annual report writers to employ rhetorical strategies for better corporate communication.

Keywords: rhetorical strategies, corporate identity construction, corporate discourse, annual reports, identity studies
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Choice of annual reports
    • 3.2Choice of organization
    • 3.3Choice of analytical method
  • 4.Analytical framework
  • 5.Text analysis of linguistic features of rhetorical strategies
    • 5.1Allusion
    • 5.2Reference
    • 5.3Parody
    • 5.4Metaphor
  • 6.Discourse analysis of the functions of rhetorical strategies and discursive tendencies affecting the order of discourse
    • 6.1Discourse functions of rhetorical strategies
    • 6.2Discursive tendencies affecting the order of discourse
  • 7.Social analysis of the corporate identity constructed
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Declaration of conflicting interests
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 3 April 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.20076.wu
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