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Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 42, No. 4, 420-448 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0021943605276803
© 2005 Association for Business Communication

Charting Managerial Reading Preferences in Relation to Popular Management Theory Books

A Semiotic Analysis

Sonya Pagel

Black Hills State University

Robert Westerfelhaus

College of Charleston

Popular management theories are a prominent fixture of the contemporary American business landscape. Past research regarding these theories has focused on what drives interest in a particular theory. This reader-based study departs from this tradition and focuses instead on how managers report they prefer to read the books used to promote popular management theories. Through a semiotic analysis of data gathered from surveys administered to and interviews conducted with 22 managers, this study identifies the main features and charts the organizing principles of the rules that guide managerial reading preferences, identifies influences shaping these rules, and points out how enactment of these rules influences the acquisition of knowledge about popular management theories.

Key Words: business best sellers • business writing • managerial reading • popular management theory • semiotics


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