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The Genres and Genre Sets of an Administrative Assistant

Introduction:
This fieldwork study analyzes genre and genre sets in a workplace. According to
Charles Bazerman in Speech Acts, Genres, and Activity Systems: How Texts Organize
Activity and People, concepts like genres and genres systems suggest how people
using text create new realities of meaning, relation and knowledge (309). A genre set
is a collection of texts someone produces in a particular role. A genre system is a set of
people working in the same structure or organization. In order to gain a real world
application of genre sets, I chose to examine the concepts in a specific workplace.
I analyzed the genre set for an administrative assistant. I collected documents
and an interview with the participant to gain further knowledge of the genre sets. The
effect of these genre sets in this particular career has not been specifically studied, so I
relied on the expertise and credibility of the participant. The largest body of data
collected was through an interview, and the participant offered a few documents that are
used in an average/every day. Knowledge of being an administrative assistant has
great importance to me because it is a job that I can see myself doing one day. Being
able to analyze the genre set for this job helps me visualize the important role that an
administrative assistant has. A central part of the job is communication throughout the
workplace, so I was interested in the specific genres that allow a smooth operation.

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The general features of the genre sets for an administrative assistant are not well

known. The job typically looks different in different settings, which accounts for the
varying degree of different genre sets. A standard procedure for assessing genre sets
in a specific workplace has been collecting documents, interviewing multiple sources,
and researching the career. Despite only having one participant, the majority of these
methods have been done in order to best analyze the findings.

Methods:
I started my collection of data through an email. The participant is my mother,
Pamela Flores, who has been an administrative assistant for the MacTac for eleven
years. The plant is located in Columbus, IN and manufactures pressure sensitive
solution adhesive and paper. This paper is then shipped out to various companies and
other manufacturers. The MacTac plant is one of two plants located in the country and
has constant communication with the main corporate office. Recently, the company
was bought by a larger conglomerate that has changed many procedures of the past. I
knew going into the interview that my participant would not be able to include
documents and other evidence because they are no longer necessary.
To begin my research, I first sent an email to Pamela. Included in the email was
a specific description what a genre set was, what was required for the fieldwork study,
and why it was important. All of the information could be found on the Workplace Genre
Analysis handout given to the students in this course. I attached the handout, and

specified that I would only need documents that were typical/every day as well as
documents that she felt were vital to her job. I also asked for emails or descriptions of
communication that she is included in. I then ended the email with a request for an
interview over the phone.
Due to the fact that my participant is a convenience sample, it was easier to
obtain the information needed. Unfortunately, due to company policy, Pamela was not
allowed to share company emails or documents that were cataloged as intellectual
property. Despite having setbacks due to the company policies, the phone interview
made up for the lack of actual documents.

Results:
Pamela was able to send two documents that she completes on an average
workday. The first document is the Visitor Agreement form. One of the main roles of
the administrative assistant is dealing with visitors. Pamela stated that she gets around
three to five visitors a day. The genre of the form includes formal and legal language.
The language is clear and concise and must follow the protocols of being in a factory. It
is a one-page document that not requires the signature of the visitor, but specific
employee/factory information for correct filing. This genre requires the administrative
assistant to be well versed in safety protocols, legalities pertaining to intellectual
property and liabilities, and confidentiality agreements.

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The second document is an order request form. This spreadsheet is used to

make orders for different supplies needed in the office (I was sent an order form for
supplies from Office Max). Another role of the administrative assistant is being in
charge of purchases as well as keeping track of the purchases being made in the office.
The genre comes in the form of an Excel spreadsheet and is designed with
predetermined equations in different cells. The name of the vendor is at the top as well
as the account number for the specific vendor. Typically, other departments will notify
the administrative assistant when items are wanted. The administrative assistant fills
out what is needed, double checks with the department head, and then sends it to the
plant manager for approval.
During the phone interview, Pamela discussed different ways she communicates
with others in the genre system on an average day. The most common form of
communication within the factory is email. Usually, Pamela acts as the voice for the
plant manager. Whenever someone has a question/request, Pamela is the first one
they email. The features of these emails often include formal language as well as
specific places/codes/words that only an employee of MacTac would know. The emails
almost always follow the same pattern. First, there is a greeting message of just a few
sentences that can be a little informal. Then, a specific question or need. After, the one
sending the email dictates which department head has authorized the request.
Sometimes an administrative assistant has to filter these emails because of their

frequency. Some of them are simple that Pamela can answer by herself. Other times,
she must either forward the email to the plant manager or call him directly.
Pamela also discussed her role as managing the plant managers schedule. This
is all done electronically, and Pamela is the only one with access to it. She records
meetings, phone calls, important visitors, trips, and even some personal items. The
majority of the appointments are written in short hand or abbreviations. Throughout the
day, the plant manager will call her office and ask her to input different appointments as
they come up. Occasionally Pamela will be the one to add an appointment as she sees
fit. Every Monday morning, Pamela and the plant manager sit together and go over the
schedule for the week. She makes sure that both of their schedules are aligned and
adjusts any discrepancies. The schedule itself is used from their email service so that
the plant manager can receive alerts. Each day of the week is divided into different
hours of the day.
When she first started, the plant managers schedule was done on a hard copy
calendar. It wasnt until a few years ago that the schedule became digital. From
looking at an old hardcopy version to the digital calendar, it is clear that the pattern of
appointment keeping has changed. The digital copy is more organized and easy to
read. Because the schedules are synced, both the plant manager and the
administrative assistant can make changes that are visible to both of them. Pamela has
even set up a color code system for the digital copy that allows easier translation if the
plant manager is skimming the schedule.

Discussion:
By looking at these genres, one can get a better understand about this job and
the workplace. Communication is key to make any work place run smoothly, especially
a factory. Pamelas role as the administrative assistant is to facilitate all modes of
communication. Each document she creates and every email she send directly impacts
the activity of MacTac. She also has to be a reflection of the plant as a whole and be
able to communicate effectively with visitors and vendors to create a safe, conducive
environment.
The first step in this role of communication is through the Visitor Agreement form.
Because Pamela has to be well versed in the different legalities and safety protocols of
the company, she is directly representing MacTac to each visitor. She extends the
business to the community by having that knowledge. This genre implies that one must
have background knowledge of how a factory operates to effectively communicate to
visitors. The genre also requires the administrative assistant to have advanced
interpersonal and oral communication skills to explain the legalities and protocols of the
factory to anyone that walks through the door.
The order request form also mediates the activity of the plant. Obviously,
supplies are needed within the business. As an administrative assistant, Pamela is
expected to anticipate those needs. This genre requires Pamela to be knowledgeable
in Excel as well as knowledgeable about all of the vendors. By maintaining
relationships with all of the departments, Pamela acts as a peacemaker. Because

everyone else in her genre system knows what her role is, they feel comfortable going
to her. Going directly to the plant manager can be intimidating for some people in the
plant, so Pamela works as a buffer. She develops relationships with different
departments as well as supporting the plant manager, which in turn creates harmony
throughout the factory.
Her daily emails also attributes to the balance of the workplace. There is a
constant flow of communication that is vital to the daily process of the factory. It is not
feasible for every department to constantly call the plant manager or vendors. The flow
of communication works better if there is one person who is knowledgeable and close to
the plant manager to assist with the needs of the factory. The genre of emails differs
depending on the place, and Pamelas emails are an example of that. Each email is
concise and direct, and usually incorporates multiple people. This reflects the factorys
need for multiple understandings and agreement about certain issues. Pamelas
incorporation in the email shows that there is a need for someone to regulate
communication and be educated on all information regarding the factory.
The schedule genre mediates the activity of the workplace by keeping the plant
manager organized. It is the duty of the plant manager to oversee all of the operations
as well as be involved with the corporate office and the community. All of the trips and
appointments and meetings directly impact the company as a whole. In order for
everything to run smoothly, the administrative assistant has to be methodical in how the
schedule is kept. Its a skill that has to be learned over time, and Pamela has had to
rethink a lot of the ways that the schedule is kept. Because of the recent buyout and the

recent hire of a new plant manager, Pamela has modified the schedule so it is
applicable to the new environment. The function of the genre is not only for organization
but also clarity on the companys goals. This genre dictates how the plant manager will
be involved inside of the factory as well as outside in the community. Pamelas role as
producer of the schedule is crucial to the entire factory.

Conclusion:
With a limited data set, it is difficult to make specific conclusion about this job as
a whole. As stated before, this job may be different in other workplace. There are other
genres that may have been important to analyze, but company policy did not allow me
access. This would have given me a wider range of genres to discuss. Despite the
limitations, Pamelas duties and daily activities are a good start towards analyzing the
genre and genre sets of an administrative assistant. Many of her genres are typical of
other people with her job and factories are a common workplace for many people.
Overall, Pamela plays a vital role and her genres help forward the goals of MacTac.

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Works Cited

Bazerman, Charles. Speech Acts, Genres, and Activity Systems: How Texts Organize
Activity and People. What Writing Does and How It Does It: An Introduction to
Analyzing Texts and Textual Practices. Ed. Charles Bazerman and Paul Prior.
London: Routledge, 2004. 309-39. Print.

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Appendix
Order Request Form

Visitor Agreement
(see attached file)