The studies collected in this volume contribute to shedding light on the multi-faceted complexity and stratification of identity within the context of corporate communication, by definition characterized by the interplay and intersection among genres, discursive practices and communicative events involving both individual and collective actors. The texts investigated include openly promotional genres specifically aimed at constructing and promoting a company's image in the marketplace, such as those used in sponsorship and advertising, as well as organizational genres which in spite of their primarily operational purpose also incorporate cues aimed at the planned self-representation of the enterprise. The arguments presented in the various chapters and the research results supporting them bring evidence to the crucial role discourse plays in the construction of corporate identity at all levels.

Contents:

Paola Evangelisti Allori/Giuliana Garzone: Identities, Discourse and Genres in Corporate Communication: An Introduction - Jane Lung: A Closer Look at Identities Affecting Intercultural Business Communication - Giuliana Garzone: Multiple Sponsorships and Advertising in the Discursive Construction of Corporate Identity - Paola Evangelisti Allori: Corporate Identity and Image Promotion through Sponsoring International Sports Events. A View from the Web - Francesca Santulli: Event and Sponsoring Company: Presentation and Linking Strategies in the Web-Mediated Environment - Paola Catenaccio: Representations of Corporate Philanthropy: A Linguistic Approach - Cecilia Boggio: Automobile Advertising for Cultural Elites: A Multimodal Analysis - Geraldine E. Hynes/Marius Janson: Using Semiotic Analysis to Determine Effectiveness of Advertising in Internet Marketing - Erika Salsnik: Advertorials in the Italian Press: the Impact of Corporate Identity Strategies on Linguistic Features - Donatella Malavasi: The Multifaceted Nature of Banks' Annual Reports as Informative, Promotional and Corporate Communication Practices - Chiara Degano: Linguistic Perspectives on Image Construction and Moral Identity. The Case of Banks - Elizabeth Saatci: The Construction of Corporate Identity in Corporate Conference Calls: The Case of Voluntary Financial Disclosures - Ulisse Belotti: Unequal Discourse and the Role of Modality in the Language of Invitations for Bids - Sylvain Dieltjens/Priscilla Heynderickx: The Interpretation of the Possessives ons/onze in 'Fixed' Phrases in Internal Business Communication in Dutch.

Paola Evangelisti Allori is Professor of English at the Italian University for Sport and Human Movement, (IUSM) Roma, Italy. Her main research interests are in specialized discourse in different domains, both academic and professional. She has coordinated several research projects and published extensively on comparative analysis of specialized discourse in various disciplinary areas and fields of action, both cross-linguistically and cross-disciplinarily. Her current research is focused on sports-related domains, exploring text types and genres, particularly in legal and business communication.

Giuliana Garzone is Professor of English Linguistics and Translation at the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy. Her main research interests are in specialized discourse in its different domains, and in translation and interpreting studies. She has co-ordinated several research projects and published extensively on legal language, scientific discourse, business communication, political discourse and on translation and interpreting. In recent times her research has explored the impact of multimodality on professional communication, focusing on text types and genres embedded in the web-mediated environment.