Expanding the Activities of In-House Manual Writers

Abstract

In-house software manuals must satisfy many internal audiences that are adapting to computerization. Manuals must meet the operational needs of users, represent the technical requirements of in-house programmers, and achieve the goals of upper managers for stability and productivity. To achieve these multiple objectives, in-house writers, with support from their managers, need two special strategies for project management: conducting a contextual audience analysis and acting as liaisons in their workplaces. Contextual audience analyses examine the organizational dynamics that influence how users learn about and respond to a new system. These analyses investigate the relationship between users' task responsibilities and job satisfaction; the consequences of current interchanges among users, programmers, and managers; and successful adoptions of other manuals in the organization. In-house writers must also become liaisons who diagnose sources of resistance to computerization, negotiate among competing priorities, and document the fruits of their labor in their manuals. General liaison strategies include socializing oneself into that role and choosing tactics appropriate for the structure of one's workplace. Specifically, writer-liaisons may participate in multiple staff meetings, involve users in program modification and documentation development, and champion innovative uses of the system. All together, these project management strategies make an in-house manual a vital part of the entire computerization process.