Writing, Authenticity, And Knowledge Creation: Why I Write and You should Too (Forum: Reflections and Epiphanies‪)‬

I have never thought of myself as a researcher. The words "Outstanding Researcher Award" on the plaques the Association for Business Communication (ABC) and McGraw-Hill/Irwin awarded me this past year don't describe who I am and what I believe I do. Those words, in fact, cause me uncomfortableness, even embarrassment. I deliberately avoid describing myself as a researcher, let alone a "social scientist." It has taken me well over a decade of my academic life to figure out what I do, aside from teach. Simply put, I write, or write articles. More precisely, I struggle to find time to write, avoid writing more times than I care to adroit because it's hard work, puzzle over how to "word and reword" (Rose, 1992) the organizational world I'm thinking about, and, more often than not, think and write badly. Not until the mid-1990s did I discover that what I am compelled to write are stories about communication problems I've stumbled across, the ways I've used to solve them, and the problems that still puzzle me. Telling stories feels authentic and enables me to continue writing, even though tenure and promotion are no longer rewards for my writing efforts.