A Guide to Writing in the Information Technology

Department at the Corporate Office of Hunt

Companies, Inc.
Introduction
This guide illustrates how writing occurs within the Information
Technology department at the corporate office of Hunt Companies, Inc. Hunt
Companies, Inc. is an international private equity investment company
focused in real estate assets, with its corporate office located in El Paso. In
any community, a particular skill set and specific knowledge of that
particular discipline, in this case, Information Technology, is required for one
to effectively function and contribute. However, not only textbook university
knowledge or related skill sets are important; understanding how writing
occurs (including all forms of communication, conventions or practices,
values and norms, etc.), or obtaining social knowledge, within a specific
community is also vital. General knowledge of Information Technology can
contribute to various businesses in a general measure, but to effectively
contribute in the Information Technology department at the corporate office
of Hunt Companies, Inc., one must recognize the environments:

goals
roles and authority
genres
values and atmosphere
writing tools

which are outlined in the following sections. Documents included in the

appendix include an organized version of field notes taken and interview
questions which will be referred to throughout this guide.
Goals
The Information Technology department at the corporate office of Hunt
Companies, Inc. supports the enterprise information systems for all of the
companys entities, meaning they aid improvement of functions for all
locations in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi, and deal with
service, data, and organization throughout the company. This team supplies
all technology, such as desktops, infrastructure security, programming, all
communication, etc. to all of the companys entities. Although the basic
goals always remain the same, short term goals change frequently. Every
three years, this team creates a strategic plan based on their interpretation
of the current company strategy, creating short term goals. The
departments mission statement (Appendix D), which is hung on the wall for
display, states that their mission is to provide innovative, contemporary and
accessible technology in computing, media and communication services
Currently, Hunt Companies, Inc. is slightly moving away from construction
and more to private equity investments, insurance, and banking, meaning
technology and security demands will be quite different. (Information from
Appendix B, question 1 and the company website.)
Roles and Authority

Roles
(Information from Appendix 2, question 1 and question 4.) There are 30 team
members within the Information Technology department at the corporate
office of Hunt Companies, Inc. Different individuals have different roles, such
as developing and updating technology, business analysts who listens to
the business and translates what it needs with team members and how
technology can assist, and executive management who deal with strategy,
governance, relaying information to other company entities, etc. All different
roles generally follow the same norms and use the same writing tools as the
rest of the department, all that differs is their task at hand. Although
Information Technology is commonly seen as the technology group, the roles
actually vary considerably. During my observations (Appendix A), I generally
noticed a few individuals moving packages and boxes, individuals in cubicles,
and the 2 executives in their offices.
Authority
The interviewee for this guide happened to be at Hunt Companies, Inc. for
21 years, which is uncommon in the modern business world. Personnel
turnover in Information Technology is even more common because of the
ever changing development in technology. According to Schosser (Appendix
B, question 6), Hunt Companies, Inc. has an uncommon long longevity in
employees from lower level business services to upper level executives.
Schosser, the Senior Vice President of Information Technology, having the

position he does and, thus, having the authority he has, can influence
conventions and writing practices within his team, but only to an extent.
Schosser explains, 15 years ago, being in management and having seniority
automatically gave you power and credibility, but thats not the case
anymore, not just here at Hunt, but anywhere. Although various
communities may differ, within this particular team, a role in management
gives one the power and the responsibility to promote a certain behavior and
environment; yet it also gives one the responsibility to act further than the
job description and back up that authority and prove ones self every day by
demonstrating competence in Information Technology and in the executive
management position. This team recognizes a well manager in a deserving
management position no matter the longevity in the company like an
unspoken rule of thumb.
Hung on the wall by employee cubicles is an illustration of Requirements
(Appendix E) describing both requirements and regulations for all Information
Technology employees. Requirements include knowledge of format,
directory, department computers, servers, procedures, etc. Regulations, or
anything prohibited, include certain email and voice mail forwarding
containing specific information, instant messaging platforms, remote desktop
access, and use of unauthorized software. Although these requirements and
regulations apply to both employee and employer, it is the employer that
initially determines what is important and should be specified for the
particular team.

Genres
Genres can be defined as similarities in strategies, similarities in modes of
thinking, similarities in conventions and practices, and the sharing of
situations, all within a particular discourse. Genres can be classified once
individuals can recognize these similarities within their environment. With
this information in hand, the presenting question is, what function does
writing serve for these basic and short term goals of the Information
Technology department in the corporate office of Hunt Companies, Inc., and
of these functions, what can be classified as genres? (The following
statements and assumptions were made on the basis of Appendix A and
Appendix B, question 1 and question 3.) Since there are different roles, which
were discussed in the previous section, it is important that all team members
are on the same page with the tasks at hand, which also include practicing
similar conventions and practices and recognizing the same genres occurring
in their environment. Collaboration and relaying of information between
team members, departments, and company entities occur primarily through:
1) phone call, 2) face to face conversation and visitation, and 3) email. From
time to time, video conferencing is used and is always an option, along with
team meetings. These primary forms of communication, along with video
conferencing and team meetings, can be classified as genres, as all team
members recognize these conventions and have an understanding of what
types of situations each is appropriate for.

1) Phone call - During my observations, I noticed frequent short phone

calls to most team members, usually consisting of less than 15
seconds. Some were clear collaboration, for example, one phone call
received by the Senior Vice President of the department lasted about 2
minutes with context about meeting time, meeting space, individuals
attending and not attending, reasons for including and excluding
individuals, etc. Other phone calls were clearly expected and prompt,
for example, I counted about 6 quick calls, both outgoing and received,
in the first 10 minutes of my stay. Whether calls were for team
members in cubicles or the Senior Vice President in his office, calls
illustrated a low power distance among the whole department,
regardless of role. There was always a friendly greeting and occasional
small talk before collaboration or relaying of information occurred.
2) Face to face conversation and visitation - In my whole hour and 30
minute stay, there was a constant and steady flow of people walking
around and visiting cubicles and offices. During my 12 and a half
minute interview with the Senior Vice President of the department, 3
different individuals came to his office: 1 to drop off papers, and 2
others to relay information quickly just like the phone calls. With these
quick face to face conversations, a greeting was not a norm like it was
with phone calls. A statement or question followed by a ready response
was all that would occur, although a friendly and warm vibe continued
with a smile. Documents physically shared were usually information
that could be shared via Employee Intranet (explained further in the

Writing Tools section) like spreadsheets and statements about status

of current tasks, except shared physically due to urgency and
convenience of sharing office space.
3) Email - Emails were said to be utilized more for communicating with
other company entities, relaying suggested strategic plans and
spreadsheets of current base data beyond the Information Technology
department (Appendix B, question 3). While the team communicates
with frequent in person visitations and phone calls, memos and
newsletters via email are at least a weekly occurrence. The purposes
for these occurrences are to quickly and efficiently share information
with all employees either just in the department, or throughout the
whole company. One artifact I obtained (Appendix D) was a memo
regarding email Phishing cyber threats from the Information
Technology department to the rest of the company. This memo is
prompt and to the point, with the companys employee safety clearly
top priority.
Executive management of the Information Technology department
communicates with outside company entities through email and
occasional video conferencing to relay company needs and the
departments functions and services. Information is then relayed to the
rest of the department to begin their role to contribute to the department,
thus, the department providing contribution to the company as a whole,

beginning the frequent phone calls, face to face conversation and

visitations, and occasional email amongst each other.
As another option of communication, team meetings are sometimes held in 1
of the 2 executive managers offices. During my stay, I visually observed (as
I could not make out what was happening verbally) a team meeting take
place in the Senior Vice Presidents office which lasted about 15 minutes. I
was in the main workplace where individuals were working in their cubicles
and I was able to see into the conference room through a glass window.
Although I could only observe visually, it seemed like all individuals attending
this meeting had a stern and serious persona, with the Senior Vice President
standing and talking with the assistance of Microsoft PowerPoint and the rest
sitting around a table. There was clearly stronger authority with the
presenter during this meeting than in a regular situation, which leads me to
believe a different etiquette is expected during team meetings.
Values and Atmosphere
Through my observations (Appendix A), I recognized a friendly, cozy work
environment. Individuals cubicles were personalized and decorated, attire
was semiformal, and everybody communicated with each other warmly.
Although warm and friendly, there was no doubt that each individual was
assertively working at their current task. During my interview with the Senior
Vice President of this department, Karl Schosser (Appendix B, question 2,
question 3, and question 4), he mentioned how it is important for them to

promote a laid back environment due to the stress this particular field
accompanies. Schosser also pointed out 3 specific values his team constantly
tries to foster, which all intertwine with each other: 1) professionalism, 2)
customer service, and 3) work ethic.
1) Professionalism Due to the nature of tasks in the Information
Technology department, it is vital to the company that all team
members competence be high and skill sets at the expected level.
Along with the competence and particular skill sets required that
accompany providing technology, security, and data, being capable of
collaborating with other team members as a professional is a value this
department attempts to radiate on a daily basis.
2) Customer service Again, due to the nature of Information Technology,
Schosser explains, Its not a matter if something is going to go wrong,
or if you are going to get hacked, or if things will break or fail; its a
matter of when. This particular team promotes strong customer
service not only in response to dilemmas, but in preparation. This team
values being prepared, being one step ahead of possible problems,
because problems are assured in everyday situations. Once a problem
does occur, this team values personnel who can handle and respond
efficiently, not only with a customer, but with other collaborating team
members.
3) Work ethic Every business values a strong work ethic, and this
department is no different. Schosser says, Everyone in this team has
a well, ethical, and strong work ethic. Efficiency and productivity is

vital since this department is responsible for providing numerous

functions such as providing technology, security, data, and strategic
planning for the entire international company. In motivating and
promoting this strong work ethic, it is only more reason to promote the
light attitude of the environment that Schosser suggests is so
important.
These values influence and are depicted in the writing of this particular team
by team members communicating amongst each other in the quickest, most
convenient way possible, usually face to face and phone calls, along with a
few emails sent back and forth. In order to ensure the warm, friendly, light
attitude atmosphere, more casual, personalized communication, as
described by Schosser, is practiced, while still protecting the integrity of an
efficient work environment with professional, prepared, and responsive
employees with strong work ethic.
In the departments mission statement (Appendix D), the warm vibe along
with the importance of completing objectives is clear with the use of Hunt
family and emphasizing for the company to effectively meet their goals
and objectives. This mission statement is hung on the entrance and exit
door of the department office with the intention of reminding employees the
importance of what they do and how they do it, motivating them to carry
both the companys and the departments values. On the wall by all the
employee cubicles, Guiding Principles (Appendix F) is hung on the wall,
which expresses security, reliability, and regulation as guiding principles

for the department. As Schosser had also expressed in the interview,

employees must be competent and dependable to respond in any situation
presented. One last illustration of values displayed in the Information
Technology community is the Established Priorities (Appendix G) also hung
on the wall by all the employee cubicles. Some that stand out and correlate
with the interview with the Senior Vice President of the department include
professionalism (as the top listed priority), system stability and availability,
and security. These priorities are displayed by employee cubicles with the
intentions, like the departments mission statement, to remind and motivate
employees the importance of the values to be carried and presented while
attacking their objectives.
Writing Tools
During my observations (Appendix A), every individual who was not
communicating verbally with another was on their computer either typing
away or what seemed like reading. While I walked around, I was able to
recognize a few Excel spreadsheets open, some Word documents, and some
PowerPoint presentations being constructed. During my interview with
Schosser (Appendix B, question 7), he mentioned that, although email
occasionally floats around, most of the writing tools his team uses are the
basic Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. As the
Senior Vice President of the department, he personally utilizes Microsoft
PowerPoint regularly, often in preparation of a meeting or conference. Using
these 3 tools, information is restricted to a formal, and straight forward path.

These tools seem useful in this environment when proposing plans or ideas.
For example: Microsoft Word in a written proposal, Microsoft PowerPoint in a
face to face proposal, and perhaps Microsoft Excel as a factual and statistical
basis for said proposal. These tools restrain adding excess personality or
humor, and seem appropriate when communicating with other departments
and entities in the company whose norms may differ.
Another tool not only this department, but the entire company uses is
Employee Intranet. This software is a large virtual space for document
sharing within the company. Another tool used occasionally for video
conferencing is Web Axis, which will allow some features of a face to face
conversation to be shared and be less restricted than Microsoft Word
programs.
Appendix A
Field notes and tour of the location 1 hour and 30 minutes
Environment Individual cubicles. Cubicles are personalized and decorated
by the individual. Constant and steady flow of people walking around.
Friendly, cozy vibe. Everybody is aggressively working on their task, no
fooling around.
Writing/communication Frequent phone calls. Individuals frequently visiting
each others cubicles and the Senior Vice Presidents office. All are constantly
on their computers, either writing on Word (from what I can see) or on some
kind of number spreadsheet (some on Excel, others couldnt tell.)
Although verbal communication is warm and friendly, it is always for a
specific purpose (to gain information, relay information, etc.)
I noticed a few people moving packages. Everyone else working in cubicles.
2 executives in their offices.
No breaks. Friendly. Smiles.

Took a tour of the rest of the building and all departments were also
vigorously working, although in the Accounting department, it seemed much
more quiet like everybody was focused on their own individual task without
much collaboration from other team members. The Information Technology
department obviously requires much more collaboration amongst
themselves.

Appendix B
Interview Questions 1st Interview
Interviewee Karl Schosser, Senior Vice President of Information Technology
1. What is the big picture, or main goal of the Information Technology
department/team here at the corporate office of Hunt Companies, Inc.?

What are the short term, more specific goals?

2. Are there any shared values in this team you feel is worth mentioning?

How are these values depicted in day to day communication with each
other?

3. Are there any forms of communication that are frequently used? (Such as
meetings, phone calls, e-mails, newsletters, etc.)

4. What conventions or practices would a newcomer in this team need to be

familiar with to effectively contribute?

5. Is there any special language, such as specific terms or acronyms, which a

newcomer would need to learn in this team?

6. Who would you classify as the old timers with more expertise in this
team?

Do these old timers significantly influence the conventions and writing

practices of the team?

7. What computer programs or writing tools are commonly used by team

members?

Appendix C
Interview Questions 2nd Interview
Interviewee Karl Schosser, Senior Vice President of Information Technology
1. I understand all roles in this team are important, but are there 1 or 2 roles
you find interesting or feel are worth discussing in depth?

How many team members for this task/role?

Are there any special programs/writing tools used?

2. Are there team meetings or conferences that take place within this
department?

Where do these usually take place?

What circumstances call for a meeting or conference?

3. What kind of documents are usually shared between employees?

Appendix D

Appendix E
Integration M&A Requirements
Required to be Hunt Standards for
companies on Hunt IT Platform
-Email Platform
-User and Computer Name Format

-Voice Mail to Email forwarding or

translation
-Any Instant Messenger Platform

Prohibited
-Active Directory

-Remote Desktop Access

-Employee Intranet

-Any unauthorized software

-Networking Equipment
-User Computers

-Servers
-Storage Devices
-Phone Systems
-All Security Platforms, Policies and Procedures
-Hunt IT Help Desk Procedures

Hunt IT: Achieving Business Objectives through Technology.

Appendix F
Guiding Principles

Security, Reliability, Regulation

Scalability to address M&A / Diversiture Activity

Hosting Options
SAAS Solution
Hosting provider
On Premises Hosting

Transparency of Cost and Cost Allocation

Achieving Business Objectives Through Technology

Technology at Hunt

Appendix G
Established Priorities

Professionalism
System Stability and Availability
Security
Regulatory Requirements
Hunt Family / TSA Regulated Projects
Non HCBS Projects (HCI and Affiliates)
HCBS Projects
Maintenance

Achieving Business Objectives Through Technology

Technology at Hunt

References
Hunt Companies. (2016). Who We Are. Retrieved from
http://www.huntcompanies.com/who-we-are
Hunt Companies. (2016). What We Do. Retrieved from
http://www.huntcompanies.com/what-we-do
Hunt Companies. (2016). What We Do Leadership Corporate Officers.
Retrieved from
http://www.huntcompanies.com/who-we-are/leadership/corporateofficers