A Comparative Analysis Of Metadiscourse In Earnings Press Releases From Chinese And American Multinationals

Earnings press release plays a major role in the investor-relation management and is the focus of attention in the industry and academia.However,research on earnings press release is scanty in China.This study will systematically analyse the distribution structure of metadiscourse in the English earnings press releases produced by Chinese and American multinationals through a structural description and comparative analysis established in relevant language theories and based on self-built closed corpora.The study systematically analyzes 40 English earnings press releases from 20 China-based multinationals and 20 US-based ones based on Hyland’s(2005)metadiscourse model and move-structure analysis approach,mainly involving quantitative characteristics,structural differences,stylistic features and persuasive means.The results of the study indicate that,on the one hand,as a whole,the metadiscourse resources employed in the English earnings press releases originated from Chinese companies and their American counterparts are similar in the amounts,types and distribution hierarchy.They have strong homogeneity despite of certain differences.This suggest that Chinese companies’ earnings press releases are consistent with the international style in terms of metadiscourse and are close to the use of metadiscourse in their American counterparts’ texts.In addition,writers of Chinese companies’ earnings press releases can flexibly employ metadiscourse markers in accordance with the communicative purpose of each move and the companies’ special position in the American market to interact and communicate with the reader.On the other hand,the earnings press releases produced by Chinese companies differ from those by American companies in the distribution of metadiscourse in specific moves,which is mainly reflected by the fact that the former is interactive-oriented while the latter is interactional-oriented.A further analysis of the rhetorical functions uncovers that the former mainly seek to the rational appeals while the latter primarily seek to the affective appeals.In addition,the differences in earnings press releases between Chinese and American companies may also be due to the negative transfer of mother tongues.In Chinese companies’ earnings press releases,the adverb is mistakenly used as the connective.This study is conducive to helping Chinese multinationals to properly use metadiscourse resources to better present their financial performance as well as improve business writing and strengthen business communication.