That’s not my job! Exploring the impact of language and explanations on requests in a corporate setting.
Keywords
Loading...
Authors
Issue Date
2022-06-27
Language
en
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The current study sought to explore the impact of the presence or absence of an explanation,
as well as the use of native and non-native language, on the persuasiveness of a nonhierarchical request in a business context. Previous research has found requests accompanied
by explanations to increase the persuasiveness of the requests and those made in a native
language to be perceived as less of an imposition than those posed in a non-native language.
The study analysed how native Dutch speakers evaluated a request posed in either Dutch or
English and with or without an explanation. An online questionnaire posed a hypothetical
non-hierarchical request to participants. The results of the questionnaire indicated that the use
of an explanation and language did not have a significant effect on the persuasiveness of the
request. The findings of questionnaire were inconsistent with prior research and may have
been influenced by the questionnaire failing to address the degree of imposition and social
distance variables of politeness theory. Highlighting the importance considering these
sociological determinants may have on the persuasiveness of a request.
Keywords: requests, native vs non-native, corporate communication, explanations
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Letteren