Constructing and Maintaining Workplace Relationships through Talk

Abstract

Workplace interaction is a site for achieving objectives: both the transactional objectives, embedded in the organizational targets, and the relational objectives i.e. linked to the concepts of power and politeness. This paper focuses mainly on the communication strategies used by the chairs of two meetings, which took place in Romanian organizations. The direct and indirect manifestations of power aim at controlling the development of the meetings and at building and maintaining hierarchical relationships. Positive politeness strategies foster collegiality and strengthen workplace relationships.