Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers

In workplace communication, being polite and clear is essential. However, achieving both simultaneously can be challenging, particularly when dealing with face-threatening acts like making requests. Requests can infringe on someone’s freedom of action, potentially leading to face threats, nece...

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Main Authors: Petani Mohd Noor, Marlyna Maros, Kesumawati Abu Bakar, Normalis Amzah
Format: Article
Language:en
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/1/Gema%20Online_24_3_6.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/
https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1733
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author Petani Mohd Noor,
Marlyna Maros,
Kesumawati Abu Bakar,
Normalis Amzah,
author_facet Petani Mohd Noor,
Marlyna Maros,
Kesumawati Abu Bakar,
Normalis Amzah,
author_sort Petani Mohd Noor,
building Tun Sri Lanang Library
collection Institutional Repository
content_provider Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
content_source UKM Journal Article Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
description In workplace communication, being polite and clear is essential. However, achieving both simultaneously can be challenging, particularly when dealing with face-threatening acts like making requests. Requests can infringe on someone’s freedom of action, potentially leading to face threats, necessitating facework strategies for restoration. One effective strategy is using external modifications or supportive moves to mitigate requests. Unfortunately, studies on requests among native Malay speakers have mainly focused on request cores, neglecting the investigation of request supportive moves. To address this gap, our qualitative study aims to explore request supportive moves used by native Malay speakers in instant messaging (IM) group communication. We analysed the data using strategy types of supportive moves by Fukushima (1996), supplemented with additional categories from Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984) and Konakahara (2011). Our findings revealed a preference for deferential supportive moves, with grounders being the most favoured type for mitigating requests. Our research highlights that communicatively competent native Malay speakers often use reasons as supportive moves to mitigate requests, regardless of the requests’ directness levels. Hence, it is advisable to mitigate requests with supportive moves generally or with grounders specifically when producing effective requests in the work environment. This approach allows native Malay speakers to present their requests clearly, politely and without imposing on others which in return helps to build quality relationships and keeps them productive.
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institution Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
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spelling my-ukm.journal.246362025-01-02T03:20:19Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/ Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers Petani Mohd Noor, Marlyna Maros, Kesumawati Abu Bakar, Normalis Amzah, In workplace communication, being polite and clear is essential. However, achieving both simultaneously can be challenging, particularly when dealing with face-threatening acts like making requests. Requests can infringe on someone’s freedom of action, potentially leading to face threats, necessitating facework strategies for restoration. One effective strategy is using external modifications or supportive moves to mitigate requests. Unfortunately, studies on requests among native Malay speakers have mainly focused on request cores, neglecting the investigation of request supportive moves. To address this gap, our qualitative study aims to explore request supportive moves used by native Malay speakers in instant messaging (IM) group communication. We analysed the data using strategy types of supportive moves by Fukushima (1996), supplemented with additional categories from Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984) and Konakahara (2011). Our findings revealed a preference for deferential supportive moves, with grounders being the most favoured type for mitigating requests. Our research highlights that communicatively competent native Malay speakers often use reasons as supportive moves to mitigate requests, regardless of the requests’ directness levels. Hence, it is advisable to mitigate requests with supportive moves generally or with grounders specifically when producing effective requests in the work environment. This approach allows native Malay speakers to present their requests clearly, politely and without imposing on others which in return helps to build quality relationships and keeps them productive. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/1/Gema%20Online_24_3_6.pdf Petani Mohd Noor, and Marlyna Maros, and Kesumawati Abu Bakar, and Normalis Amzah, (2024) Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers. GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 24 (3). pp. 93-111. ISSN 1675-8021 https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1733
spellingShingle Petani Mohd Noor,
Marlyna Maros,
Kesumawati Abu Bakar,
Normalis Amzah,
Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title_full Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title_fullStr Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title_full_unstemmed Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title_short Communication in the workplace: request mitigations in Instant Messaging (IM) among native Malay speakers
title_sort communication in the workplace: request mitigations in instant messaging (im) among native malay speakers
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/1/Gema%20Online_24_3_6.pdf
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24636/
https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1733
url_provider http://journalarticle.ukm.my/