Coffee, Tea or …?: Gender and Politeness in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

Asha Kaul and Vaibhavi Kulkarni

No WP2005-04-02, IIMA Working Papers from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department

Abstract: Research shows that electronic communication has affected written language significantly. The increasing importance of use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) in organizations has multiple implications for use of written language at workplace. This study focuses on the influence of gender and politeness on writing style in CMC, specifically work related emails, in the Indian context. Grice’s Cooperative Principle (CP) and Leech’s maxims of Politeness have been used to analyze samples of 494 work related emails written by both men and women. On the basis of this analysis, an attempt has been made to study the relationship between gender, politeness and email content. On the basis of the data, it is concluded that: 1. Different politeness maxims across genders are used in work related emails. 2. Politeness maxims are used in clusters. 3. Variations in use of politeness maxims across genders are highest in directives. 4. Violations of politeness maxims are higher in men than in women.

Date: 2005-04-02
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