Transactional Communication In The Workplace

Professionel communication To start with, workplace communication is defined as the process of exchanging information, both verbal and non-verbal, within an organization. An organization may consist of employees from different parts of the society. In order to unite the activities of all employees, communication is crucial. Communicating necessary information to the entire workforce becomes necessary, and effective workplace communication ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved.

Communication plays a central role in most (if not all) workplaces, and many of the tasks people typically perform in their everyday workplace lives are in one way or another related to communication. This crucial role of communication is particularly

The distinction between transactional and relational aspects is useful for understanding professional communication. Transactional aspects of an encounter refer to those behaviours that more or less explicitly aim at getting things done and achieving outcomes, while relationally oriented aspects describe behaviours that aim at enhancing interpersonal relationships and creating a positive working atmosphere. Although both transactional and relational aspects are clearly important, in many workplace interactions transactional goals seem to be participants’ main concern. (Koester 2006: 26)

Talk is the way we do and accomplish our tasks at work the fact that the workplaces are held together trough communicative practice, therefore both the spoken and written talk are central for the researchers of LSP.

Much of the early work on the language used in workplaces has used the term institutional talk. The study of institutional discourse sheds light on how organizations work, how lay people and experts interact and how knowledge and power circulate within the routines systems and common-sense practices of work related settings

Telephone calls, meetings, negotiations and conferences have become the cornerstones of professional contacts. Many experts like business people, lawyers, health care personnel, street-level bureaucrats spend a lot of their working hours in talk with clients, colleagues and other professionals. Most workplaces have specific expectations and norms about what is considered appropriate communication, specifically in terms of who communicates with whom, how and when. ( Exploring professional com / Stephanie Schnurr) .

Relational talk and humor at work :

The division between transactional (task-oriented ), and relational (phatic) talk has been challenged by a number of recent studies into the use of small talk in workplace and institutional setting . These are some terms that describe the workplace interactions:

• Non-transactional conversations: office gossip and small talk.

• Phatic communication: small talk at the beginning or end of transactional encounters.

• Relational episodes: small talk or office gossip occurring during the performance of a transactional task