Directives at work: Exploring the contextual complexity of workplace directives

Context plays a crucial role in understanding why people express speech acts in different ways. In this paper, the influence of contextual factors on the frequency and expression of directives is explored in data from three managers working in two New Zealand government departments. Aspects of social context, such as purpose of interaction, participant status and social distance, affect both directive frequency and expression. Potential gender differences are also identified, with the male manager using a larger percentage of imperatives (the most forceful form) to express his directives than the female managers. Examination of context at the level of discourse shows how the most and least forceful forms are used in certain circumstances. This result draws into question the conclusion that the male manager is more direct; he responds to the same contextual factors as the women in terms of when he uses the most and least forceful forms. The study highlights the contextual complexity of analyzing speech acts such as directives in naturally occurring data.