The Euphemism treadmill in job termination language: A comparative study of Indonesian and Chinese

This study investigates the euphemism treadmill phenomenon in job termination language within Indonesian and Chinese contexts. Employing Pinker’s Euphemism Treadmill (2003) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions (2001), this study analyzes euphemistic expressions used in 3 Chinese economic news outlets (National Business Daily; China Business Network; The Economic Daily) and 3 Indonesian economic news outlets (CNBC Indonesia; Bisnis; Kontan) over 2019-2023. The data collection involved job termination keyword searches and manual screening of articles to compile a comprehensive corpus of job termination euphemisms, with native speakers reviewing and coding the data for accuracy. The analysis draws on a contrastive linguistic framework and cultural dimensions to interpret cultural factors influencing euphemism usage. Our findings reveal clear evidence of the euphemism treadmill effect in both languages, characterized by the continuous creation and replacement of euphemistic terms as they lose their mitigating power over time. Cultural values such as power distance, collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance manifest in euphemistic language practices in both languages. Results indicate that high power distance and collectivist orientations in both cultures contribute to the prevalence and evolution of job termination euphemisms. The research also explores how economic contexts, societal attitudes, and globalization influences shape the euphemism treadmill in these linguistic environments.