An Ethnographic Study of Women's Language Use to Elevate Their Status in a Business Setting

This ethnography researches the linguistic normalities and abnormalities in the introductions and exit statements made by women addressing other women in a bridal store environment. There is research done on business settings that include men, but there is a lack of research done on an all women business field. An all women business setting was a challenge to find and examine since an homogeneous environment does not exist in many businesses. Although the setting was difficult to find, the process of researching this brought forth many important conclusions. The first being that women use a number of linguistic features to present a friendly and inviting atmosphere to a customer; such as a raise in pitch, and polite turn taking. Secondly, the exit statement is not widely considered as important as the introduction statement, and does not show the same linguistic features as an introduction. Finally, the first introduction shapes the type of communication, open or closed, the customer has throughout their appointment. The findings of this research shows the linguistic tools that women use in introductions, and how important the first introduction is between women in a business setting.