Content Analysis of Address Terms in Business Communication through Game Theory and Linguistic Adaptability Model

This qualitative study explores the various types and functions behind the use of address terms in business communication, within regular customer-shopkeeper interactions. Qualitative Content Analysis, along with the Adaptation theory and GTS (Game Theory Semantics), are used for the detailed analysis of socio-cultural aspects and to unfold the purpose of using Address Terms in Business Communication. The sample comprises 60 different shopkeepers and customers at different busy business places in Lahore, i.e. Shah Alam Market, Anarkali and Ichra Bazaar (Market); 20 shopkeepers each through convenient sampling. Data is collected in the form of recordings and images of the conversation between the sampled shopkeepers and customers in a naturally occurring context. The corpus of the recordings comprised the address terms, which were codified under different variables: Gender, Age, Status, Appearance, Cultural Background, cast and religion. A semi-structured interview for the shopkeepers and a questionnaire for the customers are also used to get more objective results. This is a less-researched area in Pakistan, and this study will be a gateway for other researchers for upcoming projects. The findings revealed that mostly use of address terms is based on physical-appearance. This research offers insights to the shift of market interaction from traditional to Western-influenced titles.