Linguistic Inclusion: Challenging Implicit Classed Communication Bias in Interview Methods

Abstract

Social class influences communication behaviors in a variety of ways, including, for example, norms regarding volume, silence, and language use. Communication typical of white-collar backgrounds is often privileged in social life, while communication common to blue-collar backgrounds is marginalized. However, organizational scholars rarely discuss such tendencies and their impact on research methods and findings. Indeed, as scholars, we are often trained that verbose, rich interview data is ideal for all qualitative organizational communication research, even as these standards implicitly privilege white-collar communication norms. In this study, scholars are called to reimagine the most commonly used method of qualitative data collection, interviews, in order to address implicit classed communication biases in qualitative organizational communication scholarship. As knowledge about discourse, materiality, and organizing continues to evolve in organizational communication, it is imperative that scholars develop more inclusive methods. We propose and discuss more inclusive methods of data collection that can involve unlearning biased approaches to methods, and consider specific techniques such as photovoice, linguistic pilot tests, and conscientious fieldwork.