Power and Communication: Semantic vs. Pragmatic Messages

Abstract

Power affects the behavior of people in the workplace. Communication is a prime example of a behavior that can be affected by the level of power that a person holds in an organization. Statements can have both semantic and pragmatic implications. The semantic implication of a statement concerns the literal meaning of the statement, whereas the pragmatic implication of a statement includes the antecedent conditions that led the communicator to make the statement. We hypothesize that high power individuals are more likely to interpret messages semantically, whereas low power individuals are more likely to interpret messages pragmatically. Furthermore, we examine how power level effects an individual's choice to send a message with semantic or pragmatic implications. We believe that low power individuals are more likely to use pragmatic messages, and high power individuals are more likely to use semantic messages. Organizational implications for our findings are discussed.