In this paper, we investigate the attention given to and the impact of interpersonal, people-oriented and transactional, problem-oriented stance in English complaint refusals in business correspondence. The analysis is based on a sample analysis of English e-mail sequences from a Belgian multinational as well as experimental research that probes into the effect of interpersonal strategies on customer outcomes. The sample analysis shows a sharp contrast between theory and practice: while the need for supportive language and interpersonal attention are standard items in textbook instructions, the data show little alignment with the customer through expressions of regret, gratitude, or empathy. The experiment, in its turn, shows a positive impact of interactional stance on interactional justice but little to no impact on satisfaction, perceived professionalism, and loyalty. This raises a number of questions regarding best practice and best practice models.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are often said to be risky business, especially in cross-border M&As, when an acquiring company faces a possible clash of both corporate and national cultures. This article focuses on the acquisition of the Argentine oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) by the Spanish oil company Repsol in 1999. In particular, using a corpus of Repsol's M&A related press releases, the author demonstrates how the acquiring company draws on forward-looking statements, promotional language, and repetition to discursively display its financial and moral competences to negotiate the acquisition. The analysis will also show how, at a certain moment, Repsol introduces an appeasing antitrust narrative to respond to the hurt (nationalistic) feelings in YPF's Latin American environment.
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