Investigating the implementation of indirect communication strategy among practical training students in the workplace context

In the working environment, communication is one of the most important aspects in transferring information between employees and superiors and also between the employees themselves. The qualitative study was conducted in order to identify the reasons why the practical training students implement indirect communication as one of the communication strategies in the workplace. The research can further clarify the correct time and occasion concerning the use indirectness in daily communication. The methods used were analysing audio recordings of conversation that occurred in a corporate working environment. The recordings were then orthographically transcribed in order to identify the elements of indirectness in the speeches based on the thematic analysis approach. The data collected revealed that indirectness has taken place between superiors and subordinates and also among the subordinates when they were making request, responding to request, rejecting request, giving orders, complaining and making jokes. Indirectness also occurred in accordance to the reasons of saving owns face, offering help, avoiding conflict, delivering short message, asking about something to a stranger, avoiding from harming faces, voicing out disappointment, reducing the risk of offence and avoiding harm in relationship. Therefore, the occurrence of indirectness is a good method to maintain relationship and avoid conflict especially in the professional working context.