Face

Face helps explain our underlying motivations when we communicate at work. It refers to our desire to be positively evaluated and respected by those we work with, and wishing to have a good reputation.

From the boss's perspective, part of face is their desire to have their status, as a superior, upheld and be positively evaluated by those around them.

You perform your Face to the linguistic strategies that you choose to use. And your language choices intersect with a range of other features to make up your identity construction, including how you dress, your body language, and gestures.

Good bosses are those whose public self image is judged as being authentic and trustworthy, inspirational, genuine and consistent, with a strong sense of stewardship and a dedication to developing a strong sense of workplace community.

consider the following questions:

Whose public self-image do you most admire, either in your own workplace or in the world of businesses and organisations at large? Why?
Is ‘personal face’ or ‘social identity face’ more appropriate for your workplace? What public self-image do you think you have at work, either individually or collectively?
How do you think your boss views your public self-image?
What would you like to change about your public self-image at work, if anything?

	Created by kerryn.andersen over 9 years ago

October 2014 University of Nottingham online 3 week course