Communication Strategies Inherent in Business Discourse by Miraa Traders of Igembe and Somali Origin

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper was to analyse the communication strategies employed by miraa traders from Igembe and Somali origin, in their business discourse. The researchers were given the impetus to undertake this study because of the uniqueness exhibited in miraa traders’ discourse. The study aimed at establishing communication strategies depicted in their discourse and was guided by the Politeness Theory as advanced by Brown and Levinson (1987) and Communication Accommodation Theory by Giles (1971) to form the basis of its theoretical framework. The study was carried out at Muringene Market and in Maua Town in Kenya. It employed the social networks approach to identify participants. The purposive sampling procedure was used. Data was collected by tape-recording negotiations as miraa traders went on with their business interactions and through non-participants observation. Data analysis was largely qualitative. The study found out that miraa traders make use of several communication strategies such as inclusion, exclusion, directness, high level of informality, and volubility and taciturnity that form the basis of this study