BESCHWERDEBRIEFE IM SPIEGEL DER HELFENDEN, DER AGGRESSIV-ENTWERTENDEN UND DER SICH DISTANZIERENDEN KOMMUNIKATIONSSTILE

Abstract

The paper intends to disclose the linguistic resources that letters of complaint may provide. It focuses on the analysis of functions and phrases that can be utilised for the expression of verbal distance, aggressiveness and helpfulness. Due to the fact that, while business communication in written form can poorly render feelings, it can still have a huge emotional impact on the recipient, the article investigates to what extent letters of complaint can be emotionally determined. To this end, the study rests on the theories elaborated by Friedemann Schulz von Thun regarding three communication styles, namely the supportive, the aggressive-pejorative and the distancing ones.