Language and culture at work. An introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to explore language and 'culture' at work. It shows how participants' perspectives on 'culture', cultural characteristics, and cultural differences might be fruitfully combined with discourse analyses of the specific practices that construct and enact 'culture' on the micro-level of interaction. The book examines decision making, one of the activities where issues of face and politeness are particularly relevant. It explores the complex relationship between leadership and first- and second-order notions of culture. The book engages with the notion of stereotypes and explores the topic of identity construction at work. It focuses upon the gender aspect of identity, and combines analyses of local practices with more global issues. The book brings together the theoretical and analytical insights gained in our analyses of the various aspects of first- and second-order culture.