Polite Disagreement: How Sellers Manage Conflict in Social Media Sales

Abstract

This study explores how sellers manage polite disagreement in online sales transactions on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The research aims to examine the use of politeness strategies in online text-based communication, particularly in expressing disagreement. A case study approach was employed, with data collected from sellers through questionnaires and screenshots of their transaction interactions. Content analysis was used to categorize disagreement speech acts and politeness strategies based on Searle’s speech act theory, Chen’s disagreement theory, and Brown & Levinson’s politeness theory. The findings revealed that sellers primarily employ negative politeness strategies, particularly in situations involving direct disagreement, to soften the face-threatening nature of disagreement. The use of negative politeness allows sellers to maintain relationships with buyers while conveying disagreement in a non-confrontational manner. This research underscores the importance of understanding the context in more detail, especially in studying speech in online buying and selling. The separation between situational context and cultural context as offered in this research is an alternative way to study polite disagreement in online discourse.