The Anatomy of organizational politeness

Abstract

This exploratory, qualitative study aims to find out the meanings of organizational politeness as it is assigned in the Filipino workplace. For this study, organizational politeness was explored among the employees of the Department of Transportation and Communication- Project Management Service (Engineering and Architectural Division). Based on this general problem, the study aims to find out the definition, manifestations, implications and boundaries of organizational politeness. Filipino values pertinent to organizational politeness were also known to ground the concept in the Filipino workplace. The study used F. Landa Jocano's Filipino Social Framework and Wood's Symbolic Interactionism Model. Using semi-structured interviews, data was analyzed and clustered to derive common themes regarding organizational politeness. The study found out that organizational politeness is deeply connected to respect, friendship and professionalism. Respondents fulfil their duties in relation to their perceptions of what being good public servants are and organizational politeness helps them achieve these. Organizational politeness is seen as either a component to achieve their organization's goals, or a representation of meeting their work expectations. Amidst this, the Filipino values of collective concern and camaraderie guide their politeness pattern. It functions to aid smooth interpersonal relationships, facilitate job performance, and realize essential Filipino traits.