A taxonomy of administrative language in public service encounters

Abstract

Face-to-face interactions between public officials and citizens are a key venue of state service delivery, but they are rarely studied empirically. To address this gap, we present a novel conceptual taxonomy of spoken administrative language. We combine theoretical insights from communication studies and an analysis of 64 exploratory expert interviews with frontline officials. In these interviews, we asked what officials perceive as those aspects of spoken administrative language that affect citizen (dis-)satisfaction with the encounter. The ensuing taxonomy consists of an informational component with two dimensions: comprehensibility (is the language comprehensible?) and reification (is the regulative context explained?); and a relational component with two dimensions: emotionality (does language convey personal commitment to client concerns?) and complaisance (does language impart support and helpfulness?). With its theoretical and empirical insights, the paper contributes a novel conceptualization of administrative language enabling measurement of spoken communication in public service encounters.