Boundary management strategies reflecting the discourse-dependent nature of work-spouse relationships. Issue 1 (1st January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miller-Ott, Aimee E.
• Is Part Of: Qualitative research reports in communication. Volume 20:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 19
• Page End: 26
• Publication Date: 2019-01-01
• Subjects: Discourse-Dependency -- Labeling -- Workplace Friendships -- Work-Spouse Relationship; Communication -- Periodicals; 302.2
• DOI: 10.1080/17459435.2019.1578820
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-9435

Abstract

Abstract : The work-spouse relationship has gained scholarly and popular media attention in recent years. Because the relationship is a blend of friendship, workplace relationship, and intimate partnership, work spouses may have the need to justify and explain the relationship to each other and to external parties to help them make sense of the relationship and to establish its legitimacy. I used the concept of discourse-dependency to analyze interviews with 20 people in a work-spouse relationships and found that they engage in boundary management strategies, specifically naming and labeling, to legitimize their work-spouse relationships.