| Summary: | In workplace communication, being polite and clear is essential. However, achieving both
simultaneously can be challenging, particularly when dealing with face-threatening acts like
making requests. Requests can infringe on someone’s freedom of action, potentially leading to
face threats, necessitating facework strategies for restoration. One effective strategy is using
external modifications or supportive moves to mitigate requests. Unfortunately, studies on requests
among native Malay speakers have mainly focused on request cores, neglecting the investigation
of request supportive moves. To address this gap, our qualitative study aims to explore request
supportive moves used by native Malay speakers in instant messaging (IM) group communication.
We analysed the data using strategy types of supportive moves by Fukushima (1996),
supplemented with additional categories from Blum-Kulka and Olshtain (1984) and Konakahara
(2011). Our findings revealed a preference for deferential supportive moves, with grounders being
the most favoured type for mitigating requests. Our research highlights that communicatively
competent native Malay speakers often use reasons as supportive moves to mitigate requests,
regardless of the requests’ directness levels. Hence, it is advisable to mitigate requests with
supportive moves generally or with grounders specifically when producing effective requests in
the work environment. This approach allows native Malay speakers to present their requests
clearly, politely and without imposing on others which in return helps to build quality relationships
and keeps them productive.
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