2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Judging with Jargon: Problem Solving Using Workplace Lingo

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Aiden VanderStouwe

Abstract

While identities are perceived as fluctuating in different settings, there is still an intersection between the identities that are displayed in the workplace and within the home. Conversations taking place at work thus become central to investigating this crossover because they allow us to express ourselves both professionally and personally. In order to gain a better understanding of the types of interactions that prove to be significant in the workplace and home, I utilized linguistic ethnographic methods such as participant observation and audio recording to analyze conversations between the manager and employees at “Suds Market,” a body care store located in the Treasure Valley. This research investigates how conversations about work and workplace jargon can motivate and prompt conversations about personal lives. From there, the analysis shows that these interactions allow for employees and the manager alike to communicate about professional and personal matters with a distinct level of appropriateness and through the “HR perspective,” or conflict management strategies, to problem solve individual situations. This research shows that the workplace can have influence over the way we express our identity, primarily in the ways that jargon and language are used in the workplace to talk about personal matters.

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