Negotiating autonomy and connection through politeness: A dialectical approach to organizational...

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION scholars have noted that individuals struggle with dialectical tensions-opposing needs that appear mutually exclusive but must be met simultaneously (Baxter, 1988; 1990; Baxter & Montgomery, 1996; Bochner, Ellis, & Tillmann-Healy, 1998; Bridge & Baxter, 1992; Cissna, Cox, & Bochner, 1990; Goldsmith, 1990; Rawlins 1983). Core dialectical tensions include the need for both stability and change, open and closed communication, and autonomy and connection (Baxter, 1988; 1990). Although scholars have previously demonstrated that these conflicts exist in all interpersonal relationships, the present research has implications for merging theory in interpersonal and organizational communication. It explores the management of one specific tension that pervades the relationships of individuals in organizations-the dialectical tension between autonomy and connection.