A Qualitative Analysis of Meetings in a New Zealand and an Australian Work Environment Using Dell Hymes’ Ethnography of Speaking Framework

Abstract

Using Dell Hymes’ ethnography of speaking, this study explored the characteristics of meetings in one New Zealand medical corporate team environment and the characteristics of meetings in an Australian team environment within a not-for-profit sector. Utilizing the S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G Framework, similarities and differences were articulated through qualitative methods, and the analysis yielded four themes, including (a) degree of formality affecting the length of meetings, (b) adherence to roles and purpose of the meetings, (c) agenda, minutes versus “notes,” and (d) modes of interaction and communication. The study demonstrates the applicability of the Dell Hymes framework in the analysis of more current and industry-specific speech communities. Albeit limited in its scope as only meetings were analyzed, it opens more opportunities for further research, such as investigating other facets of the same speech communities or other areas of the medical and not-for-profit sectors. The study may have implications for using English for specific purposes, business communication, in the understanding of competencies of workers expected to join these types of communities, language learning, and applied linguistics in general.