LANGUAGE POWER: VIOLATING THE MAXIM OF QUALITY TO ACHIEVE GOOD COMMUNICATION AND TO KEEP CREDIBILITY

Abstract

One of various aspects to a series of activities on successful business is really influenced by the
appropriate use of language. Public Relations (PR) people, in order to make good communication with
their business partners, indeed need to have good understanding on language uses so that the business
activities are successful. One of the language uses can be identified through the principle of
communication, called “maxims”. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of language and
contexts which lead us to violate the maxim of quality. This research used a descriptive qualitative
method. It was found that language may be used as a means to achieve enormous influence in a series of
marketing campaign. In addition, in line with the use of ‘the maxim of quality’, low power public
relations in a certain situation need to violate it in order to achieve good communication and to make
business activities successful at last. Furthermore, “a white lie” or “no comment” may become an
alternative way to make the hearer pleased and to save one’s credibility.