Refusals in Face-to-Face Haggling Exchanges by Algerian Male Vendors in the Market of Medina J'dida in Oran

Boucif, Fawzia; Benhattab, Lotfi Abdelkader

الكَلِم
Volume 7, Numéro 2, Pages 773-790
2022-12-28

Refusals In Face-to-face Haggling Exchanges By Algerian Male Vendors In The Market Of Medina J'dida In Oran

Authors : Boucif Fawzia . Benhattab Lotfi Abdelkader .

Abstract

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it looks into the refusal strategies employed by Algerian male vendors when performing refusal in face-to-face haggling encounters. Second, it delineates the mitigation devices employed to dissipate any potential threat on buyers’ self-image. The data were drawn from 115 naturally occurring haggling exchanges in the market of Medina Jꞌdida in Oran. Findings revealed that Algerian vendors use two main categories, namely indirect strategies and combination strategies with a clear inclination toward the direct-indirect combination strategy. Besides, vendors employed five mitigational post-refusals, including apology, terms of address, grounders, invoking the name of God, and flattery in order to underpin their interpersonal links with buyers. The extensive use of elaborate refusals and various mitigation strategies underscores the postulate that a haggling encounter is not a mere transaction devoid of interpersonal concerns.