What Is Expected of Clerks Wearing “In Training” Tags? Analyzing the Tag Roles

Abstract

At cash registers in Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores, one may see clerks wearing “In training” tags on their chest. The tag denotes an apprentice learning the job duties while working on the actual job. This study aimed to clarify the role of nametags from the perspectives of the three types of persons involved with the tags, that is, the persons looking at the clerks wearing them, the clerks wearing them, and the managers requesting the clerks to wear them. The results indicate that the custom of wearing such nametags is related to the rule of affixing beginner’s marks to vehicles and is one of the Japanese forms of communication that requires consideration from others.

Keywords

Tag / “in training,” / linguistic landscape / function / pragmatics

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