The Effect of Social/Contextual Variables on Complaint Strategies of Pakistani University Students

The present research aims to explore which complaint strategies university students use in different situations and how social and contextual variables affect their use. Trosborg’s (1994) taxonomy of complaint strategies was employed as the theoretical framework, and a DCT questionnaire was developed by the researchers. The analysis revealed that Annoyance or Disapproval was the most frequently used strategy among Pakistani university students, particularly in contexts characterized by high power asymmetry and low social distance. No Explicit Reproach was preferred in formal or socially distant interactions, reflecting a tendency toward indirectness driven by politeness concerns. Additionally, an Uncategorized strategy—comprising requests and advice—was introduced to account for culturally specific patterns not captured by Trosborg’s (1995) model. Overall, the findings highlight the significant influence of social power, social distance, and cultural norms on the selection of complaint strategies.