We provide a relational perspective on CEO communications by studying the antecedents and consequences of CEO powerless language during conference calls. Building on politeness theory, we theorize that CEOs' perceived image threat relative to that of analysts guides CEOs’ powerless language usage during public interactions. The more threatening the interaction for the CEO image, as suggested when analysts and directors have longer tenure than CEOs, the less powerless language CEOs use to appear as competent leaders. The more salient the threat to the analysts' image, as suggested when CEOs have prior public director or CFO experience, the more powerless language CEOs use to protect the analysts’ image. We further theorize and find that directors react negatively and participating financial analysts positively to CEO powerless language.
