top executive positioned on the upper floor will appear to subordinates as inaccessible or majestic. In this way, dominants gain power through isolation. Color is another environmental factor which serves to distinguish territorial possession. A single color representing the powerful person circulated throughout the office imposes a threat to others without their own color. Masculine decor characterizes those areas used by both males and females. Female decor, on the other hand, is viewed as stagnant: an atmosphere in which to look beautiful, not to be strong and active.
Because power underlies our everyday interactions, the workings of power may not always be obvious. In a relationship, informal address symbolizes closeness, whereas formal address symbolizes distance. In an unequal relationship, the dominant may call the subordinate by his or her first name, but the subordinate may only use formal address when speaking to the dominant. Interruptio
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