Zofia, or should I keep it formal?

Tytuł a dystans władzy

Nia calls Zofia by her first name, while Marek uses her title. The visible difference in form leads to the more important question of whether people may challenge a manager.

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Zofia, got two minutes?

You’re not afraid to talk to her like that?

Like what?

I still use her title. She is our boss.

To me, respect doesn’t need a title.

This isn’t just a word. It’s a whole map of hierarchy.

You disagreed, didn’t you?

I did. But the boss made the decision.

For Nia, using Zofia’s first name does not reduce respect or the manager’s authority. For Marek, the title is part of a wider order in which the boss stands further away and is harder to challenge. A dispute about one word therefore reveals a difference in how hierarchy is understood. Agree not only on forms of address, but also on how people can safely voice disagreement with the decision-maker.