pISSN: 2723 - 6609 e-ISSN: 2745-5254
Vol. 5, No. 8 August 2024 http://jist.publikasiindonesia.id/
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3840
Communication Accommodation Analysis of Mobile Legend
Online Game Player Group at Telu Esports
Putri Shalsa Bil Balqis
1*
, Ratih Hasanah Sudradjat
2
Universitas Telkom, Indonesia
*Correspondence
ABSTRACT
Keywords:
accommodation,
communication, group.
Communication accommodation is by definition a form of a
person adapting himself or in other words the adaptation
made to the person he is speaking to. This research will
discuss the analysis of group communication
accommodation for mobile legend online game players on
Tel-u Alpha. This research aims to determine the group
communication accommodation that occurs among mobile
legend online game players on Tel-u Alpha. This research
uses qualitative methods by collecting data through
interviews with focus group discussions conducted with Tel-
u Alpha. In this research, Giles uses CAT theory or
Communication Accommodation Theory. The research
results showed that there were adjustments made by each
member of the Tel-u Alpha team because adjusting their way
of communicating, would make it easier for the team to
achieve common goals. This can happen because
communication accommodation aims to equalize
perceptions to reduce conflict that will occur in a group.
Introduction
According to www.databoks.com data from internet users in Indonesia is increasing
every year. From the latest data obtained, there are 213 million people from Indonesia
who have used the internet. With the number of internet users in Indonesia, many changes
have occurred in people's daily lives, especially in the field of communication.
Communication is now not only carried out face-to-face as before but there is a new way
where new media emerges by providing convenience for its users.
Communication is the definition of communication as a relational process that
occurs to create and interpret messages so that in the end they get a response from the
message (Turner, Vasu, & Griffin, 2019). Communication can occur in various existing
media such as oral and written communication, both direct and indirect. So with the
development of technology that occurs, the form of communication that occurs also
develops.
As a form of adaptation to the development of online games and technology in
Indonesia, many esports communities have sprung up. The esports community itself is
also a curriculum and extracurricular in several schools and universities in Indonesia. One
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of the universities that has an esports community is Telkom University, there is a student
activity unit called "Telu Esport" which accommodates students who are interested in
online games. As an active community in online gaming, Telu Esports participates in
various types of online gaming tournaments. There are various types of online games
under the auspices of Telu Esport such as mobile legend, PUBG, and valorant. In the
online game system, you play with a team, where one team has five players. So that in
the game there will be group communication that occurs so that the strategy in the game
can run effectively.
Playing online games can be done together or in teams, or played alone. Playing
online games is not only a means of entertainment but there is also communication or
interaction that occurs. Communication that occurs when playing online games usually
aims to equalize the goals of the team to achieve victory (Irwanto, 2023). So online games
are now not only a means of entertainment for their users but also a medium of
communication for their fellow users.
There is previous research that is relevant to the research that will be carried out by
the researcher entitled "Communication Patterns of the Uwu Lurd Squad Group in the
Mobile Legend Game: bang bang" by Endra Bagas Tri Wardana. In the study, it is
explained that accommodation communication occurs in this group because of the desire
of group members to reduce the conflicts that occur so that a group is stable.
The explanation above describes how accommodation communication provides a
role for each individual in the group, adjusting himself to other members of the group.
Accommodation communication is needed to reduce tensions or conflicts within the
group. So this research to be carried out, it will take the title "Analysis of Communication
Accommodation of Mobile Legend Online Game Players in Telu Esports". This research
is hoped that it can provide an overview of the communication accommodation of mobile
legend online game players in Telu esports.
Teori komunikasi akomodasi pertama kali dikemukakan oleh Howard Giles yang
menjelaskan bahwa individu akan beradaptasi terhadap kecepatan bicara, jeda bicara,
senyuman, perilaku verbal maupun nonverbal dari lawan bicaranya, dengan kata lain teori
ini menjelaskan bagaimana individu melakukan penyesuaian interpersonal pada saat
berbicara (Mukarom, 2020).
(Harwood, Giles, & Bourhis, 1994) Littlejohn also gave their view that
accommodation theory is a communication behavior that tends to imitate the behavior of
the interlocutor and they center or equate perception to avoid conflict. Meanwhile, (Sari
& Rahardjo, 2019) explained that accommodation communication is an attitude
adjustment activity in communicating, because in communicating in daily life sometimes
there are cultural differences that appear in individuals such as the speed of speech,
applicable norms about the regularity of speech, and others.
In addition, West and Turner also divide the strategy of accommodation into three
parts, namely convergence, divergence, and excessive accommodation. The following is
an explanation of the three sections:
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Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3842
1. Convergence, convergence, is usually a strategy carried out by a culture or group that
does not have power. Therefore, in convergence West and Turner explain that
sometimes individuals who feel powerless will tend to hide their identity.
2. Divergence, divergence is a strategy of accommodation where individuals will
maintain their identity. So when an individual interacts with an interlocutor who does
not have the same identity, the individual does not see the interlocutor as the party in
power.
3. Excessive accommodation, excessive accommodation is when a communicator is
considered excessive by his communicator.
In communicating, it is not just about focusing on the interaction that occurs, but
also how individuals can apply communication ethics during the interaction process.
(Kalara & Pramonojati, 2022) gave the opinion that the media has a considerable impact
on society, so communicators who interact must be able to convey messages that are
useful, educational, and contain elements of truth. In Indonesia, which adheres to Eastern
culture, there is a tendency for high-context communication, while in Western culture, it
is more inclined to high-context communication (Junaedi & Salistia, 2020). What is
meant by low context is communication that prioritizes verbal, while high context
communication is communication that is carried out by prioritizing nonverbal aspects.
Shaw (1976) where group communication means a collection of individuals who
can influence each other. In group communication, there are also group dynamics that
focus on group behavior and communication processes within the group (Jarosik et al.,
2011). (Rosmawati, 2010) provides the underlying reasons for an individual to carry out
group communication as follows: imitation factors, suggestion factors, sympathy factors,
and group communication media.
Research Methods
This research uses a qualitative method with data collection through interviews with
focus group discussions conducted with Tel-u Alpha. Qualitative research also aims to
understand phenomena in a social context that prioritizes the process of communication
interaction between researchers and the phenomenon being studied (Hardiansyah, 2010).
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that qualitative research is research that
focuses on planned and systematic activities to answer questions about a phenomenon so
that the phenomenon can be described academically. In this study, a qualitative method
with a phenomenological approach will be used. Phenomenology is an approach that
focuses on paying attention to the similarities in life experiences that occur in certain
groups (MORISSAN, 2019).
Results and Discussion
Tel-u Esport is a Student Activity Unit (UKM) which is the UKM with the most
members at Telkom University. With the vision of "The realization of Telkom University
as an outstanding and superior university in the field of esports". In addition to the
explanation above, Tel-u Esport has also achieved many awards at the national level,
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namely as winners in Gemastik XII, Gemastik XIII, and Gemastik XIV. Reporting from
the official website of pusatprestasinasional.kemendikbud.go.id GEMASTIK or the
National Student Performance in the Field of Information and Communication
Technology which is a government program in developing Indonesia student talents. So
with these activities, it is hoped that they can achieve achievements and become agents
of change in Education in Indonesia.
To win many tournaments, a solid team is needed in the match. There is group
communication that occurs in Tel-u Esports Alpha, where this group has the same goal,
which is to develop their skills in the esports world. In group communication, there is
interaction that occurs in the Alpha Team. These interactions occurred in several
activities such as joint training, fun matches, and also tournaments. The following is a
presentation of how communication accommodation occurs in the research that has been
conducted. Data was obtained that showed that there were several parts in communication
accommodation. From these parts, the researcher then related the results of the data with
the theory from West and Turner also divided the strategy in accommodation into three
parts, namely convergence, divergence, and excessive accommodation. The following
data was found by the researchers:
Communication Accommodation
From the data that has been obtained during the communication accommodation,
there is an interaction focus on how each individual can adjust his communication
behavior to the actions taken by the interlocutor. As explained by Littlejohn & Foss, 2009,
communication accommodation is a way for individuals to adjust their communication
behavior with groups or interlocutors. Giles as the inventor of the theory of
communication accommodation provides division for adaptations made by individuals
such as verbal behavior. Verbal behavior here means words adapted by one of the
informants.
Verbal behavior means that verbal communication that occurs becomes the identity
of each individual, the identity of each individual can be different because of the
background due to cultural differences. (Harwood et al., 1994) Littlejohn also gave their
view that accommodation theory is a communication behavior that tends to imitate the
behavior of the interlocutor and they center or equate perception to avoid conflict.
So A1 who has a different cultural background makes adjustments in verbal
communication with other team members. This is supported by (Turner et al., 2019)
explaining that accommodation communication is an attitude adjustment activity in
communication, because in communicating in daily life sometimes there are cultural
differences that arise in individuals such as the speed of speech, applicable norms about
the regularity of speaking, and others. In addition, (Turner et al., 2019) also divides the
strategy of accommodation into three parts, namely convergence, divergence, and
excessive accommodation. Here's a further explanation of the three sections:
Convergence
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Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3844
Convergence is by definition a strategy carried out by individuals in feeling
powerless in a group. In other words, West and Turner illustrate that convergence is a
condition in which individuals who feel powerless will choose to hide their identities.
However, the data obtained shows that convergence is important in adjusting for group
members. Adjusting means that there is an adaptation made by individuals in the group
to reduce the differences that occur, in other words, convergence provides a sense of
closeness within the group.
Divergence
In this study, divergence occurred in slices from the Tel-u esports group but not
from the Alpha team. There was a divergence that occurred in supporting informant 2
with those who thought that adjusting was not very important in the Tel-u esports group.
This is because the informant considers that if it is just to play games, there is no need for
adjustments within the group.
Thus, informant 2 while playing with the Tel-u esports mobile legend group will
tend to maintain their identity. This is evident in the way he communicates and interacts
with other team members. Despite the pressure to adapt and adjust to the dynamics of the
group, informant 2 has consistently shown a preference for maintaining a distinctive style
of play and strategy that reflects his identity. This is by the theory of communication
accommodation put forward by West & Turner where in communication accommodation
there is also a divergence section, which in this part is a strategy for individuals who want
to maintain their identity.
Excessive accommodation
The Alpha team also utilizes convergence and divergence in the communication
accommodations that occur within its group. Communication that occurs in the Tel-u
esports Alpha group often occurs face-to-face, so this is the opinion of Bales (2009) which
provides an overview that communication is carried out in small groups where individuals
interact with each other in face-to-face meetings, so that with this interaction there is an
increase in relationships with each other.
Group Communication
However, in addition to the three divisions of communication accommodation that
have been described above, there are also group communication factors such as sympathy
factors, suggestions, and communication media that have a role in how the team works in
achieving the common goals they want to achieve. Therefore, in this study, there are also
group communication factors that will be attributed to (Rosmawati, 2010) providing the
underlying reasons for an individual to carry out group communication as follows:
Imitation Factor
The imitation factor explains the way individuals tend to imitate in interacting with
other individuals. Imitation factors can be in the form of language, ways of
communicating, ways of dressing, and others. (Damanik & Dalimunthe, 2019) gave his
explanation that imitation factors will not guarantee that what is imitated is a positive
thing. With this explanation, it was also found in the process of searching for data during
the research period. There is imitation or imitation that occurs by the informants that
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occur, ranging from rude words to speaking accents during the interaction process that
occurs.
In this case, the harsh words used have become a new habit for online game players.
Harsh words in the form of "dog", "idiot", and "stupid" have become common for players
of the mobile legend online game. Imitation can occur consciously or unconsciously in
individuals, this imitation factor also has a wedge with communication accommodations.
This can happen because there is an adaptation that occurs in the individuals who form
the group. From the phenomenon obtained, there is an adaptation that occurs through the
ethics of communication that occurs.
Suggestion Factor
Similar to the explanation in the imitation section, some individuals adapt and there
will also be individuals who are imitated in the interaction process that takes place. In this
study, some individuals adjusted, A1 adjusted to the way of communicating, namely the
accent of most members of the group. So A2, A3, A4, and A5 indirectly provide
suggestions in terms of accent, language, and verbal behavior. In line with Giles'
explanation as the inventor of the communication accommodation theory where
individuals will adapt to the speed of speech, speech pauses, smiles, and verbal and
nonverbal behaviors of their interlocutors, in other words, this theory explains how
individuals make interpersonal adjustments when speaking.
Sympathy Factor
In the feeling of sympathy, there is a discussion about the factors that encourage
individuals to form groups. Forming this group aims to be able to work together in
achieving common goals. In this sympathy section, it has also been clearly explained by
(Damanik & Dalimunthe, 2019) that sympathy is something that can happen quickly so
with this sympathy it is something that encourages a person to form a group. In the
research that has been carried out and also the analysis of data through NVivo, the
sympathy factor is one of the biggest factors that make Tel-u Alpha form a group. The
sympathy factor is a factor that encourages a person to form a group to achieve the same
goal, giving members of Tel-u Alpha the drive to be able to form a group. The goal of the
group is to win matches and continue to be able to develop their skills in professional
mobile legends.
Communication Media
In the part of group communication media which is a forum for groups to
communicate, with, the media functions in the formation of interactions that will be
beneficial for the group. The media of group communication is the part where the factors
of suggestion, imitation, and sympathy have been possessed by each individual who will
form a group. Of the three factors that have been explained earlier, the communication
media here is a place for each group member to carry out his or her role. The
communication medium used by the Tel-u Esports group is the Discord application.
Which application is a means for the Tel-u Esports group if they cannot meet face-to-
face. Communication media correlates with computer-mediated communication theory.
Tiara Chaerani, Samuel F. Sayaranamual, Ken Bima Prawira Atmaja, Sara Marlis Youwe
Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3846
In computer-mediated communication, gives an idea that if there are obstacles in
communicating directly, in other words, the disappearance of existing obstacles in
communication. Thus this will correlate with the theory of disinhibition in
communication. Disinhibition is the inability to control impulsive behavior, thoughts, or
feelings during a person's communication (Suler, 2004). With the development of the
internet, these barriers are no longer meaningful, so communication ethics are less paid
attention to because there are no meaningful obstacles in the interaction process that
occurs. Discord has features that can provide convenience for its users in exchanging
messages ranging from chat, video calls, and other file sharing.
Conclusion
Tel-u Esport, the Student Activity Unit (UKM) at Telkom University, is known as
the UKM with the most members and is committed to making Telkom University excel
in the field of esports. This UKM has won various national awards, including in Gemastik
XII, XIII, and XIV. This success was achieved thanks to a solid team and effective
communication within the group, especially within the Alpha Team. Research shows that
communication accommodation in teams involves adjusting individual communication
behaviors to achieve group harmony.
This communication accommodation consists of convergence, divergence, and
excess accommodation. Convergence involves adapting to reduce differences, while
divergence maintains individual identities. Over-accommodation occurs when group
members over-adjust. Factors such as imitation, suggestion, and sympathy also play an
important role in group communication. Imitation involves imitating behavior, suggestion
influences accent adaptation and verbal behavior, and sympathy encourages the formation
of groups to achieve a common goal. Communication media such as Discord help Tel-u
Esports members communicate even when they are not face-to-face, supporting effective
interaction and cooperation. Through an understanding of communication
accommodation theory and the factors that influence it, Tel-u Esports has managed to
build a solid and outstanding team in various tournaments. In addition, accommodation
communication supported by group communication that takes place effectively makes
group dynamics adjust to each other.
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