For some people building a relationship is considered a prerequisite for an activity such as training or negotiating a deal with a business partner. Establishing a good 'rapport' is a key factor for a successful training courses, especially those with trainees from Asian or Arab countries.

Others, however, want to start ‘talking business’ straight away and are reluctant to engage in the apparently “useless” and “inefficient” relationship-building. In turn, those with a clear task focus may be considered rude by others.

Tensions between relationship building communication and ‘on-task’ communication might also emerge in the online interaction with the moderator or in the exchange in a discussion forum