The Influence of Chinese and Western Social Interaction Customs on Intercultural Business Com.doc

The Influence of Chinese and Western Social Interaction Customs on Intercultural Business Communication二零零四年十月AcknowledgementsIn the preparation and writing this thesis, I am deeply indebted to many people and I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express my hear-felt gratitude to all those who have offered me guidance and help.First and foremost, substantial acknowledgements are made to Professor Luo Guoliang, who, as my tutor, has offered me valuable suggestions and opinions to my outline organization and thesis writing. As a prestigious professor, Mr. Luo is patient and ready to answer any problems both in English studying and in life. Thanks to his guidance and warm help, I have greatly widened my knowledge and set up a more optimistic philosophy during the past two academic years.My thanks also go to all those dedicated teachers and professors at Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, who have spared no effort to enrich my knowledge. Without their dedication to the education, I wouldnt have made any achievement and improved myself during the short two years.I feel grateful to the leaders of the Language School and the postgraduates Administration Office of the SHIFT for their efforts in minimizing external distractions and helping me go through sufferings. Last but not least, I would like to give my deep and profound appreciation to my beloved parents and my fianc, who has offered me continuous encouragement and unceasing assistance in every aspect of my life. Contents Acknowledgements.iAbstract.IChapter One Background of Intercultural Communication.11.1 1.1 The Prevalence of Intercultural Communication .11.2 1.2 The Development of Intercultural Communication .21.3 1.3 The Necessity of Studying Intercultural Communication .4Chapter Two A Brief Introduction of Intercultural Communication .62.1 Culture .62.1.1 The Definition of Culture.62.1.2Characteristics of Culture.72.1.2.1 Culture Is Coherent.82.1.2.2 Culture Is Learned.82.1.2.3 Culture Is a Symbol System.92.1.2.4 Culture Is the View of a Group of People.92.1.2.5 Culture Is Subject to Change92.2 Communication .102.2.1Definitions of Communication.10 2.2.2 Patterns of Communication .122.2.3 Components of Communication.132.2.4 Criteria for Effective Communication.172.3 Intercultural Communication .182.3.1 Definition of intercultural Communication .182.3.2 An Intercultural Communication Model.20Chapter Three Differences Between Chinese and Western Social Interaction Customs .223.1 Forms of Address.233.2 Greetings . .243.3 Farewells.253.4 Compliments and Responses.273.5 Gift Giving，Gratitude and Thanks.293.6 Invitations.303.7 Hospitality.323.8 Time Concept .333.9 Privacy .353.10 Seating .36Chapter Four Other Barriers to Intercultural Communication and Intercultural Adaptation Process .384.1 Barriers to Intercultural Communication.384.1.1 Misinterpretations.394.1.2 Ethnocentrism .394.1.3 Stereotypes .414.1.4 Prejudices.424.2 Process of Intercultural Adaptation .434.2.1 Culture Shock.444.2.2 The Adjustment Curve.44Chapter Five Improving Intercultural Communication Competence.475.1 Knowing Ourselves.475.2 Developing Empathy .485.3 Developing Communication Flexibility.505.4 Appreciating Similarities .515.5 Respect Differences.52Conclusion,.54Bibliography.55AcknowledgementsI would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who offered me guidance and help in my preparing and writing this thesis.First and foremost, substantial acknowledgements go to Professor Luo Guoliang, who, as my tutor, offered me valuable suggestions and opinions concerning my outline organization and thesis writing. As a prestigious professor, Mr. Luo has been patient and ready to answer any of my problems in my two and a half years study at this graduate college. Thanks to his guidance and warm help, I have greatly widened my knowledge and set up a sound and optimistic philosophy of life towards the future.My thanks also go to all those dedicated teachers and professors at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, who have spared no effort to enrich my knowledge. Without their dedication to the cause of education, I would have achieved much less than I did during the past two years.I feel grateful to the leaders of the Language School and the postgraduate Administration Office of SIFT for their efforts in minimizing external distractions and helping me tide over my difficulties.Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved parents and my fianc, who have offered me constant encouragement and unceasing assistance in every aspect of my life, for which I am almost unable to find any words to express my immense gratitude.Abstract“Everything flows, nothing stays still.” (Heraclitus)1 Greek Philosopher, C.500 BC.1 In modern society, the rapid development of economy, science and technology and the tendency of global cooperation have brought us into direct and indirect contact with other people, who, because of their cultural diversity, often behave in such different ways that we do not understand them. In international contacts, a symbolic relationship ties all people together. No nation, group, or culture could remain aloof or autonomous. As a result, intercultural communication becomes more axiomatic and pervasive. It can be seen in such diverse arenas as international business, international education, tourism, and cultural blending. However, because of different social backgrounds, social systems, ways of thinking, norms of behaviors and customs, people have many difficulties and obstacles understanding one another and communicating with one another. Thus it is very important and meaningful for us both to pay more attention to and to be better aware of intercultural communication.Beginning with the profound influence of intercultural communication in the business world, this thesis describes the role that customs play in intercultural communication and points out the significance of custom awareness.In order to give a definition of intercultural communication, Chapter Two first analyzes culture and provides some characteristics of culture. Then it describes communication and lists some of its components. Chapter Two also offers the criteria of effective communication.Chapter Three is the core of this thesis. It analyses the customs of social interaction between Chinese and Americans by contrast, namely, forms of address, greetings, farewells, compliments and responses, gratitude and thanks, invitations, appointments, visiting and hospitality. Then it points out that what result in the differences are different histories and values.Chapter Four discusses some other barriers to intercultural communication and points out that cultural conflicts occur as a result of misinterpretations, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and even prejudices. Faced with culture shock, people would have different reactions to cope with them, and there is an intercultural adaptation process, which is also provided in this chapter. Chapter Five, the last chapter, offers some methods for the development of intercultural communication and for the reduction of cultural conflicts. First, we should know ourselves, then we should develop empathy and communication flexibility. Last but not least, we should appreciate similarities and respect differences. 内 容 提 要“一切皆流，无物常驻”。现代社会中，经济和科技的飞速发展以及全球化合作使我们和其他民族进行着直接或间接的交流。由于文化的不同，其他民族的表现和我们也大不相同，这有时让我们迷惑不解。跨文化沟通将人们连接在了一起。没有任何国家、任何组织或者任何文化可以置身事外，不受影响。由此，跨文化沟通日益明显，日益频繁。它更多的体现在国际商务、国际教育、旅游和文化融合中。然而，由于社会背景、社会体制、思维方式和行为准则的不同，人们在交往时会碰到各种各样问题，妨碍了相互理解和交流。因此，我们必需更加关注跨文化沟通、增强跨文化沟通意识。本文从论述跨文化沟通对商务方面的深刻影响说起，描述了社会交往风俗习惯在跨文化沟通中的作用并指出沟通中需要有风俗习惯的意识。为了给跨文化沟通下定义，第二章首先分析了文化并给出了文化的一些特征。继而分析沟通及其要素。该章亦给出了有效沟通的标准。第三章为本文的核心。 分析了中西方社交风俗习惯在称呼、打招呼和再见、夸奖与回答、谢意表达、邀请和拜访以及热情好客表达的不同。然后总结出不同的根源在于不同的历史发展和价值观形成过程。第四章讨论了跨文化沟通的其他障碍并指出误解、种族优劣、陈规陋习和偏见皆可导致文化冲突。面对文化冲击，人们的反应有所不同，对于冲击的适应也会有一个过程。该章亦分析了这一点。第五章作为最后一章，提供了改进跨文化沟通、减少文化冲突的方法。首先必需了解自己，然后才可以移情并在跨文化沟通中游刃有余。最后，我们在跨文化沟通中还需要寻求共性，尊重差异。Chapter One: Background of Intercultural Communication1.4 1.4 The Prevalence of Intercultural CommunicationAs a result of the rapid developments of science and technology, especially those in the areas of the transportation, telecommunication, and information systems, globalization has become a trend since the 1960s. It naturally follows that people from diverse backgrounds have come into more and more contacts with one another. For instance, the convenient transportation avails us to on board a plane and fly anywhere in the world in a matter of hours, and the opening world attracts more and more people to study abroad and travelers to enjoy different nations and places throughout of the world as well. The reality of a global economy makes todays contacts far more commonplace than in any other period of the worlds history. Globalization ties all nations of the world into an international network of economic interdependence. No country could be completely self-sufficient, each country has at least one asset that is super-needed by another one. In the arena of business, for instance, 60 per cent of all shoes and more than half of the toys sold in the United States bear a “Made in China” label. Economic interdependence accelerates international trade cooperation. The relevant trade agreements like GATT and NAFTA that lower tariffs, tap larger markets, and improve living standards in the world have become commonplace. Multinational corporations increasingly participate in various international business arrangements including joint ventures between two or more organizations that share in the ownership of a business undertaking. Globalization also calls for new approaches to doing business, one of which has been the uniting of national business to form multinational organizations. Through acquisitions and mergers, many U.S. companies have been absorbed into other companies or have gained new names. Another approach to globalization has been through partnerships among two or more companies. Subcontracting has also become commonplace in the global economy. These international business arrangements usually result in individuals from one culture working not only with, but also for individuals from another culture. Now the world situation is one in which as an American boss of a multinational corporation may contact his employees in Asia, a Swedish businessman may meet his clients from India. Intercultural communication takes place everywhere and at anytime.However, there are many problems when working or living in a foreign environment because communication across cultural boundaries is difficult. Differences in customs, behavior, and values result in obstacles that can be managed only through effective intercultural communication and interaction. Foreign competition and the need to trade more effectively overseas have forced most corporations to become more culturally sensitive and globally minded. The most successful firms in the global arena will be those companies whose managers not only understand world economics and global competitiveness but also are “sensitive to the broader implication of their actions and decisions upon organizational and world cultures.” Consequently, never before in history has the business arena portrayed such global qualities and a need for effective intercultural communication.1.5 1.5 The Development of Intercultural Communication In the 1920s and 1930s, the study of cross-cultural communication drew interest in the U.S.A. Earlier, cultural, intercultural studies and research have been the domain of the anthropologists who looked at the evolution of the cultural resources in different cultures and across cultures. Later, in the 1950s the sociologists became interested in cultural and intercultural studies and research. They viewed social structural dimensions of the cultures and developed cultural social theories of modernization through a comparative approach of different cultures. These cultures included traditional and modern cultures as well as eastern and western cultures. In the 1960s, the psychologists developed an interest in cross-cultural psychological studies and research. Cross-cultural psychology is the empirical study of members of various cultural groups that have had different experiences which lead to predictable differences in their behavior. Cross-cultural psychologists used psychological concepts and theories developed in western countries and investigated them in non-western countries. These concepts included those from Piagets developmental stages, Freudians positions and Murrays needs.1 Uma Narula. Communication Perspectives: Cultural Diffusion: Dynamics and Challenges. Har-Anand Publications Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi. 2000.P.15. The investigations were often concerned with behavior associated with the antecedents and consequences of the behavior associated with these theories. A few sensitizing concepts have been the focus of recent research in intercultural communication. Those sensitizing concepts convey a sense of reference and orientation grasped through personal experiences (William 1973). The major problems with such concepts are discussed in isolation and never directly related to the process of communication. Scholars have recently been making deliberations in conventions and workshops to construct a theory of intercultural communication. There is an ambivalence among the scholars as to whether it is desirable or possible to develop a theory (or theories) of intercultural communication.In fact the field of communication is still in “preparadigmatic” stage of development. The argument implies that there are several paradigms battling for supremacy within the discipline. Intercultural communication is still at an “aparadigmatic” stage, which means that it is an immature area that has not even gone through the development of its first paradigm. Intercultural communication is a unique phenomenon. Its approaches differ according to different perspectives. In immigrant society, the significance of intercultural communication is important from the point of view of how people are acculturating to the host culture. In intercultural communication, cultural imagery and intercultural imagery are the basic components. The cultural variables are languages, attitudes and beliefs, values and ways of life, religion, artifacts, rituals and festivals. These are our cultural resources with which we interact within our cultures and with other cultures. 1.6 1.6 The Necessity of Studying Intercultural CommunicationWith the enhancement of trade cooperation, a growing number of organizations are finding themselves involved in communication across cultures as they are doing business in foreign countries, sourcing and seeking financing from another country, or possessing an increasingly multicultural workforce. Thus many business majors and practitioners who used to be immersed in questions of financial forecasting, market research, and management models have turned to the question of culture and how it affects business. Unlike the hard data from measurable issues, culture is soft and slippery as it is invisible and cant be really grasped in our hands. For example, in the United States people greet by shaking hand while Arab men often greet by kissing on both checks. Japanese greet by bowing, and people in Mexico embrace. In the United States, people beckon someone to come by holding the palm up and moving the fingers toward that one, while in Vietnam the same motion is reserved for summoning dogs. Faced with the quite different world, those who want to be successful in intercultural communication especially in the business world have to adapt to this changing world and know some cultural rules of the person with whom they are interacting. At its lowest level, business communication with unfamiliar cultures means simply finding a translator to conduct discussions in a foreign language. However, more and more corporations have found out that communication is about the meanings that would be conveyed, not just the literally translation. To understand the significance of a message from someone, we need to be aware of the way that person looks at the world, and the values that weigh heavily in that persons cultural backpack. We need to get some knowledge of the meanings that are not put into words, the importance of the words that are used, and the way the message is organized and transmitted. It is advisable to know what to expect when other persons engage in a particular communication behavior such as making a decision or negotiating a sales agreement, o