BAC 312 Intercultural CommunicationAnne Dwyer

China1.4 Billion peopleLanguage: official language is Mandarin but many different dialects spoken throughout the countryHan Chinese 93%56 minority ethnic groupsOther immigrants including Mongol, Zhuang, Manchu and Uighur) 7%

External factors: Culture Culture Dimension ScoresPD = Power Distance; ID = Individualism; MA = Masculinity; UA = Uncertainty Avoidance; LT = Long Term Orientation

Culture Gap Between U.S.A. (PCN) and China & Thailand (HCN)

(FGI World)

IndividualismPower DistanceUncertainty AvoidanceAssertivenessLong-Term OrientationUnited States9140466229China25708539118Thailand2064643456

Key ConceptsGuanxiMianxiLijieKeqiInner and Outer CirclesCollectivist v Individual Interests

Guanxi ?Reciprocity, kudosthe set of personal connections which an individual may draw upon to secure resources or advantage when doing business or in the course of social life Davies, 1995Networking of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one anotherYou scratch my back, Ill scratch yours

*Some Ideas On Guanxi?PersonalReciprocal obligationsContinuing over time if nurturedDeclining if neglectedInsider/outsidersNew friends/old friendsNetworks of connectionsInvesting in guanxiConsideration for othersPeople orientation

*WESTERN PERCEPTIONS OF GUANXI?Guanxi = Corruption and ComplicationBuilding guanxi is expensive and time-consumingWithout guanxi nothing can be doneDifficult to identify who is the decision-makerNegotiations take too long

3 levels of relationshipsIndividuals are linked by: the expressive tie - family - distribution by need instrumental tie - strangers - earning a living - mixed tie - with non-family people you expect to interact with into the future

*What Are the Social Costs and Benefits of Guanxi?COSTSinefficiency if people deal with a limited pool of otherscorruption may have social consequencesBENEFITSallows transactions to take place in the absence of trust and effective institutions

*What Are The Private Costs and Benefits of Guanxi?COSTSdinners, gifts (appropriate to the situation) not usually money, help with kids educationBENEFITSaccess to resources and permissionsfavoured position for getting contracts

Mianzi- facePersonal pride = basis of an individuals reputation and social status Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at, or otherwise demean a person. Neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public.

Lijie: surface harmonyPolite and courteousFace and the role of intermediariesMaybeNeutral v affective

Keqi: ke=guest, qi=behaviourconsiderate, polite, and well mannered, represents humbleness and modestyimpolite to be arrogant and brag about oneself or one's inner circleseldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way seldom show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake

Inner and Outer Circlesself in relation to other wu luntend to put others into categories more sharply than WesternersStrangers: outsiders, unrelated people, they are nobody, and the Confucian morality is not applicable for them. We are temporarily related by instrumental relation.more family-oriented and regard helping the family as an ethical imperative - giving business to a relative = good not bad

Collective v IndividualConfucius: humanism, a social order in this world.The individual and the community are closely related. An individual is not an isolated selfren: the highest ideal in Confucianism, through self-cultivation, a personal attainment.ren, = (two persons)ren can only be found in human relation, within a community

(Focused) FamilyFamily is the communal system.T. Parsons (sociologist), China is a familistic community.In the Confucian family, father/son is the most important.

The Self of a ChineseChinese seldom consider themselves as individuals, but e.g., the father of his son, the son of his father, the brother of his siblings, the husband of his wifeIn every family, there is a head. i.e, the grandfather/ father of that family. The rest of the family respect and listen to his words. In a Chinese family, the order/ structure is clear.

(Focused) FamilyBecause of the clear hierarchy, individuality is always suppressedAn individuals obligation & duty: loyalty to the family, sacrifice for the family.,: ,.An individuals privilege: lives within the family structure, relies on & supported by ones family.: ,

(Focused) FamilyFilial , treating your parents well, provides a predominant identity for traditional Chinese. It is a fundamental ideal. Filial has a superior status in cultureTraditional Chinese are not individualistic, but within the family-based moral system.

QuestionsWhat does this mean for us?(How) will this change in the future?How will we know?