Collective Face,Politeness Strategies,and Discomfort: Communication of American Domestic Students and Chinese International Students

This two-by-three between-subjects factorial study tested how American domestic students and Chinese international students responded to a scenario of performance failure by a friend whose membership varies across conditions. The study measured collective face, politeness strategies, and participants’ discomfort feelings. Robust findings were observed in the condition where Chinese participants imagined witnessing an ingroup-friend’s incompetence resulting in the strong correlation between collective face and discomfort. The cultural difference between these two groups regarding relating self-images to group-images is also observed. The implications of the study in assessing collective images, identities, and values for intercultural communication research are discussed.     

Reasons for the lack of argumentation and debate in the Far East

This essay examines Chinese and Japanese attitudes towards speech communication, particularly in public settings. Social, linguistic, and philosophical perspectives are used to explain the absence of dialogue and debate. Section one argues that geodemographic factors influenced East Asia to exalt human-centered hierarchies over prepositional truth in their thought systems. Section two looks at the hieroglyphic character and grammatical presuppositions of Chinese and Japanese, to explain a mind-set more oriented towards imagery and sympathetic understanding than to definition and distinction. Section three traces the views of the leading East Asian philosophies towards oral communication—Confucianism, Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and the Ming-chia (School of names), respectively—finding yet other grounds for East Asian rejection of argumentation. This essay does not intend to imply the superiority of Western logic or thought patterns to East Asian ones. Rather, it is intended to alert a Western audience as to the culture-boundedness of Western appreciation of discussion and debate, as well as to the deep-seated Sino-Japanese prejudices against these communication styles.     

Communication Experiences and Adaptation of Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Chinese in Mainland China

In-depth interviews were conducted for 203 Hong Kong Chinese in Mainland China (HIM) and 198 Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong (MIH), followed by two-level theme analyses, to examine their communication experiences and adaptation. The two groups were found to be dissimilar in terms of socioeconomic status, purpose of migration, and process of adaptation. Many HIM tended to evaluate the new environment from a “new workplace” view, mentioning adjustment and communication at workplace. Most MIH, on the other hand, used a “new home” approach, expecting a happy life with good income. The major challenge for most HIM was getting used to a less developed physical environment and an organizational culture with lower efficiency and work ethics. For most MIH, the main source of hardship came from insufficient protection for workers’ rights and interests. Hong Kong is more urbanized with superficial relationships while the Mainland society is more communal, nurturing long-term relationships.     

Relating Intercultural Communication Sensitivity to Conflict Management Styles,Technology Use,and Organizational Communication Satisfaction in Multinational Organizations in China

This research examines intercultural communication sensitivity in relation to other organizational communication factors in China branches of multinational corporations. We found minor differences existed between Chinese employees with overseas living experience vs. those without any overseas living experience with respect to their intercultural communication sensitivity, conflict management style, technology use, and organizational communication satisfaction. Chinese employees with a higher level of intercultural sensitivity were more satisfied with their organizational communication, tended to use control and solution-oriented conflict management styles, and used different communication technologies in organizational settings.     

Backchannel Responses as Misleading Feedback in Intercultural Discourse

This study examined the relationship between the frequency of backchannel responses and listener recall scores in inter- and intra-cultural conversations. The nature of the study was a simulated physician–patient interaction. Participants were 40 Canadians and 40 Chinese who formed 40 dyads in four experimental conditions: Canadian physician/Canadian patient, Chinese physician/Chinese patient, Chinese physician/Canadian patient, and Canadian physician/Chinese patient. All conversations were video-taped and micro-analyzed. The data generated three intriguing findings. (1) There were significant positive correlations between backchannel responses and listener recall scores in the two intra-cultural groups, indicating that backchannel responses facilitated content communication. (2) There were significant negative correlations between backchannel responses and listener recall scores in the two inter-cultural groups, indicating that backchannel responses might have served as misleading feedback and caused mis-communication. (3) The Chinese/Chinese condition had the highest backchannel responses; the Canadian/Canadian condition had the lowest with the two inter-cultural groups in between. This finding provides support for the Communication Accommodation theory. Implications for verbal and nonverbal communication training in intercultural interactions were discussed.     

LEARNING CHINESE BECOMES NEW FAD

While English still remains the most widely used language for international communication in most countries around the Pacific Rim, Chinese is being taught in more and more schools in those countries. Chinese is playing an increasingly important role in daily lives and work of Asia-Pacific people. China’s dramatic rise to the world’s economic powerhouse and its rapidly growing international influence are driving the interest to learn its language. Chinese is becoming a new global language …     

Verbal and nonverbal indices of the communicative performance and acculturation of Chinese immigrants

This paper develops a theoretical framework for examining the acculturation process of immigrants. Focusing on communication variables, it suggests five levels of analysis for assessing acculturation as a continuous rather than dichotomous variable: the speech act level, ritualistic communication, strategic communication, the organization of conversational discourse, and verbal information processing. Examples from research on Chinese communication are utilized to illustrate important differences between Chinese and Americans at each level of analysis. The use of this perspective offers the twofold promise of improving our understanding of “acculturation processes” in general as well as our understanding of the particular everyday communicative actions of immigrant groups. Research on Chinese communication patterns using this perspective will increase our knowledge of Chinese and American interrelations, in addition to providing insight aimed at developing better indices of acculturation of Chinese in the United States.     

Multiculturalism in Malaysia and Singapore: Contesting models

Malaysia and Singapore are good examples of multicultural societies albeit with different acculturation ideologies. Both countries comprise three main ethnic groups but in diametrically opposite proportion. In Malaysia, 50.4% of the population is Malay, 23.7% Chinese, 11% indigenous peoples, 7.1% Indian, and 7.8% other races. In Singapore, the ratio is 74.1% Chinese, 13.4% Malay, 9.2% Indian and 3.3% other races. Due to its colonial past, “ethnicity” has been the central policy issue in Malaysia and remains so up to this day. The dominance of communal politics can be understood in Stephan and Stephan's (2000) model of integrated threat theory. In Singapore, the city-state does not believe in affirmative action and it prefers to manage cultural identities on the basis of a multicultural ideology (Berry and Kalin, 1995, Berry et al., 1977). In this article, multiculturalism is used to refer to public policies carried out by the two countries to manage their plural societies. We will discuss the development of the multicultural models that have evolved in the two countries. While Malaysia's model of multiculturalism is based on policies that have been instituted to manage inter-group tensions, prevent violence, and pursue social justice between the ethnic groups as a result of its past, Singapore's model is guided by pragmatic realism and market fundamentals associated with the needs of a global city. Both models will face challenges in the coming years as they each adapt to the seismic shifts in the geo-economic landscapes.     

Chinese communication characteristics: A Yin Yang perspective

Research on Chinese communication has so far focused on the understanding of the impact of traditional Confucian cultural values on Chinese communication characteristics. While this Confucian-oriented Chinese communication style remains meaningful and in many situations powerful in Chinese society and in communication between Chinese and western professionals, the paradox inherent in Chinese culture and communication has rarely been researched. Moreover, China's three decades of rapid economic progress and unprecedented interactions with the rest of the world have contributed to an emergent Chinese communication style, which differs from the traditional one. Based on the philosophical principle of Yin Yang, this paper provides a framework to capture the paradox and change of Chinese communication characteristics in today's changing Chinese society. Implications for how to communicate effectively with the Chinese from practitioners’ point of view are also discussed.     

Linear and orthogonal models of acculturation and its relations to cultural variables: An examination of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA)

The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) is the most widely used measure of acculturation for Asians. The purpose of the current study was twofold: First, the study explored the consistency of the SL-ASIA in characterizing Asian American men's level of acculturation - Asian-Identified, Western-Identified, Bicultural - using the items of the scale in orthogonal versus linear approaches. Second, the study examined the association between the two scoring methods and characteristics indicative of Asian culture—family allocentrism, loss of face, and affect intensity. An orthogonal approach suggests individuals may identify both with Asian and Western cultures, whereas a linear approach indicates an individual identifies with one culture at the expense of the other (e.g., high Asian, low Western identified). We examined the classification rates of these two methods using a large sample of Asian-American collegiate men (n = 521) and then within each ethnic subgroup of Asian men (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean). Results suggested the two methods of characterizing men consistently diverged. Across the Asian subgroups, the overall agreement rates using linear and orthogonal methods were approximately at chance. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed among acculturation scoring methods and variables indicative of social integrity and family attitude. The implications for these findings and potential future directions for the study of acculturation are discussed.     

Cultural Values Are Communicated: How Hotel Introductions Persuade

This study looks into the question of how to theorize the role of cultural values in communication through persuasion. A multi-method approach is used to encode 60 English hotel introductions and 60 Chinese ones for data analyses. The relation between cultural values and persuasive strategies is explored in the context of communication. It is argued that hotel discourse not only reflects cultural values; more importantly, it creates empirical evidence for people within the culture to learn and induce their own conception of their culture.     

Measuring intercultural contact and its effects on intercultural competence: A structural equation modeling approach

This study utilizes a structural equation modeling approach to construct a scale to measure Chinese college students’ intercultural contact and to explore the pathways from intercultural contact to intercultural competence and their significance. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, the study conducted a series of reliability and validity analyses. The results indicate that the intercultural contact scale for Chinese college students has good reliability and validity. Moreover, a path analysis with the structural equation model was performed and reveals that the pathways of intercultural contact are beneficial for improving Chinese college students’ intercultural competence. In terms of direct contact, domestic social media is the most important, whereas for indirect contact, cultural products are relatively more important than multimedia and courses. The implications for the theoretical development of intercultural contact could be significant for scholars engaged in intercultural communication as well as for planning international education training programs.     

Coping with Nonverbal Communication in Public Service Interpreting with Chinese Immigrants

Nonverbal communication (NVC) plays a key role in face-to-face interactions. This article explores how nonverbal communication affects interpreter-mediated interactions between Chinese immigrants living in Catalonia and local public service providers. It presents data obtained from a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with public service interpreters and intercultural mediators, and analyses their experience in coping with nonverbal cues that are the potential source of misunderstanding. Special attention is to the examples of the Chinese smile and absence of eye contact. The conclusions discuss the implications that nonverbal communication may have in defining the role and functions of public service interpreters.     

The Effects of National Culture and Face Concerns on Intention to Apologize: A Comparison of the USA and China

The current study examined national culture differences between US American and Chinese participants (N?=?317) regarding face need concerns and apology intention, based on positive and negative face needs (Brown & Levinson, 1987 Brown, P and Levinson, SC. 1987. Politeness: Some universals in language usages, Cambridge, , UK: Cambridge University Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and concerns for self-face and other-face (Ting-Toomey, 2005 Ting-Toomey, S. 2005. “The matrix of face: An updated face-negotiation theory”. In Theorizing about intercultural communication, Edited by: Gudykunst, WB. 71–92. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.  [Google Scholar]). Participants read vignettes that varied in relationship types (in-group vs. out-group members) and situation types (negative face vs. positive face threatening) and responded to scales measuring realism of the vignettes, intention to apologize, and five types of face need concerns. The findings showed that Chinese participants, compared to US Americans, had stronger intentions to apologize when their acts threatened the other person's positive face, while US American participants, compared to Chinese, had stronger intentions to apologize when their acts threatened the other's negative face. Other findings and implications thereof are discussed.     

Blogadapting: Adaptation Experiences among Expatriate Bloggers

ABSTRACT

Increased global communication is adjusting traditional models of cross-cultural communication. Specifically, changes in international communication processes have caused increased scrutiny of cross-culture adaptation theory. This is especially true when focusing on the difference between cultural adaptation and functional fitness. The purpose of this research is to address changes in global communications by testing to see if there is a difference between two important theoretical concepts within cross-cultural adaptation theory – linear and non-linear adaptation. Findings indicate that cultural sojourners do not equate cross-cultural adaptation with linear models of functional fitness. Models that equate the two should be revisited.     

From Military Member to Student: An Examination of the Communicative Challenges of Veterans to Perform Communication Accommodation in the University

This study examined the transition of veterans from the military to the classroom. Guided by communication accommodation theory (CAT), results of semi-structured interviews (N = 20) of military veterans were analyzed to see how and why participants described communication approaches in the university setting. Approaches appeared guided by inculcated values developed during earlier cultural experiences, in the military. Participants described interpersonal and group communication exchanges in three broad themes: cultural clash, perspective taking, and self-silencing. This research supports prior psychological research that explored difficulties combat veterans face after exit and extends this research to non-combat veterans from a communicative perspective.     

Mutual stereotypes and the facilitation of interaction across cultural lines

This study explored the structure of mutual stereotypes held by two interacting groups of undergraduates — local Hong Kong Chinese and American exchange students. Each group rated a typical in-group member (autostereotype), a typical out-group member (heterostereotype), and estimated the rating likely to be given to their typical group member by a typical member of the out-group (reflected stereotype). Differences between auto- and heterostereotypes were great and comprehensive. The factor groupings of the Chinese sample on the 30 trait-pairs were used to summarize the results. The “kernel of truth” in the data was that both groups saw the Chinese as more emotionally controlled, but less open to others and less extroverted than the Americans. Each group, however, saw the other as more prosocial or beneficent than themselves, a reversal of the “symmetry” pattern commonly found in such ratings. The Chinese believed themselves to be misperceived by the Americans on all factors but one, openness to others; the Americans, on the factors of beneficence and emotional control. It was argued that the structure of these three types of mutual stereotype functions to facilitate interactions across cultural lines by motivating the initial encounter, by guiding interactants' behavior effectively, and by promoting mutual accommodation.     

Willingness to Communicate in Intercultural Interactions between Chinese and Americans

This study investigated the differences in willingness to communicate (WTC) between Americans and Chinese living in China and the United States, and the factors affecting WTC between these two nationalities. A battery of questionnaires was administered to 47 American and 54 Chinese college students in China, and 51 American and 42 Chinese college students in the US. Overall Americans were found to be more willing to communicate with Chinese than were Chinese with Americans. Participants living abroad reported higher levels of WTC than those living in their home country. Among Chinese, WTC was positively related to self-perceived communication competence, language competence, immersion time and motivation being positively correlated and negatively associated with CA. Similar results were obtained from Americans, except that immersion time and language competence were not related to WTC.     

Negotiating Faces in Coping with Workplace Bullying: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

Workplace bullying is often a traumatic communication experience. Using face-negotiation theory, this study compared strategic coping behaviors of employees from individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Findings from surveys of U.S. Americans and Singaporeans (N = 648) revealed that face concerns predict use of coping strategies modestly. In both cultures, self-face positively relates to neglect and acquiescence, and other-face negatively associates with retribution. Further, culture does not moderate relationships between face concerns and enactment of strategic coping behaviors, suggesting that people in both cultures cope with bullying in a similar manner.