中美面子观的差异对跨文化商务谈判的影响英文道.doc

ISSN 1009-50392012 年 02 月 Overseas English 海 外 英 语Overseas English 海 外 英 语 Tel:86-551-5690811 5690812中美面子观的差异对跨文化商务谈判的影响 刘静李敏， 河南 商丘 476000）（商丘工学院，摘要：中国和美国都有自己独特的文化，其中面子观是一个重要方面。中美面子观的差异及其关注程度的不同往往给中美商务谈判带来困难和障碍。如何更好地实现跨文化谈判是中美谈判者亟待解决的问题。虽然很多学者做过这方面的研究，但很少有研究涉及到面子观对商务谈判的影响。这篇论文分析了中美不同面子观对商务谈判的影响并给出了建议。关键词：面子观；差异；商务谈判；建议中图分类号：G03 文献标识码：A 文章编号：1009-5039201204-0221-02Sino-US Face Perception and its Influence on Intercultural Business NegotiationLI Min LIU JingShangqiu Institute of Technology Shangqiu 476000 ChinaAbstract: English Abstract: China and the United States both have its unique culture. Face perceptions are an important aspect of culture.The differences between China and the United States in their perspectives of face and degrees of concern with face often bring about difficulties and obstacles in understanding in Sino-US business negotiations. How to conduct intercultural business negotiations better is a problem that needs to be resolved for negotiators of China and the US. Although many scholars have conducted researches on this issue therehave been very few researches on the influence of face perceptions on business negotiations. This thesis analyses the influence of differentface perceptions in China and the US on business negotiations and proposes some suggestions.Key words: face perception difference business negotiation suggestion China and the United States both have its unique culture. Face social attributes.perception is a common but an important aspect of culture. The dif Brown Levinson believe that face is the public self-imageferences between China and the United States in their perspectives that every member wants to claim for himself. Face is somethingof face often bring about difficulties in understanding or even misun that is emotionally invested and that can be lost maintained or enderstandings in Sino-US business negotiations. To understand and hanced and must be constantly attended to in interaction. Brown deal with the relationship between face and negotiation correctly is Levinson also believe that face is mutual. People save face in mutua problem facing every business negotiator. al cooperation. The preservation of face is in the interest of both Scholars from the fields of anthropology psychology philoso sides of communication.phy culturology and communication have done numerous studies 1.1 Face Perception in Chinaon face and facework such as Goffman Brown Levinson and Chinese scholar Lin Yutang and Hu Shi. Their findings provide us a The unique characteristics of cultural values norms and beuseful tool to better understand the complex cultural phenomenon havioral standards shaped to a large extent through Confucius influand help people communicate effectively from different cultural ences endow the concept of face with more complexity and multibackground. But there have been few researches concerning the in plicity which has all along been exerting great influence on Chifluence of face perceptions on intercultural business negotiation. nese social life. Lin Yutang 1936 then gave a specific and vivid This thesis deals with the issue of face involved in Sino-US description of face which perhaps best reveals its significance andbusiness negotiation reveals the cultural root for differences be mystery for the Chinese. He argued Face cannot be translated ortween Chinese and American perspectives of face and the influence defined. It is like honor and is not honor. It cannot be purchasedof face on negotiation and provides reference to Chinese and Ameri with money and gives a man or a woman a material pride. It is holcan negotiators to conduct business negotiations between the two low and is what a man or a woman die for. It is invisible and yet bycountries. definition exists by being shown to the public. 1.2 Face Perception in the United States1 Concepts about Face Chinese culture is a typical Oriental culture while American Goffman is one of the earliest scholars to study face. Goffman culture is a typical Western culture. The face in the United Statesdefined face as the positive social value a person effectively claims differs from that in China. The three characteristics of face outlinedfor himself by the line others assume he has taken during a particu by Lusting and Koester 1999 are very useful for us to understandlar contact. Face is an image of self delineated in terms of approved收稿日期：2011-12-05 修回日期：2012-12-28 李敏 ， 河南确山县人，作者简介： （1984-） 女， 商丘工学院教师，南京大学翻译硕士， 刘静 ， 商 研究方向为英美文化与翻译； （1983-） 女， 丘工学院教师，助教，研究方向为英语语言学与文化。 221 一一一一一一一本栏目责任编辑：杨菲菲 中外文学文化研究Overseas English 海 外 英 语 2012 年 02 月the face in the United States. spect them and the negotiation will proceed harmoniously. Because First face is social. Face therefore refers to the public or so of individualistic culture Americans think more about themselvescial image of an individual that is held by others. Face then always and less about others. Their concern with self face is greater thanoccurs in a relational setting. Second face is an impression which their concern with other face. When they negotiate with Chinesemay or may not be shared by all that may differ from a persons they often lack preservation of their counterparts face and often ofself-image. To maintain face people want others to act toward them fend Chinese without noticing.with respect regardless of their real thoughts and impressions. In summary Chinese and Americans understand face in differThird face refers only to the favorable social attributes that people ent ways and are concerned with face to different degrees. This ofwant others to acknowledge. ten creates misunderstandings and obstacles to Sino-US negotiation. These findings more or less show the implication and signifi 3 Suggestions for Business Negotiationcance of face in the United States.2 Influence on Negotiation 3.1 Suggestions for Chinese Negotiators Chinese and Americans have different perspectives of face. In Firstly treat the other side with sincerity and accept debatesbusiness negotiations Chinese and Americans have different under and conflicts. Secondly stress the efficiency of negotiation. Ameristandings of face and degrees of concern with face. Therefore face cans have a strong sense of time and have a tight negotiation schedhas different influence on the negotiations among Chinese and ule. Thirdly show more confidence. Chinese often believe that modAmericans. esty is a kind of virtue and reflects respect for others. Fourthly Chinese care more about face than Americans. In the US most make clear your attitudes and state your requests straightforwardly.people do not worry about face. Only a small number of people are 3.2 Suggestions for American Negotiatorsrelatively concerned with face. However the degree to which they Firstly reduce head-on criticisms of Chinese negotiators. Chiare concerned with face is far less than that of Chinese. In negotia nese seldom criticize the other side in negotiation. Secondly pay attions Americans like publicly stating their opinions and open de tention to establishing a good relationship with the negotiatingbate. The purpose of the debate is to promote the frank and sincere Counterparts. Thirdly pay attention to giving the other side faceexchange of opinions. It does not hurt anyone no matter who is more while showing off oneself. Fourthly pay attention to the strategies ofpersuasive or who is in a passive position. Face of the two sides is refusing the other side. Chinese feel that refusing the other sidenot considered in this respect. bluntly can easily embarrass the other side and will adversely affect Chinese pay more attention to collective face while Americans future negotiations.pay more attention to individual face. In China individuals belongto a certain collective. Chinese have strong collective spirit. They 4 Conclusionwork for collective goals and interests. Collective interests are This thesis is different from the usual practice that only discovabove individual interests. When decisions are made often an indi ering differences between these seemingly quite controversial counvidual who is responsible but a group is taking the responsibility. tries it attempts to give suggestions to business negotiators in ChinaSo in China as an individual has face a collective also has face and the US. The findings though limited enhance the mutual unwhich is even more important than an individuals face. A negotia derstanding between these two nations thus paving the way towardtor needs not only protect his own face at the negotiation table but more positive effective and smooth business negotiations.also the face of the company he represents. If he loses face because References:of his inappropriate words or acts then his companys face is alsodamaged. Americans are different. They have strong individualistic 1 Goffman E.On Facework: An Analysis of Ritual Elements in Sovalues stressing individual role and value. Decisions in the US of cial Interaction. PsychiatryM.CambridgeUK:Cambridge Uniten come from an individual with high speed and efficiency. The re versity Press1955.sponsibility is also shouldered by an individual. 2 Brown.PenelopeStephen C.Levinson.Questions and Politeness: Chinese are concerned more with other face and mutual face Strategies in Social Interaction CambridgeM.UK:Cambridgewhile Americans are concerned more with self face. In Chinese peo University Press1987.ples view face is mutual. Chinese proverb says If a person gives 3 Lin Yutang.My Country and My PeopleM.Singapore:Heineme one chi of respect I will give him one zhang equaling 10 chi of mann Asia1977.respect. Chinese believe that only when you give proper regard to 4 Lustig M WKoester J.Intercultural Competence: Interpersonalothers face will there be good relationship between the two sides Communication across CulturesM.third edition.New YorkUS:and harmonious atmosphere and will the other side protect your Addison Wesley LongmanInc.1999.face. So in negotiation Chinese pay much attention to keeping their 5 Wan Hongyang.Case Studies of Sino-American Business Negoticounterparts face. They do not let their counterparts lose face and ations: An Intercultural Communication PerspectiveD.Wuhan:consider their counterparts face to be even more important than the Central China Normal University2006.face of themselves. They guarantee that their counterparts will enjoy due face so as to guarantee that their counterparts will also re 222 一 一一一一一一一 中外文学文化研究 本栏目责任编辑：杨菲菲