Sunday, March 6, 2011

"Face" and Conflict Resolution




concept of 'face' in Chinese culture is not easy to define foreigners. After the 'face' command respect, trust and influence in the Chinese cultural environment. This is similar to the reputation and image is one in one's peer group or community. 'After the face comes from a position, economic status and social ties with other influential people, their own abilities and capabilities, and how much trust others put in it. leader of a group of peers, for example, can have a lot of face, because he / she respects and others rely on him / her for advice and assistance. The most important part is that the person has to be perceived as reliable. well-trained or affiliated person, or someone with higher rank or position does not automatically have a face. When such a person is greedy, unapproachable, unwilling to help others, unsympathetic, or offensive in his / her position, he / she can not be considered reliable. defaulting person is likely to have a lot of 'face' in the eyes of others.


people from the face of command support and can mobilize others to achieve higher goals. To save your own face, he / she must live up to the expectations of others and preserve the trust that others have bestowed upon him / her. Also save face and pride, the Chinese people are often willing to go to great lengths. following actions or gestures, threatening people face and can cause a defensive reaction:


openly challenged. Traditional students in China, for example, do not ask questions in class, because if they ask that the teacher is not able to answer, they will embarrass teachers are to lose face in front of other students.


Being openly disagreed s. If the teacher made a mistake in class, those who recognize the error will go to the teacher after class and talk with the teacher, instead of pointing in the classroom.


open criticism. If the Chinese make a mistake, the managers or from overseas should not it point out to others and should avoid using the term 'error' at all. Instead, the party will be subtly let the Chinese know they are wrong, for example, by giving them some material about the right response to reading.


openly denied. When you communicate 'no 'to the Chinese, foreigners should be less direct than usual in the West.


order to preserve the face of strangers and how to avoid embarrassment and losing face, the Chinese are often very subtle in your communication, to the extent that Canadians think the Chinese are not straight-forward. Chinese in general difficult to say 'no' directly to foreigners, and feel uncomfortable or annoyed when critics and challenged openly. They have come up with many ways to say 'no 'to the subtle, such as:


'Let us think about'
'Let's not talk about it later'
'We need to talk to my supervisor'


little more sensitivity to the Chinese need to 'face' is often very grateful for the Chinese, as a Canadian company learned. The Chinese, in this case, it is wrong to calculate the number of products that are imported and should be ordered too. error is detected when the items arrived and Chinese is quite uncomfortable and was worried about losing face in front of their peers. A Canadian company has admitted to his guilt and ordered more. "The loss of face to foreigners is a great thing for the Chinese,"said Canadian manager, 'We understand how important it is. "


One aspect of Chinese 'face' is worth noticing is that it represents the way the Chinese want to be seen by others. One is the 'face' is a desirable side of himself - a respectable, reliable, capable and confident. These performances May or May not reflect their own values and beliefs. Of course, one might be embarrassed if he / she turns out to be innocent of the 'face' he / she has.


importance of giving and preserving 'face'u Chinese culture has direct implications for foreign companies trying to resolve conflicts with China. No matter how carefully and thoughtfully could be, conflict, disagreement or miscommunication between people from different cultures is inevitable. This will be true regardless of the amount of planning, preparation and effort spent an alien in order to avoid conflicts. When a conflict situation must be dealt with carefully to avoid creating a Chinese lose face. In resolving the conflict with the Chinese, many foreigners have learned that:


Try not to do any finger pointing to the Chinese, though sometimes it's tempting and justifiable. It is better to admit there are problems or questions and asking them to discuss the Chinese and find solutions.


focus on common ground, such as common goals, visions and interests that have a positive side. The two sides should put things in perspective and try to solve problems together.


Strengthen commitment to each other even when it seems that it is difficult to make and the Chinese know that they are on the same page. Signs of wavering confidence in the other in difficult times threatens Chinese willingness and commitment to resolving the conflict.


develop good relations with Chinese individuals outside of work. Showing a little compassion and human side often helps individuals to give the Chinese is becoming friendlier and easier to deal with. Since the Chinese operate differently as individuals but as a group member, a personal relationship often becomes very critical to preventing and resolving conflicts.


encourage open discussion and communication as a way of solving problems. The Chinese believe they are reasonable people and open for reflection and discussion, but usually do not give in when they are forced or pressured.


avoid relying on a forced settlement, because it often leads to the relationship and making the losing party to lose face. After losing the relationship, or the Chinese felt they were humiliated and lost her face, the situation becomes irreversible.


avoid losing their 'cool', no matter how much 'heat' seems to exist. Loss of friendship, even in difficult times might just cost you a stranger and the relationship can be broken off, the Chinese, who were humiliated and frustrated Chinese May not want to deal with the same person again. You May try to take a break and looking for someone else to ask the Chinese for input and feedback on problem-solving. This often stops the two sides from getting in over your head on a destructive confrontation with each other.


admit that there should be absolute winners or losers in the conflict resolution. Both sides should be willing to make concessions and compromises to overcome gridlock.


Recognizing the need for compromise and concessions and a willingness to do so are often key to resolving the conflict with the Chinese. Without such a willingness and determination, it is likely that the two sides can solve any constructive solution. following observations could be helpful in resolving conflicts with potential situations in China.


Chinese prefer mediated discussions and negotiations instead of a direct confrontational approach to resolving the conflict.


Chinese often find it difficult to work for a business opportunity, and will work equally hard to deal with conflict, instead of walking away from opportunity. They are very motivated to resolve conflicts, as well.


Chinese may know he / she is wrong, but the alien must provide his / her way to make sure that he / she does not lose face. Chinese do not like being cornered. If they lose face, a stranger come to mind involved as the enemy, they will fight back as hard as possible and the conflict will become irreversible. Therefore, it must be left out for the Chinese, although they can be wrong.


Foreigners should be willing to make concessions even when the Chinese are wrong. The Chinese are not blind and know that the stranger gave them a face. The award may be greater than the Party had hoped to get. right attitude is short-term pain and long-term profits.


best way to resolve conflicts through prevention. Through open communication and discussion, most conflicts can be avoided and can be avoided in advance. Good Guanxi and relationship, for example, increases the level of trust between the two sides. After a shared vision and goals or interdependent and complimentary goals, could make both sides more sensitive to each other's needs and problems, more accommodating and less selfish. In short, the party should keep the following tips in mind.


Tips for conflict resolution in China


Try to apply the following when it comes to dealing with the Chinese through their.


Gather information and clarify the problem first. Is it a personal conflict or was it work related? When two sides are very emotional they are probably able to sit down and deal with the problem rationally. Other Chinese colleagues are not involved in the conflict may be called upon to help clarify the problem.


Create two sides recognized that the conflict is limited to only one situation or event, and it does not change the underlying premise for doing business with each other. Focusing on the situation and / or event helps to prevent the conflict becomes a full blown dispute.


Try to solve the problem informally, sit down lunch and talk about the differences and find common ground.


Sit down and build some relationships between the two sides reviewing the two sides have in common, and getting a negative emotion.


Maintain harmonious and friendly relationship no matter what happens. If the relationship is broken, it might be impossible to repair.


Be sensitive and make sure that what you do and do not seem suitable for the Chinese situation.

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