研究生综合英语期末论文--中美跨文化商务交际对比

1、Contrastive Analysis on Intercultural Business Communication between China and America中美跨文化商务交际对比分析摘要：本文主要对比分析了中美两国在商务交际中体现的文化差异。中美两国的文化有着重大的不同，例如，中美对历史与未来的看法、对集体与个人的观点，以及国人冒险精神的差异等。这些差异会对中美的许多交流活动产生重要的影响。如今中美的商务交际越来越频繁，在交际过程中，要特别注意这些文化差异，避免因此而产生的纠纷。关键词：文化差异；商务交际；对比分析Contrastive Analysis on Intercul

2、tural BusinessCommunication between China and AmericaAbstract: This paper make a contrastive analysis on the cultural differences in business communication between China and America. Chinese culture is much different from American, for example, Chinese and American views on history and future, peopl

3、es opinions on collective and individual ideas in the two countries, and differences of the spirit of adventure of their countries, and so on. Many of these differences will have an important impact on many interchange activities. At present, business communication between China and America becomes

4、more and more frequent. We should pay more attention to the cultural differences in the communication process so that we can avoid some unnecessary disputes during the activities.Key words: cultural differences; business communication; contrastive analysis1 IntroductionCulture is a shared and learne

5、d behavior which is transmitted from one generation to another for purpose of promoting individual and social survival, adaptation, growth and development. Culture has both external and internal representations 1. People always mean quite different things when they talk about culture. Intercultural

6、communication is the circumstance in which people with diverse cultural backgrounds interact with each other 1. The crucial element in this form of communication is that culture has the impact on their communicative behaviors. Intercultural business communication has become relevant hot issue presen

7、tly, it is a communication by members of different cultures for business or workplace purposes. It can deal with the issues of communication and business within the discipline of the intercultural communication 3. Intercultural business communication takes place in a business context, which means th

8、e need for business context should be emphasized. Without business context, intercultural business is ill-focused and not effective. Therefore, the study of intercultural business communication needs the knowledge of business and intercultural communication.For the purpose of helping people to disti

9、nguish the differences of different cultures, many researchers have put forward different models. A critical point is that we can analyze different dimensions 2. In this paper, I will introduce five different dimensions to analyze the differences between China and America. Here are the five terms: 1

10、) past orientation or future orientation; 2) individualism or collectivism; 3) large power distance or small power distance; 4) high context culture or low context culture; 5) strong uncertainty avoidance or weak uncertainty avoidance.2 Literature ReviewAmerica is a future orientation country, while

11、 Chinese regard past as important. American pay more attention to individualism. That means they care more about private interest. In other way, Chinese think collective interest is more important than privacy. Thirdly, in China, there is a large power distance between boss and employee, but in Amer

12、ica, people think a small power distance makes it easier to communicate with each other, and this will promote the development of matters. Forth, China is a high context culture country, while America will not add a lot of other meanings when communicating, they talk more directly. Chinese think hig

13、hly of their past, while American pay more attention to future. This situation is based on the history of this two countries. America is a country which has developed very well in the last two hundred years. The pace makes people pay more attention to their future life because their got less history

14、 stories to recall. It is the opposite in China. Time orientation is a relative stable factor in cultural differences. Liu W.Q (2012) discussed the relationship between time orientation and history. In general, countries with a long history will get a past orientation, while countries, like America,

15、 with a short history will pay more attention to future. She also said that the difference can be showed in peoples attitude to “old”. Chinese use “old” to present an attitude of respect, while American think “old” means negative, so they try to avoid using “old” in daily life.When we talk about ind

16、ividualism and collectivism, we cant stop paying more attention to their differences. Yuan jin and Guo chun xia(2012) have studied this term based on the theory of S-Dimension. In China, people are taught to protect the collective interest when they were young. Moreover, all the Chinese education te

17、ach people to protect collective interest first, so that spirit of collectivism is strong in China. However, the American pay more attention of privacy, they believe interest of their own is the most important thing in their life. Actually, history and the development of the society result in the di

18、fference.The power distance reflects the relationship between employers and employees. Xia meiqing discussed the relationship under different properties of power distance. She contrasts power distance of China and American, countries has the reverse attitude to power distance. China is a typical hig

19、h power distance country, while America is the opposite. In America, boss and the employees have the equal position.Another difference between China and America we should pay attention is their context culture. China is a high context country. Liu yudong and Zhou yin(May, 2011) analyze the character

20、s of high context culture and low context culture. They think high context culture will use a lot of knowledge which people have already known to explain their meaning, they always express indirectly. In the other hand, the American always talk directly, they pay more attention to the definition of

21、their expression, so that others will understand them easily. This is a method to improve the efficiency, the effect is more distinct in their work.When talking about the uncertainty avoidance, people will think that the American is the group who has the attitude of weak uncertainty avoidance which

22、means they will probably choose the uncertainty in order to make a higher interest. However, 3 Discussion3.1 Past orientation or Future orientationTime orientation means the attitude that people treat time and the process that people use time 16. China is a typical country with past orientation, whi

23、le America is a future orientation country. China is a nation with 5000 years of splendid civilization, its heritage shaped the people of the past time orientation. The history of the United States is shorter, and they don't have much to review. People in America are more for the future, they fo

24、cus on the foreseeable future or the recent future. They think closely related to the success of the future, so they work hard to earn tomorrow's happiness. Most American feel difficult to understand the waste of time of other countries people.In business, different time orientations have an imp

25、ortant influence on communication 7. For example, when Chinese businessman talk about something old, or put forward to follow the rules, American will always stop the idea. They think we should create something new to break the rules, so that we can earn more attention. We can understand this differ

26、ence from the promotion of time-travel TV drama. Promotion in China always stress the encounter of leading role and some historical events. In China, people tend to focus on the past history, the concrete embodiment of the value orientation in the film and television entertainment culture is Chinese

27、 hero travel back to ancient times. Based on historical events to show the hero's love/hate 6. American time-travel through time, however, in contrast to China, the hero crossing into the future. American through the show is more subjective to create the future 10.In business activities, idiom i

28、s also a very important element in communication. “Youth look forward and age backward” is a typical taste of American idiom. American wont spend and waste their time thinking about the past, but looking at the plan for the future. However, there is not such a distant future, the ideal “future”, alw

29、ays means life in the schedule plan in order to realize the "future" 15. In other way, Chinese idioms such as “姜还是老的辣”，“不听老人言，吃亏在眼前” indicate that “old” in China stand for abundant experience 15. In business activities, Chinese think we should follow the rules, while American call for brea

30、k the tradition and create a new system. 3.2 Collectivism or IndividualismValue is one kind of social awareness. It leads the thinking model and behavioral norms of people. Collectivism stands for people pay more attention to the interest of group, while individualism indicate that people think more

31、 about private interest. Actually, this two awareness results from two completely different social systems. China is a socialism country while America is a typical developed and socialism country.Culture is closely linked to value. People of different cultural background will have different values 1

32、4. Collectivism and individualism, as the product of different culture, embodied the value differences between east and west. With the development of cross-cultural communication and economic and cultural aspects of the comprehensive globalization, under the background of a culture, there may be var

33、ious, not only the values, in a variety of values, of course, there will be a kind of values as the mainstream values, and coexist with other values.American individualism index reach to 91, it is a country attaches great importance to the value of individualism. In business communication, they are

34、often alone. Decisions generally willing to be made by their own and try not to ask for instructions from bosses. On this dimension (20) in China, the collective interests above all else, personal achievement is often represented to the name of the collective.In business communication, Chinese busin

35、essmen should comply with American independent personality 8. American are fond of alone, they are not willing to accept others' help. When communicating with them, Chinese business man should follow their independent personality and free space to give as much as possible.Collectivism and indivi

36、dualism differences will result to barriers in business communication between China and America 6. Chinese businessmen are more conservative, they pay attention to status and are particular about manners. In the process of negotiations, Chinese businessmen use to negotiate principles and discuss mor

37、e about details. They care much about the establishment of harmonious interpersonal relationship in the negotiation. Compared with Chinese businessmen particular about "form" and "face", the western businessmen pay more attention to practical benefits. In the negotiations, the we

38、stern businessmen tend to eschew principle to renegotiate conditions.3.3 Large power distance or small power distancePower distance is a kind of culture differs from another culture. It is the first dimension, refers to the social recognition and acceptance of the scope of the unequal distribution o

39、f power in the organization. Power distance, refers to the low status of people accept the degree of power distribution inequality. Whether they are willing to accept or not willing to accept 6.China belongs to the preface-structure and social structure, the western culture belongs to parallel socia

40、l structure. Chinese value social identity and status, therefore, they care more about etiquette, it is the same in business activities. They also pay attention to the team members' position and level, respect for high-rise and authority. Even the final resolution, they also tends to be collecti

41、ve discussion, care leadership decision. Westerners advocate freedom and equality, emphasis on personal subjective initiative in the business activities, specific to each work, the responsibility can even considering the necessary decisions and have the necessary task power.In business activities, p

42、ower distance always indicate difference between people. Communication between China and America should pay more attention to the other side. When it comes to the status, we businessmen should take note. Man of high position should have more respect. When communicate with the Chinese from the large

43、power distance cultures, more attention should be paid in detail, so that it may reflects the status of high and low points of people in group. For example, when accommodate for the Chinese business group, we should put people of higher status in tall buildings while person of low position in the re

44、latively lower floors of the building. In other terms, when table group members business cards one by one, we should be strictly in accordance with its membership from higher status to low, or it will be make the visitors feel awkward or even refuse to accept.When presenting Chinese delegation membe

45、rs gifts one by one, we should not only to ensure that people of higher status to receive gifts first, but also on the choice of gift according to the other party status 4. That is to say, the man of high position should obtain more exquisite gifts. Highlighted the position high and low points of be

46、havior in large power distance culture is seen as a respect for the power and authority, is the reflection of social order in communication. In small power distance culture, superior and subordinate often exchange and communication, and trying to make myself look less powerful, in order to weaken th

47、e position of each other.3.4 High context culture or low context cultureContext refers to the verbal communication and nonverbal communication basis or implied by the social, historical and cultural background, as well as the actual environment of space and time (verbal and non-verbal) or within the

48、 context of the text (written). In different cultures, the interpersonal communication may generate huge differences because of different context 12. In high context culture communication, more information is expressed by social and cultural environment and situation, or internalized in the communic

49、ator's deep thinking or memory. Explicit code load by a relatively small amount of information and the communicator are sensitive to the nuances of environment.In low context culture, a lot of information is expressed by explicit code, so that invisible environment will express a relatively smal

50、l amount of information. It is generally believed that eaten countries belong to high context culture, while western culture to the low context culture 12.In business communication, the talking norms play an important role in negotiation. Difference in American and Chinese concentrated in the prefer

51、ence for straight and euphemism.American from low context cultures prefer to call a spade, attaches great importance to the direct and simple way to communicate. They try to avoid silence. In western cultures, silence is considered as a "lack of confidence" in the interpersonal communicati

52、on, or even escape topics or responsibility. Silence also means that the negotiations may have failed. It is the interruption of communication. In the process of negotiations, they tend to make clear and definite answer to the problem.High linguistic and cultural background of the Chinese emphasizes

53、 the harmonious, they wont directly express their emotions 9. Because of the complicated communication, the sensitivity and ability of receivers attaches great importance to the indirect communication and information. Chinese regard silence as a kind of important communication function. Pause and si

54、lence is rich in meaning, as well as approving wordless. So in high context culture, keep silence is a praiseworthy act 11. In the process of negotiations, high context culture participants tend to its twists and turns of expression.3.5 Weak uncertainty avoidance or strong uncertainty avoidanceUncer

55、tainty avoidance is mainly about peoples attitude to uncertainty about the future. A strong uncertainty avoidance culture is often rule orientation. It uses to establishing a series of laws, regulations, system, which limits to reduce uncertainty. A weak uncertainty avoidance culture has high tolera

56、nce for uncertainty situation and resilience. It is usually more willing to change, to take risks 13.Chinese culture belongs to strong uncertainty avoidance culture while American culture belongs to the weak one. When it comes to the attitude to difference, Chinese traditional thinking is hard to to

57、lerate different opinions, and "eccentric" is regarded as very dangerous 13. Because difference can lead to conflict, uncertainty may generate adverse consequences.On the other hand, American advocate the spirit of criticism which make people dare to question, to rebut the arguments made b

58、y the others or even the authority. Businessmen in the United States enjoy discussing with his partners who can put forward different views.Uncertainty avoidance perform in all aspects of communication. In intercultural business communication, the strength of the uncertainty avoidance degree is very obvious. A strong uncertainty avoidance habit of culture communication like planning carefully or arranging in advance. A weak uncertainty avoidance