IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/grdene/v13y2004i4d10.1023_bgrup.0000042892.76805.83.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Chinese Discuss Conflicts Openly? Field and Experimental Studies of Face Dynamics in China

Author

Listed:
  • Dean Tjosvold

    (Lingnan University)

  • Chun Hui

    (Chinese University of Hong Kong)

  • Haifa Sun

    (Management School, Sun Yat-Seng University)

Abstract

Chinese people have been theorized to be particularly sensitive to social face and avoid direct discussion in conflict to promote interpersonal harmony. Social face has been used to explain the proclivity of East Asians to smooth over conflict. More research is needed to study social face empirically and its relationship with direct discussion and the processes by which social face has its impact. Results from a field interview study and an experiment conducted in China support theorizing that confirmation of face induces cooperative goals and open-mindedness. In contrast with common assumptions about Chinese organizations, direct discussion, compared to avoiding, strengthened relationships. Direct controversy, especially when face was confirmed, induced open-mindedness: Participants asked more questions, explored the opposing views, demonstrated more knowledge of the opposing arguments, and worked to integrate views. These results were interpreted as suggesting that Chinese people can discuss their conflicts directly and cooperatively when they are assured that their face is confirmed. Results have implications both for the general theory of cooperation and competition as well as our understanding of social face in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Dean Tjosvold & Chun Hui & Haifa Sun, 2004. "Can Chinese Discuss Conflicts Openly? Field and Experimental Studies of Face Dynamics in China," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 351-373, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:grdene:v:13:y:2004:i:4:d:10.1023_b:grup.0000042892.76805.83
    DOI: 10.1023/B:GRUP.0000042892.76805.83
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1023/B:GRUP.0000042892.76805.83
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1023/B:GRUP.0000042892.76805.83?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David K Tse & June Francis & Jan Walls, 1994. "Cultural Differences in Conducting Intra- and Inter-Cultural Negotiations: A Sino-Canadian Comparison," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(3), pages 537-555, September.
    2. Morton Deutsch & Robert M. Krauss, 1962. "Studies of interpersonal bargaining," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 6(1), pages 52-76, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Popli, Manish & Akbar, Mohammad & Kumar, Vikas & Gaur, Ajai, 2016. "Reconceptualizing cultural distance: The role of cultural experience reserve in cross-border acquisitions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 404-412.
    2. Alfred Wong & Lu Wei & Dean Tjosvold, 2014. "Business and regulators partnerships: Government transformational leadership for constructive conflict management," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 497-522, June.
    3. Dean Tjosvold & Ann Peng & Yi Chen & Fang Su, 2008. "Business and government interdependence in China: Cooperative goals to develop industries and the marketplace," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 225-249, June.
    4. Shi, Xinping & Wright, Philip C., 2003. "The potential impacts of national feelings on international business negotiations: a study in the China context," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 311-328, June.
    5. Li, Yongqiang & Wang, Xuehua & Huang, Lily & Bai, Xuan, 2013. "How does entrepreneurs' social capital hinder new business development? A relational embeddedness perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2418-2424.
    6. Xiang Qian, 2021. "How Executives Manage Interpersonal Conflicts in Chinese Companies in Germany: Intercultural Difference in Conflict Management Styles," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(4), pages 182-182, July.
    7. Apoorva Ghosh, 2013. "Interpersonal Cross-Cultural Contact," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 38(1-2), pages 81-101, February.
    8. Tinsley, Catherine H. & Brett, Jeanne M., 2001. "Managing Workplace Conflict in the United States and Hong Kong," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 360-381, July.
    9. Xiaowen Guan & Hye Eun Lee, 2022. "Does Culture Really Matter? A Comparison Between Victims’ Cognitive and Communicative Responses to Cultural In-Group Versus Out-Group Perpetrators in Social Predicaments," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    10. Song Yang & Bruce W. Stening, 2013. "Mao Meets the Market," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 419-448, June.
    11. Fang, Tony & Worm, Verner & Tung, Rosalie L., 2008. "Changing success and failure factors in business negotiations with the PRC," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 159-169, April.
    12. Zhang, Zhi-Xue & Liu, Leigh Anne & Ma, Li, 2021. "Negotiation beliefs: Comparing Americans and the Chinese," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    13. Zorzini, Marta & Stevenson, Mark & Hendry, Linda C., 2012. "Customer Enquiry Management in global supply chains: A comparative multi-case study analysis," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 121-140.
    14. Nancy Chen Yifeng & Dean Tjosvold & Wu Peiguan, 2008. "Effects of warm-heartedness and reward distribution on negotiation," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 79-96, January.
    15. Alfred Wong & Dean Tjosvold, 2006. "Collectivist values for learning in organizational relationships in China: the role of trust and vertical coordination," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 299-317, September.
    16. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Tarba, Shlomo Y. & Liu, Yipeng & Glaister, Keith W. & Cooper, Cary L., 2016. "Exploring the factors influencing the negotiation process in cross-border M&A," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 445-457.
    17. Dinkevych, Elena & Wilken, Robert & Aykac, Tayfun & Jacob, Frank & Prime, Nathalie, 2017. "Can outnumbered negotiators succeed? The case of intercultural business negotiations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 592-603.
    18. Tjosvold, Dean & Hui, Chun & Law, Kenneth S., 2001. "Constructive conflict in China: cooperative conflict as a bridge between East and West," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 166-183, July.
    19. Luo, Yadong & Shenkar, Oded, 2002. "An empirical inquiry of negotiation effects in cross-cultural joint ventures," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 141-162.
    20. Walsh, James P. & Wang, ErPing & Xin, Katherine R., 1999. "Same bed, different dreams: working relationships in Sino--American joint ventures," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 69-93, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:grdene:v:13:y:2004:i:4:d:10.1023_b:grup.0000042892.76805.83. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.