To explain this more fully, let us examine a very basic difference in beliefs and
values between China and the United States concerning the role of interpersonal
relations. In China, the practice ofguanxi(reliance on interpersonal relations) plays
a central role in business and private interactions. It is not uncommon for a Chinese
company to hire employees from a small circle of family members or well-known,
longtime acquaintances, with personal qualifications playing a secondary role. With-
out the requisite cultural understanding, someone from the United States might
quickly consider the practice ofguanxias nepotism or corruption. This view would
arise from the U.S. value of equality, individuality, and being judged on merit, all of
which are supported by clearly defined rules and laws and a well-established system of
social services. To gain a more balanced perspective of the differences, you would
need to know that China is a collectivistic-oriented culture, with a developing econ-
omy, and only a nascent social services system. Succinctly, in China, personal con-
tacts are considerably more important than in the United States because the
Chinese have historically had to rely on each other rather than depending on an
existing societal infrastructure.
Once you gain an awareness ofwhythere is such a contrast between the value
placed on interpersonal relations in China and the United States, it becomes easier
to understand the other person’s motivation. You may not agree with that person’s
values, but knowing why they think or act a certain way can reduce or even eliminate
potential intercultural communication discord. Therefore, when confronted with con-
founding cultural differences, we urge you to examine the cause behind those differ-
ences, the motivating cultural value, rather than simply assuming it is a wrong way of
thinking or acting.Summary
- Perception may be defined as the process whereby people convert external events
and experiences into meaningful internal understanding. - Perception is the primary mechanism by which you develop your worldview.
- Perception is selective, learned, culturally determined, consistent, and often
inaccurate. - Values are enduring attitudes about the preference for one belief over another.
Behaviors are the observable demonstration of internally held beliefs and
values. - Cultural pattern taxonomies are used to illustrate the dominant beliefs and values
of a culture. - When applying cultural patterns, you should keep in mind that we are more than
our culture; cultural patterns are integrated, dynamic, and can be contradictory. - According to Kohls, the dominant American cultural patterns include personal
control over the environment, change, time and its control, equality, individual-
ism/privacy, self-help, competition, future orientation, action/work orientation,
informality, directness/openness/honesty, practicality/efficiency, and materialism/
acquisitiveness.
240 CHAPTER 6•Cultural Values: Road Maps for Behavior
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