2014-2015-1-《商务跨文化交际》期末口语考试

OralTestForInterculturalBusinessCommunicationCourseDirections:You’llread5cases,withseveralquestionsfordiscussionfollowed.Pleaseworkinpairsandgetpreparedfortheoraltest.Youshouldmakeupadialogueforeachcaseandanalyzethecasewiththehelpofthosequestions.Youshouldfirstpointouttheconflict/conflictsinthecase,andthenanalyzethereason/reasonsbyfiguringouttheculturaldifferences.Youshouldalsoworkoutthesolutions.Duringtheoraltest,eachpairwillbeassignedonecasetoanalyzeandyourdialogueshouldlastforatleast3minutes.（40’）Case1Averydistinguished75-year-oldChinesescholarandstatesmanwasbeinghonoredbyauniversityintheeasternUnitedStates.Heandhiswifehadjustmadethe21-hourflightfromBeijingandtheyweremetattheairportbysomefriendswhoexclaimed,“Youmustbetired!”Hisresponsewaskeyi,“It’spossible”or“It’sOK”.Ofcoursehewastired!Hewasanoldmanwhohadsatonairplanesorinairportsfor24hoursstraight.Butthecontext---themeetinginanairportatnight,thefactofhislongjourney,hisslightlyglazedeyes---communicatedtheobvious.Itwasunnecessarytoputitintowords.YetitisnothardforaWesternimaginationtosupposethesituationinreverse.AtravelertoBeijinggetsofftheplaneafter24hoursofcontinuoustraveland,inresponsetothesamecomment,“Youmustbetired!”replies,“Tired!I’veneverbeensotiredifmylegswouldworkagain!MyeyesaresogrittywithsleepthattheyfeelliketheGobidesertwasinthatplane!”andsoforth.Questionsfordiscussion:1.Whatdoestheoldman’sanswermean?2.WhataspectsofcultureresultinthedifferentanswersbetweenAmericanandChinese?Case2American:Iamverypleasedtomeetyou,Mr.Sato.(TheAmericanextendshishandforahandshake).Japanese:(extendinghishandandshakeshandswithaweak,limpgrip)Sopleasedtomeetyou,Mr.Rogers.American:ThisismyfirsttimeinTokyo,andIlookforwardtoourbusinessassociation...Shallwebeginourmeeting?Japanese:(puzzled).Excuseme.(reachesintoacardcaseandpresentshiscardtoRogers).Hereismybusinesscard...American:(RogerstakesouthiswalletimmediatelyandputsSato’scardinitafterquicklyglancingatbothsides;hefumblesthroughhiscreditcardslookingforabusinesscard)...I’msureihaveacardhere...somewhere...Japanese:(actinghurt)Donotgotoanytrouble...American:(Findsone)...Ah,here’sacard...(hehandsSatoabentcard).Japanese:(Satograciouslyacceptsthecardandreadsitverycarefully,andturnsitovertoitsflipsideanditsblank...Heispuzzled...)American:Istheresomethingthematter?(HeseesthatSatoSanisuncomfortable).Japanese:Notreally.American:Shallwebeginourmeeting?Japanese:Thatwouldbeverynice,butperhapswecanfirsttalkaboutourselvesalittlebit...suchasourpositionsinthecompany?American:Oh,sure...Japanese:(SatohaskeptRogers’cardinfrontofhimallthistime,holdsitwithhistwohandsandkeepslookingatit...)Questionsfordiscussion:1.WhydidMr.SatofeelpuzzledwhenMr.Rogersfirstsuggestedstartingtheirmeeting?2.DoyouthinkitisproperforMr.RogerstoputSato’sbusinesscardintohiswalletimmediately?Why?3.WhydidSatoinsistonintroducingthemselves,suchasthepositionsinthecompanyinsteadofbeginningthemeeting?Case3DavidEvenson,managerofasupermarketchainbasedinMilwaukee,waseagertoestablishtradetiesChina,oneofthefastestgrowingeconomicsintheworld.ThroughaChineseemployee,WuXin,Davidreachedanagreementtoimport2,400two-ouncepackagesofChinesegreenteafromXinCheng,anagriculturalandanimalproductsimportingandexportingcorporationinChina’sZhejiangProvince.TheshipmentcameinjustintimefortheThanksgivingDaysalespeak.David,atealoverhimself,wasimpressedbythequalityofthetea,andthepackagingwasbetterthanhehadexpected.Heanticipatedgoodsalesoftheteainhisstores.HeeventookthetroubletohaveWuXinwritesomebilingualadsforthetea,whichraninmajorlocalpapersandonradiostations.However,becauseofthesmallsizeofthetransaction,thetransportationperunitwasquitehigh.Inordertoprofitformthistransaction,David’saccountingdepartmentsuggestedthattheChinesegreenteabepricedalittlehigherthanthedomesticandimportedbrandsofteatheyalreadysold.Mr.ShengJiao-ru,arepresentativefromXinCheng,disagreed,suggestingthatDavidcutthepricetomatchotherbrandsfirst;oncetheChinesebrandwasestablishedandrecognizedbytheconsumers,bothsidescouldprofitfromeconomyofscale,sellingalargeramountofteaatalowerpriceperunit.David,whowasunwillingtostartoutsellingataloss,decidedtogowithhisaccountingdepartment’spriceproposal.ThreeweekslaterShengcalledDavidfromChinaandlearnedthatthegreenteahadnotsoldwellatallandhadbeenreturnedtothewarehouse.ShengagainsuggestedthatDavidtryloweringtheprice,butDavidseemedtohavelostinterestintheproject.Overthenextseveralmonths,ShengwasunabletointerestDavidinfurtherdeals,andhefinallyletthingsrestforatime.Questionsfordiscussion:1.WhydoyouthinkDavidisunwillingtolowerthepriceofthetea?2.WhatalternativesdoyouthinkMr.ShengshouldhavegiventhatDavidmightaccept?Case4AnAmericanmanagerofhumanresourceinPhilipslighteningcompanytalkedwithaChineseemployeewithgreatpotential.TheAmericanmanagerwantedtoknowthedevelopmentdesignandthepositiontheemployeewantstogetinthecompany.ButtheChineseemployeedidnotanswerthequestiondirectly;insteadheonlytalkedaboutthecompany’sfuturedirection,promotionsystemandhiscurrentposition.Hetalkedforalongtime,butdidnotgiveadefiniteanddirectanswe