Turning Bricks Into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding Among Chinese and Americans

By Mary Margaret Wang

Book Overview

The Chinese are fond of using four-character phrases, known as cheng yu, to improve their writing style. The Chinese characters on the cover spell out one such idiom: pao zhuan yin yu. Translated literally, this would be "throw bricks attract jade." It can also express the idea of throwing out something of little value to induce a potential business partner to offer something more valuable. The authors of Turning Bricks into Jade, a more idiomatic rendering of pao zhuan yin yu, like to think of each critical incident in this collection as a brick, which, when combined with similar bricks, good sense and effort, can be used to construct relationships more valuable even than jade. A critical incident is a story about cross-cultural conflict or misunderstanding. Many of the forty-one incidents are based on actual events that involved one or more of the authors or their acquaintances. Some are a composite of several authors' experiences. You choose one of four or five possible alternatives that explain the misunderstanding. Following each incident is a discussion of possible solutions, based on the authors' experiences and grounded in current research. Misunderstandings between Chinese and American interactants are complicated; there is almost never just one thing going on. One result of this complexity is that many of the incidents have more than one correct explanation. Forty-one Americans and Chinese with considerable experience in both cultures read the collection of incidents for validation. As you work through the incidents, you may feel the need for a more detailed explanation or definition of certain recurring themes. A section on key theoretical concepts in Chinese-American interactions provides such detail. Included are individualism and collectivism, guanxi (interpersonal connections), hierarchies, gender relations in the workplace, regulations, deference to authority, work incentives and ownership. The Index of Incidents According to Themes and Concepts is also helpful.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1877864811
• ISBN13: 9781877864810
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.8" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Throw a brick to attract a piece of jade!

It is a scholar project of picking different situations between Chinese and English speaking Americans in their cultural exchange conflicts. It sorts out in different situations: home, travel, workplace, motivations, negotiations, relationships with authority, academia expectations. The scholars offer explanation and comment for the states of affairs. The Chinese writing on the cover means throw brick to attract jade not as the English title Turning Bricks into Jade. This project was in 2000, twenty years ago. It is still applicable and significant as politicians misunderstand and misinterpreted China with a cold war mentality. This book is highly recommended to members of Congress for a clear mind!