TheHierarchicalRoleRelationshipExercisesNegativeInfluencesOnCommunicationinCollectiveCulture

杨秋仙

【Abstract】Based on the previous studies，the present paper intends to further discuss why and how the hierarchical nature of role relationship influences communication in a negative way in collectivistic culture where high power distance dominates.

【Key words】Hierarchical role relationship； cross-culture； communication

Our role identities influence our communication with strangers.We learn what behavior is expected in different roles as we are socialized into our culture and membership groups.Since roles tend to vary across cultures，it is necessary to know strangers role expectations if we are to understand and accurately predict their behavior.Many scholars have been studying this field.They give the definition to the “role identities” and explore the cross-cultural variability in role identities.Such variability can be summarized into three areas.One area where there are often different behavioral expectations cross cultures is in the degree of personalness expected in a role relationship； another area where role relationship also differs across cultures is the degree of formality expected in the relationship； the other area where there are cultural differences in the nature of role relationship is the degree of hierarchy present in the relationship.

In collectivistic culture，the hierarchical nature of role relationship is critical and stressed because of tradition and characteristic of the culture.Since a role is a set of behavioral expectations corresponding to a particular position in society，we have to understand what people are expected to do in a certain position in certain culture.In individualistic culture，the self is viewed in individualistic terms.In the article Intercultural Communication Between East and West written by Harry Triandis，Gould and Kolb define individualism as “ belief that the individual is an end in himself，and as such ought to realize his self and cultivate his own judgment，notwithstanding the weight of pervasive social pressures in the direction of conformity”（qtd.305）.Self-actualization and self-realization are viewed as important goals in individualistic culture.Self-esteem in individualistic culture is based on how well a person can stand on his own feet.However，members of collectivistic culture view the self differently.In collectivistic cultures，the self is defined in relation to others.For instance，people might define themselves on the basis of the company for which they work，the university they attend and so on.In the same article，Gould and Kolb defines collectivism as great emphasis on “ the views，needs and goals of the in-group rather than of oneself； on the social norms and duty defined by the in-group rather than behavior to get pleasure”（ qtd.305）.It seems that collectivistic culture is more favorable for communication since it emphasizes cooperation.However，cooperation needs rules which regulate peoples behavior according to their roles played in this culture.Therefore，role relationship in collectivistic culture depends on the characteristics of the rules.As we know，social relations，including role relationships，are deeply influenced by Confucianism in collectivistic culture.And as Liem points out in Communicating With Strangers edited by William Gudykust that “Confucianism is a doctrine of social hierarchies that defines，by rigid rules，the attitudes which each member of the society should have”（72）.For instance，people should obey the old and authority.Thus role relationship is so hierarchical that it will hinder people from communicating at an equal stage or prevent people from expressing individual ideas.This is easily understood.Taking the employer-employee relationship in Vietnam for example，the Vietnam employee regards his employer as his leader or authority.As such，the employer is expected to give orders and advise，and the employee is supposed to exercise orders，to perform his task quietly，and not to ask questions or have doubts about the orders.Because of his concept of the relationship，the Vietnam employee dare not to voice his opinion to the boss，just listening to his orders.If not so，he would break the rules passing down from one generation to another or would disobey tradition，thus he has to pay the cost.Either he would be dismissed by the boss or would be isolated from collectivistic culture.

Another characteristic related to collectivistic culture is high power distance.Hofstede defines power distance in Communicating With Strangers as “ the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations accept that power is distributed unequally”（72）.In individualistic culture，people believe that power should be used only when it is legitimate.Besides，they do not necessarily accept superiors orders at face value； they want to know why they should follow superiors.However，In order to keep the benefit of in-group rather than oneself and to obey social norms defined by in-group，individuals in collectivistic culture are more willing to accept unequally-distributed power or they are more tolerant of unequal power，thus high power distance tends to predominate in collectivistic culture.And the power distance dimension focuses on the relationships between people of different statuses.Each person has a position or status in a hierarchical society.It is the persons position within a hierarchy that dictates how the person should behave towards others in that hierarchy where people have clearly defined privileges and obligations according to their positions.For instance，parents value obedience in their children in high power distance cultures，and students value conformity and display authoritarian attitudes.In organizations，close supervision，fear of disagreement with a supervisor，lack of trust among coworkers，and directed supervision are all manifested more in high power distance culture than in low power distance culture.As subordinates in organization，they do not question their superiors orders.They expect to be told what to do.It is very similar to the tenets of Confucianism which believes that the stability of society is based on unequal relationships between people.In his article Human Relationships And Cross-cultural Communication，Jia YuXin states that Confucius emphasizes that human exist in interactive relationships with others and that most human relationships are unequal in nature.Confucius finds no fault with inequality because，in his view，the obligations between senior and junior run in both directions.The senior party was assumed to have prerogatives and authority with respect to the junior party； but the senior party was also constrained in dealings with his or her junior by a morality of compassion and righteousness.The junior party，in turn，was bound to be respectful and obedient toward the senior party （322）.These reciprocal obligations are expressed in the Chinese virtue know as li，which means right conduct in maintaining ones place in the hierarchical order.Li is now used by the average Chinese to mean decorum.Thus social harmony is preserved when all parties in a social situation behave in a decorous manner.One important way to be decorous is to accept and respect each persons need to preserve face.Causing someone to lose face may well be construed as a challenge to his or her position in the hierarchy.Take the ancient China for example，in feudalist society，every one has his own position and corresponding obligations.For instance，wife in a family should obey her husband and take charge of housework，cooking，raising children and so on while her husband works outside to feed the family.In society，everyone has his own social status which has corresponding rights and obligations.For instance，the emperor is at the top of this hierarchical society and expected to give orders； the officials are expected to give emperor advises and to help emperor deal with domestic affairs； and the commoners are expected to obey the emperor and officials.Though social class has been abolished in China now，the hierarchical role relationships resulting from different labor divisions still exist.Though every kind of profession should be equally respected，it is not so in daily life.Actually，either in the government or in the company，there really are superiors and subordinates.It seems very difficult for them to communicate in an equal way.As a result，communication will not be effective and the communicators will not be objective enough to express individual ideas freely or behave according to their true attitudes.It is as if behavior and attitudes have been decoupled.Behavior may be under the control of contemporary social forces such as norms，the other persons behavior，and interpersonal agreements.Therefore，it really does harm to the development of the government as well as to the company.

All in all，in the case of collectivism，individual has been more bounded in a net of in-group relationships since he was born.As mentioned above that the hierarchical social relationships are the building blocks of collectivistic societies influenced by Confucianism.In such kind of culture，what people have to do is to behave according to his social status and to obey social norms，never questioning why they have to do so.Besides，high power distance is another characteristic of collectivistic culture.In such kind of culture，individuals from high power distance culture accept power as part of society.As a result，superiors consider their subordinates to be different from themselves and vice versa.Members of high power distance culture see power as a basic fact in society and stress coercive or referent power.What is worse，Confucianism has deeply rooted in the mind of individuals from collectivistic culture.They have been told that they should behave decorously.In china it is summarizes as li which is a virtue up to now.It really works in keeping in-group benefits as well as in stabilizing society to some extent.However，such kind of hierarchical social role relationships in collectivistic culture，which are dominated by high power distance and Confucianism，do exercise negative influence on communication.Unable to realize the equality between two sides of communication，the communication surely fails to reflect the true attitudes of the communicators.They say what they do not want to say，they do what they do not like to do，thus what is the significance of communication？ So the wise leaders never stop to encourage the subordinates to express their own ideas regardless of their social roles.It is said in an article that Bill Gates asks his subordinates to question his new plans and ideas before he put them into practice，it becomes one of his strategies which surely attributes to his success.I think he is a good example for us to learn from.

Reference：

[1]Gudykunst， William B.，and Yong Yun Kim， eds.Communicating With Strangers： An Approach to Intercultural Communication.New York：The Mcgraw-Hill， Inc.， 1997.

[2]Jia， Yu-Xin.“Human Relationships and Cross-cultural Communication.”Intercultural Communication.Trans.Me.Shang Hai： Shang Hai Foreign Language Press， 1997.

[3]Triandis， Harry.“Intercultural Communication Between East And West.” Selective Readings in Intercultural Communication.Eds.Du， Rui-qing， et al.Xian： Xian Jiao Tong University Press， 2004.