Face Negotiation Theory (Relationship)

Question 1

Briefly explain the main concepts of face negotiation theory.

Answer 1

Face, facework, positive/negativ face (autonomy/group), face concern, face need, collectivistic, individualistic cultures.

Question 2

Who Created Face Negotiation Theory?

Answer 2

Stella Ting-Toomey

Question 3

What is the difference between negative and positive face need?

Answer 3

Positive face need: asking to a persons group oriented face

Negative face need: asking to a persons autonomous face

Question 4

What is face?

Answer 4

A persons identity and ego.

Erving Goffman says: The image you display in your conversation with others.

Question 5

What is face-concern?

Answer 5

Either self-concern or other concern.

Whether you want attention drawn to yourself or drawn to others.

Question 6

What is face-need?

Answer 6

Whether you want to be associated with others of dissociated with others. (positive vs. negative face needs)

Question 7

What theory was Stella Ting-Toomey influenced by?

Answer 7

Face Politeness Theory, by Brown and Levinson. Focuses on establishing and maintaining harmony in a relationship.
Focuses on face threats and face needs.

Question 8

How would you ask in a way recognising a positive face need?

And vise versa how would you ask if the person had a negative face need?

Answer 8

Positive: group oriented. Open for dialogue. Positive face needs could be in a meeting etc.
Negative: asking a fellow student for notes. “I will bring them back right away”

Question 9

What is facework?

Answer 9

The action taken to deal with the face wants of another.
Both verbal an nonverbal strategies used to maintain harmony in the relationship/conversation.
“Communication that tiptoes”

Question 10

Explain why a person from the States and a person from China might experience conflict/awkwardness/misunderstandings in a conversation?

Answer 10

China: Collectivistic (the group over the I)
USA: Individualistic (the I over the Group)

Question 11

Briefly explain the difference be collectivistic cultures and individualistic cultures and give an example of countries from either one.

Answer 11

Collectivistic - group oriented, focuses on the we, wishing fulfillments of others needs. E.g.Venezuela, Asian Countries, Mexico etc.

Individualistic - Individual identity, idenpendent self-culture,, individual rights/needs over group rights/needs.
E.g. Denmark, USA, Belgium etc.

Question 12

What is Face-Management?

Answer 12

The protection of ones face.

Question 13

How would you manage conflict across cultures according to Face Negotiation Theory?

Answer 13

FACE-MANAGEMENT
Avoiding (staying away from disagreements)
Obliging (goes along with suggestion)
Compromising (give and take)
Dominating (influence/authority to make decisions)
Integrating (Collaborating)

Question 14

What is Face-Saving?

Answer 14

trying to prevent events of embarrassments

Question 15

What is face-restoration?

Answer 15

occur after face-loss has happened. People try to restore face. (e.g. uses excuses)

Question 16

How could you use Face-Negotiation Theory in a management perspective?

Answer 16

Working with people from different cultures. A good way to understand and prevent conflicts because of cultural differences.

Question 17

How could you use Face-Negotiation Theory in a marketing perspective?

Answer 17

Targeting specific groups according to their individualistic or collectivistic culture.

Question 18

Explain what a face threatening act is? How would you prevent it from happening?

Answer 18

When somebody threatens you face/identity/ego and you would use face-saving and if the face-loss already happened you would use face restoration.

Question 19

How would you critique this theory?

Answer 19

Stereotyping: only consist of two groups (collectivistic+individualistic)
Very broad. Not very specific.
Stella found that within the states people could also be collectivistic, even though the US is a individualistic country.

Question 20

What is good about this theory?

Answer 20

Good starting point for further investigations on how different cultures are in relationships.
Broad question –> your own opinion