L.A. Silks

Linda Beamer

California State University, Los Angeles

Contents

      Sample responses

      Comments on student samples

      Teaching notes

Sample Responses

Assignment 1 - Sample A: Letter Requesting Information

L.A. SILKS, INC.
1215 Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 00000
FAX: (000) 456-7890
TEL: (000) 456-7800

January 6, 0000

Mr. Gui Fen
445 Erlong Road Shenzhen Urban Development Bureau
Shenzhen, Canton China

Dear Fen,

How are you? First of all, let me wish you a prosperous New Year. We have received your reply of the plan of the factory, but I am confused and have a few questions.

First, there are two different plans and those plans do not include the basic utilities. Can you please explain the details to me, as I am not familiar with the Chinese plans

Can you please explain to me if the plan includes all the necessary items, such as the plumbing, light fixtures, elevator, and so forth. Or is this just a basic plan of the building? We need to know what we should prepare for and how we should prepare it. Please do let me know as soon as possible.

Once again, I thank you for your patience and cooperation with us.

Sincerely,
George Liscomb, VP Overseas Operations

Assignment 1 - Sample B: Letter Requesting Information

L.A. SILKS, INC.
1215 Lake Ave,
Pasadena, CA 00000
FAX: (000) 456-7890 TEL: (000) 456-7800

January 6, 0000

Mr. Gui Fen
445 Erlong Road
Shenzhen Urban Development Bureau
Shenzhen, Canton
China

Dear Mr. Gui Fen, Director of Urban Development,

How are you and your family since the last time we talked?

We would like to thank you for the plans you have sent us. They were very helpful in giving us a much clearer idea of the layout of these facilities.

However, some details are yet to be resolved. Indeed, we could not figure out where the bathrooms, toilets, sinks, and showers are located. Nor could we find any indication of the plumbing and electrical wiring, which are supposed to accompany such facilities to make them happy and productive work environments.

We understand that you were not able to find a one-story building for us. If that is the case, and we have to take a two-story building, we will need an elevator so that the heavy machines and other raw materials can be moved effectively and efficiently.

We would appreciate it if you could send us some more information regarding these issues so we can discuss with you the best place for our plant.

We are looking forward to hearing from you, Mr. Gui Fen

Assignment 2 - Sample A: Recommendation Report

Conclusion and Recommendation

I think that continuing a relationship in an attempt to open a plant to operate in Shenzhen would not be wise at this point. Based on our communication so far, it is clear to me that we cannot depend simply on Mr. Gui's promises. The future prosperity of L.A. Silks depends on acquiring the precise information needed for planning in the future. Since we don't have the precise figures we need, we cannot predict operating costs and profits in China.

I recommend we put the project on hold, and tell Mr.Gui. I also recommend we make accommodation to learn the Chinese culture or hire someone to be the liaison for us with China. We may resort to an Intercultural Communications consultant in assisting us with foreign businesspersons if we decide to venture into other countries. In all, we have to prepare ahead to understand the culture of whichever country we want to go into for business.

Review of progress to date

• We made initial contact about establishing a plant in Shenzhen, China, and after finding the right organization, I began communicating with Mr. Gui Fen of the Shenzhen Urban Construction Zone on June 4, 0000.
• Ted Dawes and I went to Asia on August 22, 0000, spending 2 days in Shenzhen. We were shown various factories and learned they include dormitories, kitchens, and other facilities to house the workers.
• I continued to correspond with Gui, who mentioned unspecified "fees" and pressed for our choice of factory without giving us many details about how the factories were equipped. On October 2 I asked for floor plans for the three factories available at that time.
• On December 26, in the middle of the holiday week, the floor plans finally arrived. When Peter Katz and I studied them, we realized they were incomplete: no plumbing, electrical wiring, windows, doors, or elevator. On January 6 I wrote a letter requesting information I needed concerning the questions about the factory plans and details, and about the fees.
• On January 26 I got a response from Gui that still did not answer my questions.

Interpretation of the Project

My interpretation of this project is that it is based on a misunderstanding between our two cultures. Mr Gui is not providing us with information we need to proceed with our plans. Overall, the process is taking too long and is not getting anywhere. Anything to be done has to be done on a face-to-face basis. Mr. Gui also said that all questions would be answered <I>after<P> the lease was signed. Crucial things such as plumbing, which he referred to as "details," will be worked out after the lease is signed as well.

It is true that the situation offers great potential, but there is just too much risk involved.

I've also realized that patience is very important. It may take several months to years to complete this transaction. The action is developed from the will of the businessperson, and the Chinese feel that their word is their honor. We are used to contracts and to writing letters to discuss commitments. The Chinese like to do business on a face-to-face basis.

Future forecast

If we cancel the project now, we can cut our losses and avoid the risk of losing a great deal of money. Although the Shenzhen operation promised we would get a complete return on our investment within 3 years, many expenses are not known and we couldn't get the necessary information to start working seriously. We can tell Gui by letter that we have made this decision.

On the other hand, the future could be very prosperous for us in the right situation in China, but first we need information. If Gui or someone else provides the information we need, we could take this opportunity and maybe see as much as a 30% return in the first year. It isn't clear what the future could hold, but the risk is great.

Assignment 4 - Sample A: Informative Letter

L.A. SILKS, INC.
1215 Lake Ave,
Pasadena, CA 00000
FAX: (000) 456-7890
TEL: (000) 456-7800

March 1, 0000

Mr. Gui Fen
445 Erlong Road
Shenzhen Urban Development Bureau
Shenzhen, Canton
China

Dear Mr. Gui Fen,

How are you? Hope you are in excellent health.

I regret to tell you that at the present time L.A. Silks is unable to open a factory in Shenzhen, China. Reasons for the decision include:

- Lack of certainty on prices and fees regarding our monthly expenses,

- Necessary modifications to the factory;

- L.A. Silks' management needs more time to adjust to the Chinese culture.

Unfortunately, the uncertain environment in Shenzhen at the present time is too risky an endeavor for L.A. Silks. However, L.A. Silks and I look forward to doing business with you and your organization in the near future.

Once more, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to doing business with you. I also feel that together we can have a strong and healthy business relationship.

Assignment 4 - Sample B: Informative Letter

L.A. SILKS, INC.
1215 Lake Ave,
Pasadena, CA 00000
FAX: (000) 456-7890
TEL: (000) 456-7800

March 1, 0000

Mr. Gui Fen
445 Erlong Road
Shenzhen Urban Development Bureau
Shenzhen, Canton
China

Dear Fen,

How are you? I hope you are enjoying your spring with the people around you.

I definitely feel I owe you an apology for being so insistent and exasperated in my dealings with you, and my interest in doing business in a speedy way. I have to admit I sometimes lose my temper when I feel I'm not being informed in a very detailed and efficient way.

Now I understand that the way we do business is not a universal one. If somebody wants to be successful in business, he or she has to understand his or her counterpart's culture. Now I do!

Even though there are certain requirements we have to reach agreement on, our project is likely to move ahead. Our decision has been based on a consideration of the pros and cons. One important thing is that we are going to have the opportunity to learn to know each other's culture, in order to build a long-lasting relationship. This will give us the opportunity to obtain mutual benefits.

On our part, in spite of the sizeable expenditures for rent, completion of the buildings, feeding and housing employees, administrative fees, etc., we feel we will obtain benefits that encourage us to persevere in the venture.

On your side, you are going to have compensation in the form of rent, taxes, and the creation of employment.

I can anticipate that our venture will be beneficial for both parties, and will be a conduit to build good personal relations. We look forward to seeing you in three weeks.

Comments on Student Samples

Comments on Assignment 1 - Sample A: Letter Requesting Information

The purpose of this assignment is to help students write differently from Liscomb, showing the intercultural sensitivity he lacks. At the same time, the unresolved concerns that bother Liscomb about the building plans need to be addressed, as should the issue of the fees.

Sample A demonstrates sensitivity to the cultural values and practices of the Chinese correspondent. The salutation is to "Fen," carefully attending to the nomenclature used by Chinese correspondents with one another (the given name is used alone without the surname, and it is only used in correspondence and orally with family members). Similarly, the opening mimics that of Gui in his letters, which is a direct translation from Chinese letters: "How are you?" Although the writer demonstrates awareness of cultural differences here, students can be encouraged to think of other ways to accomplish the same goals of relationship-building and establishing personal goodwill, for example, by using phrases that are more typical of professional business letters written in their own culture.

The second paragraph tentatively approaches the real issue, the need for clarification of the building plans. It is indirect, however; the euphemistic phrase "basic utilities" will not mean anything to Gui, for whom the plans are perfectly complete and customary. The problem is that the two correspondents define "basic utilities" differently. To Gui, even the meaning of the question will be unclear because in China the plans are "basic" and do include all the "utilities" that are usually supplied in a leased building. (Chinese builders construct factories without knowing who will occupy them. They leave it to the tenants to outfit them with lighting, generators, toilets, and many other things that would be considered "necessities" to an American. When Chinese tenants move, they take with them all of these fixtures; they aren't considered to be part of the building.)

Drawing the line in an unfamiliar culture between writing that is too ambiguous and writing that is too blunt is difficult. The third paragraph clarifies items that Liscomb is concerned about--plumbing, light fixtures, and elevator--but the question is worded ambiguously: What he really wants to know is "why" these components are omitted from the drawing: was it because that is the normal practice or was it for some other reason-such as additional costs to be added later?

The final sentence attends to the significant issue of "relationship" once again, but does not clearly indicate what the reader should do next. Even the next-to-last sentence might be puzzling to Gui because it is not clear what Liscomb wants to know.

Comments on Assignment 1 - Sample B: Letter Requesting Information

Sample B also uses sensitivity in the approach to the tricky questions about the incomplete building plans. It sustains the concern for relationship throughout the letter, in spite of the heavy "we" viewpoint suggested by the beginning of four of the six paragraphs with "we."

The first paragraph is a buffer that pays attention to relationship-building. The second paragraph is in the same vein, an expression of thanks for the plans and their utility. The third paragraph introduces the qualification to the thanks, with "However...", followed by the hedge words "some details." Now the letter can go on to identify what questions need to be answered. The use of first-person rather than second-person pronouns is another strategy to avoid pointing the finger of blame, or implying Gui didn't make things clear, while at the same time bringing out things that are in fact not clear. These face-saving strategies are a good idea for correspondence with Chinese.

The fourth paragraph goes into detail in order to explain why an elevator is necessary to L.A. Silks' operation. This again provides some face-saving cover for Gui, who can go to his superiors or associated agencies and give an explanation for the American's request. The closing paragraphs emphasize the intent of L.A. Silks to pursue their project in Shenzhen, and that reiterated intent can reassure Gui that in spite of the fact the information Gui has given so far has been inadequate, L.A. Silks wants to go ahead.

The use of Gui's full name in the salutation and the last paragraph could be corrected to conform more with typical American business practices.

Comments on Assignment 2 - Sample A: Recommendation Report

The purpose of this assignment is to help students see the whole project with a wide lens, and to come to some interpretation of what has taken place. They must make recommendations, which focuses their thinking on the next steps.

Sample A puts the conclusion and recommendation first, so Helen Marion can see right away how the events are being interpreted and what is likely to come in the future. If she reads no further than this, she already knows the main tenor of the report.

Sample A opposes continuing with the project, but the last section displays some ambiguities. The first section gives reasons for the recommendation to break off, the main one being the lack of detailed information. The difficulty in obtaining what little information L.A. Silks has is also a factor and contributes to the recommendation against continuing with the Shenzhen project. Sample A also includes some recommendations about becoming more knowledgeable about cultural differences. This is worth exploring with students.

The second section briefly outlines what has taken place. It is detailed enough to identify who was responsible for what, but it does not get mired down in tedious narrative. Sample A succeeds in being fairly objective in reporting the facts, and objectivity is desirable in this section.

The interpretation section is where Sample A describes what significance the events have, especially for L.A. Silks. Many possibilities exist here, from outrage at Gui's evasiveness to enthusiasm for a terrific business opportunity. Sample A moderates a negative interpretation by acknowledging L.A. Silks has been confronted by a culture it doesn't understand, and has a lot to learn.

This sample displays some fence-sitting. The attractiveness of the project still has some vitality in the last section of Sample A. This section, focusing on future steps, requires the writer to think specifically about what comes next. Students may have strong emotions about the events that have taken place; this section brings them back to specific actions. Although the risk of going forward is considered to be too great in Sample A, there is still some appeal in the lure of the large return on investment.

Comments on Assignment 4 - Samples A and B: Informative Letter

This is a good-news or bad-news assignment, depending upon the student's decision; Sample A is a bad-news letter. The student's key concern here should be how to save Gui's face when he must tell his superiors the news, presenting what is in fact a disappointing messagewhile still sounding sincere. This is a challenge for any level writer.

Sample A's strengths are the way the door is left open to future cooperation, and the overall organization. The buffer is probably a good idea; the list encourages factuality, and the close is an attempt to maintain guanxi.

Sample A's weaknesses are the fact that the buffer is unrelated to the actual message, and the abruptness of the list of reasons coupled with the negative beginning of the third paragraph. Mixed signals are the result; the subsequent suggestion of postponement rather than absolute termination does not sound authentic. The economy of the explanations for not proceeding is both a strength and a weakness. The statements are without blame--the first two are depersonalized--but on the other hand, since the reasons are not explained in any detail, they lack the power to persuade the reader of their reasonableness.

Sample B is a good-news letter. Its main weakness is the too-slow delivery of the good news, delayed by apology and writer-focused discussion. Writers from high-context cultures often use the form--if not the content--of an apology as a means of nurturing relationship; its success as a strategy with a Chinese reader is a topic that could be explored by students. Low-context cultures, on the other hand, focus on the content of apologies and find they usually refer to some negative behavior that diminishes the goodwill an apology tries to foster.

The strength of Sample B is the attempt to outline benefits for both sides from continuing the relationship. This points to an effort to be concrete about the future and to be balanced, seeing both parties' views.

Communication Problem

Gui Fen and George Liscomb have corresponded for over a year, but their messages have bypassed each other, in spite of good intentions on both sides.

The Nature of Information

Liscomb and the Americans in L.A. Silks need information so they can take action. The Chinese think action is generated from the will of the participants, without a clear cause-and-effect relationship to the kind of information that has been gathered.

Liscomb believes facts are objective and value-free, whereas Gui feels facts exist within the context of those who express them and those who receive them. For Gui, information is inextricably bound to the source of that information, which gives it meaning. For Liscomb, information is meaningful when it is put to use toward achieving a goal--when it becomes a building block.

Liscomb doesn't recognize that the Chinese have been excluded from world business for decades, and that Gui needs instruction about very basic principles, such as the relationship between prices and cost of production. In the planned economy of China from 1949 to the late 1980s, costs of production had no direct link to productivity or volume of production. There was no business culture, so information had no relevance to business planning and action.

The Mistrust That Characterizes Communication Failure

The result of the correspondence between Gui and Liscomb is that neither one really trusts the other, and each believes the other is guilty of trying to force an unequal agreement. George Liscomb expects openness and candor to characterize communication. Gui Fen expects relationship-building to characterize communication.

Liscomb is shocked to find that factories are considered as "complete" without windows, electricity, water, sewage, gas, lighting or toilets. Since Gui knew all along that Chinese factories are built like this, Liscomb considers his lack of disclosure as deliberate deceit. Gui's vague communication and reluctance to be specific about such details and the fees look to George Liscomb like part of an overall conspiracy to get L.A. Silks to sign an unfavorable lease.

Gui believes Liscomb proves himself to be treacherous as a business investor, especially because he refuses to acknowledge the need to negotiate details about money. To Gui's eyes Liscomb's insistence on figures for the negotiable fees shows he really isn't interested in a relationship. Furthermore, even after he saw factories in Shenzhen, Liscomb still wanted to build his own, without dormitories for workers. Then, when he finally understood that factories all have dormitories, he wanted his factory to be complete with fixtures and details that were specific to his company alone. Gui finds this unreasonably self-centered. Chinese factories are not built with things like lights, windows, or toilets.

Communication Behavior

Gui feels he is being extremely accommodating to correspond in English. Liscomb seems to take it for granted that the correspondence will be in English, and never even remarks upon the fact. While Gui prefers face-to-face communication, emphasizing relationships, clearly Liscomb puts great store by written communication, considering it to have the force of a contract.

Based on these different assumptions, the correspondents proceed differently. Gui's correspondence is relationship-oriented. Every letter is another strand in the web that unites the two, and he writes in order to build and nurture the relationship. Liscomb's correspondence is task-oriented. Every letter is a task, and he writes in order to complete tasks on the way to achieving the goal of production in Shenzhen. Sometimes one writer is active and the other reactive; sometimes the roles are reversed. But they each behave in their correspondence in ways that will further their separate goals.

What Would Make Their Communication Successful

Liscomb could try to understand the business context within which Gui is operating, and could appreciate his own potential position as teacher rather than as adversary. Liscomb could also be more sensitive to the need Gui has to protect himself by not explicitly indicating what fees will be negotiated. On the other side, Gui could try to understand Liscomb's need for figures in order to make projections for taking future actions, and he could try to comprehend the practice of basing planning upon information. Gui could also be more direct about procedures, including negotiation. Neither correspondent has to try to become something he is not; Liscomb has no need to act like the Chinese, and Gui has no need to act like an American. But they do need to understand each other's cultural priorities better.

Potential Difficulties

The sections below explain the potential difficulties in each labeled section of the case.

The Exploratory Phase

Liscomb's first letter to Shenzhen gives very little information about L.A. Silks, Inc. so the Chinese have no context for "knowing" the American company. The Chinese are further puzzled by the request to buy land, as if it can be done without need for connections, go-betweens, and relationships: "guanxi" in Chinese. Whereas the Americans apparently think they can simply come and build a factory, the Chinese system (a great source of revenue for various arms of the Chinese government) requires American or other foreign businesses to lease factories built by Chinese government bureaus and agencies. The Commercial Attache is probably somewhat amused by the idea L.A. Silks, Inc. wants to build a factory, as if things in China are just like the United States. He may not understand the phrase "set out" and may wonder what exactly Liscomb expects.

Li evidently believes Liscomb isn't very serious about establishing contact with the consulate, or he would have made the effort to find out the Commercial Attachò's name. Even more compelling evidence about the lack of seriousness is the omission of an intermediary. Liscomb should have asked someone who has some connection to the Chinese Consulate or to Chinese business people to make at least a telephone call on his behalf, before writing. The language of the letter could seem brusque to the Chinese, and not aimed at developing a relationship with the readers. The salutation seems impersonal and formal.

The Commercial Attache would likely recognize that Liscomb is implicitly criticizing him for not giving addresses of the organizations he suggests Liscomb should write to. (In Chinese culture, criticism is taken seriously because it can destroy harmony between groups of people.) Nevertheless, the Commercial Attache responds with courtesy and respect, giving information that he thinks will help to further the relationship with L.A. Silks.

Following Up the Initial Contact

By Chinese custom, Gui should issue an invitation to Liscomb to come to Shenzhen, but since he doesn't know Liscomb or his company, he chooses the ambiguous phrase "when you come" instead of offering a formal invitation . Gui Fen thus attempts to conform to the tradition of establishing face-to-face communication in his letter.

The Setting Out of Positions

Following their face-to-face meeting, Gui would likely be offended at the implied criticism of China's food and climate in George Liscomb's post-visit letter. He had made an effort to arrange a special banquet of delicacies for these Americans, including shark's fin soup and snake. As for Liscomb's explicit mention of his Chinese names, Gui would likely find the display of knowledge boastful and irrelevant, and the self-deprecation puzzling. Why would a serious person call attention to his own ignorance?

Liscomb's mention of visits to factories on the first day would likely be painful to Gui, since the Chinese know this is not the customary way to treat a guest. However, Liscomb had insisted on factory visits right away, so Gui had agreed. Gui likely finds the mention of factory modification unfortunate because he cannot deliver modifications, and he had hinted as much to Liscomb during the visit. He may be upset that the subject is being raised again. He also may be dismayed about Liscomb's mention of a decrease in lease costs, because it could get him in trouble with his superiors.

Gui takes pains in his letter detailing the factory layout to cultivate the <i> guanxi<p> that he thinks should be nurtured as they go along. He believes his price information is very specific, and forms a good base for negotiating the leasing agreement.

Finally, Gui subtly displays his excellent connections to an informal information network in China by making a reference to L.A. Silks' business license. Since information is not freely distributed from one agency or bureau to others, Gui's knowledge shows his status and savvy. He is indirectly demonstrating his importance to Liscomb. Now Gui expects the deal to be completed quickly. The price is stated and now that the Americans know the price, the end-game is surely at hand.

Liscomb reads the letter differently, however. He is looking for specific information and doesn't find it. His response fax of September 18 lacks the attention to the relationship that the Chinese expect. Instead, it seems focused on criticisms of Gui and delicate areas of the negotiation. Liscomb wants facts and commitments on those very things that can best--according to the Chinese viewpoint--be decided by face-to-face discussions after a relationship is firmly established.

Gui may note the formal and cold subject line and conclude that he is being chastised. He would likely believe that this is not the way to nurture a relationship that can lead to future successful completion of the deal. More dismaying to him would be the obvious fact that Liscomb has not understood that modifications to a factory are not possible, since he is pressing again on this point. As for the fees, Gui might be injured that Liscomb seems to suggest Gui has been withholding information. After all, Liscomb should have found out about the fees because they are set by the government.

The repeated request for "clarification" about fees puts Gui in a very difficult position. He can quote a figure but it may be too high, in which case the Americans will be scared off, or too low, in which case his superior will be angry. The figure is negotiable in order that foreign businesses and his superior can both be satisfied. Gui thinks he has been clear about the fact that the figure is negotiable, and he may believe that Liscomb is grilling him for some ulterior motive. As for the deduction in the lease price, Gui may feel that Liscomb has to negotiate this. Gui cannot state a precise figure because the final one will be the result of a give-and-take process of negotiation.

Furthermore, Gui may conclude that Liscomb has not been open about any reason why he needs the figures. His understanding of the nature of business information is sketchy. The Chinese have been doing business in a market-driven, Western economy mode for only a decade or so. For 35 years or so before that, they had no experience of a market-driven economy. Like many bureaucrats, Gui doesn't have a good understanding of the reasons for information in order to do business. His own father worked in a state-operated factory that produced goods to a government-established quota, using a number of workers set by the federal government at wages set by the government, with raw materials acquired only from certain designated sources only at fixed prices, and that sold its products at a fixed price. Fiscal control in today's factories in Shenzhen involves financial issues Gui has only a hazy awareness of. He'd like to understand more, and would be grateful if Liscomb would explain what is important to him and why.

Gui shows his goodwill by responding very promptly (fax dated September 21) to Liscomb and would probably expect some recognition for this. He undoubtedly feels he is acting in good faith, answering Liscomb's questions honestly. He has two designs and three factories for Liscomb to choose from. To him, this is ample proof of the amazing development in China and its present affluence. Both the fee and the deduction are negotiable items, as he tries to indicate again to Liscomb. Gui is sincerely looking forward to discussing all these items and solidifying the deal.

Confronting Assumptions

Gui is probably not familiar with the jargon in the letter Liscomb writes on October 2: "layout drawings" and "mock-ups." Nevertheless, Gui takes the necessary steps to request drawings to be sent to a company in California. It is not a simple matter to arrange this, and Gui has to ask for favors to accomplish it.

In China, all government agencies and organizations that are not foreign-owned belong to a vertical hierarchy of administration, like numerous vertical tubes. Very little communication occurs from one branch of the government to another, in a lateral direction. Instead, communication must travel up to the highest level (provincial or national), across, and then down again. Gui is a mid-level bureaucrat in one agency in one geographical area of China. He has to be patient and persistent to obtain permission to acquire the floor plans and send them abroad. Liscomb doesn't seem appreciate that things take time to be arranged, because many people are involved.

Coping with the Unexpected and Concluding Sections

Gui shows that he is becoming exasperated with these "difficult" Americans who are dissatisfied with the plans he sent, standard plans provided by the Bureau for construction purposes. Buildings are constructed from these very drawings, and it is understood in China that the tenant will provide bathrooms, toilets, lighting, windows, elevators, doors and interior walls. Surely, with the low cost of the lease, the Americans don't expect the Chinese to provide all those extras?

Gui is frustrated that Liscomb has not read his signals correctly about the negotiable fees, and the first sentence in the letter of January 20 shows he is losing patience. At the same time, he is being cooperative in responding immediately. His cooperativeness also is shown in his reminder to Liscomb--a reminder he feels should not be necessary--that the lease price is very good. He assures George Liscomb of his continued help "because of the relationship" that has been established. From the Chinese perspective that's all Liscomb needs; the deal will follow from the care each side will give to the relationship.

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