Rapport Management in the German–Chinese Workplace: Interculturality as a Resource?

ABSTRACT

In intercultural communication research, rapport management has been studied primarily with a focus on the conflicts and misunderstandings resulting from culturally different conventions. The present study, however, identifies interculturality as a possible resource for successful rapport management. An analysis of German–Chinese conversations in the workplace shows that employees use an extended linguistic and communicative repertoire that they have acquired during their longer intercultural contact. The temporary use of the interlocutor’s language, on the one hand, and the adaption to his discourse organization, on the other hand, can become an effective means of developing rapport.

KEYWORDS:

• Intercultural communication
• German–Chinese communication
• workplace talk
• discursive interculture
• rapport management

Notes

1 The author was born and raised in Shanghai and lived in Germany for twelve years. Her native language is Chinese. She is proficient in German and English at level C2. She has a doctorate in intercultural German studies and is also a state-certified interpreter for English and Chinese.

2 Mostly, this involves the use of a direct discourse organization in factual conversations about work-related topics.

3 TS1 is the coding for a tool supplier.

4 Ethnographic knowledge of the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jieying Chen

Jieying Chen is a senior researcher in the Department of Intercultural Communication, University of Mainz, Germany.