Reading Japan: Carl Was Pleased To Be Invited To A Company

Reading Japancarl Was Pleased That He Was Invited To A Company Party

Reading: Japan Carl was pleased that he was invited to a company party shortly after his first assignment to Japan, since he was eager to experience the Japanese culture as much as he could. At the party, everyone was expected to entertain. Even the senior managers got up to sing a little song or to tell a joke. Carl recited part of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" in a mock serious tone. After the party, Carl was asked to go along with a group of Japanese to one of their favorite bars, where he was introduced to some women who worked there.

Carl thought that he would enjoy this sojourn. People seemed so informal and cooperative, not like the stuffy people he had read about before coming to Japan. At a meeting shortly after the party, Carl found himself in the same room as several of the co-workers and senior managers who were at the party and who had contributed to the merriment of the evening with their songs and stories. One of the senior managers mentioned to Carl how much he had enjoyed "The Raven," since he had been exposed to it in school. Keeping his informality in mind, Carl used the meeting as an opportunity to present a proposal for an aspect of company policy that he had been developing ever since his arrival in Japan.

When Carl brought up his proposal, however, he was met with a wall of silence. After the meeting, Carl was noticeably not made a part of the typical series of informal exchanges in which people engage as they leave a meeting.

Questions: Which one(s) of the Social Episode was Carl Breaking? Explain List and explain the 5 Social Episodes.

The social episodes in intercultural interactions represent the socially patterned ways people behave within specific contexts. According to social intercultural norms, Carl was breaking the episode related to informal social interactions following a company event. Specifically, Carl did not adhere to the typical social expectations of informal reciprocity, camaraderie, and relaxed exchanges that usually occur after a work-related gathering. His attempt to introduce a formal proposal in a context where informal interaction is expected was viewed as a breach of the social episode, leading to the silence and exclusion he experienced afterwards.

The five social episodes generally identified in intercultural communication include:

1. Encounter: The initial meeting or interaction context where individuals recognize each other and begin social engagement. For instance, at the company party, employees and managers came together, recognizing shared roles and relationships.
2. Investigation: The stage where individuals seek to understand each other's backgrounds, intentions, and social cues. Carl's exposure to Japanese norms at the party, such as entertainment and informal storytelling, falls into this episode.
3. Relationship Building: Developing trust and rapport through ongoing social exchanges. The casual bar outing with Japanese colleagues exemplifies this episode, where informal bonds are reinforced.
4. Role Playing: Adherence to expected social roles within a context, demonstrating appropriate behavior aligned with cultural expectations. Carl's participation in singing and joking was part of his role-playing within the social event.
5. Negotiation and Transition: Managing the shifts between formal and informal expectations and transitions in social settings, such as moving from a casual social environment to formal meetings. Carl’s failure to align his proposal presentation with the culturally appropriate communication style in the formal meeting reflects a breach during this transition.

In conclusion, Carl's departure from the expected norms of informal social exchange after a company event, by introducing a formal proposal, disrupted the social episode process. His actions violated the cultural expectations of the informal role-playing and social reciprocity that underpin Japanese workplace interactions, leading to social exclusion and a missed opportunity to strengthen intercultural understanding.

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