Influence of Chinese Culture o Interpersonal Communication within the XYZ Chinese Restaurant - Case Study Example

REFLECTIVE REPORT. INFLUENCE OF CHINESE CULTURE ON THE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE XYZ CHINESE RESTAURANT Name Course Date Influence of Chinese culture on the interpersonal communication within the XYZ Chinese restaurant. Introduction This report analyses the Chinese culture and how it affects interpersonal communication within the XYZ restaurant. This is a business entity that majors on offering food and beverage services, whose origins are China based. It is a hospitality entity, whereby there is a day to day customer- employee interactions. Without this human element, then the firm cannot operate under the hospitality industry. The customers interact with employees during the processes of service delivery and service receiving, something that occurs concurrently due to the inseparability nature of the hospitality services (Sondergaard and Hofstede 2001, p215). This poses a challenge to the employees because the impressions made to the clients cannot be reversed, therefore, the service providers are required to be cautious at all times. Chinese culture digs deep into the traditions and historical roots of the forefathers. It is unique in itself and the concept of Confucian makes it stand out from other cultures. The Chinese people believe in societal coexistence and harmony, which is brought about by the observation of hierarchy in the society and respect based on age (Lin and Mattilla 2006, p4). The aspect of Confucian binds the Chinese people to mild conversations, as they may fear to hurt others through what they say and what meaning may be conveyed (Walker 1996, p19). Therefore, in a restaurant setting, the customers’ interpersonal communication may be jeopardized. This is fueled by the fact that the culture has rules that govern different interaction platforms, based on gender, age and one’s status (Yum 1988, p382). Moreover, in a study of cultural differences in the IPM Company by Hofstede (1984, p32) found out that Confucian culture exhibits different characteristics, that is studied cultural high power distance, medium masculinity and weak uncertainty avoidance. In another survey on the traditional Confucian values and its influences in Chinese society, (Chu and Ju 1993, p53) found out that societal harmony and masculine roles have significantly deviated negatively. In a Chinese restaurant setup, the service providers come into contact with different people who practice different cultures. The main reason for visiting a restaurant is food. In such a hospitality setup, he consumers are filled with expectations from the service providers. They have different perceptions and beliefs towards different processes that are undertaken in a restaurant. From the Chinese culture, interpersonal relationship is established and maintained through food (Mohsin and Lockyer 2010, p168). This is in relation to the service providers, the consumers, and the environment (Søndergaard and Hofstede 2001, p203). Analysis Menu customization Based on the cultural differences exhibited by the different customers, the service providers and the customers have a disconnection (Feng 2003, p24). In an incidence earlier this year, while serving as a waiter, a client came in with an appetite for eggs. I asked her how she would like the eggs to be prepared since the restaurants operates on customized menus. She had no idea on which type of egg she really wanted, due to the cultural differences in preparation of the dish. Basically, the non-Chinese customers faces a tough time to identify and choose on a type of food (Feng 2003, p24). On the other hand, the serving team faces a cumbersome exercise when trying to explain the type of dishes the restaurant offer, to different clients on a daily basis. The Confucianism nature of the Chinese people does not allow an extensive customer-employee relationship, unlike other cultures. The customers may feel this as offensive and disrespect (Lin and Mattilla 2006, p8). The value and role of food The Chinese clientele believes that when a person consumes food in a lonesome environment, that food is not considered as social. A food’s sociality is determined by its ability to be eaten in a group or ceremony (Hofstede et al. 2010, p157). Moreover, food is a means of expressing the nature of relationship between individuals, the society and other groups. This factor is critical in the XYZ Chinese restaurant as it determines the moods of the customers. For instance, when a customer walks in alone in the restaurant, the service provider has a harder task to offer the best services unlike when a group visits the restaurant. However, the single customer tends to bind and seek company from the service provider, unlike the groups, who already find company amongst themselves. In an incidence a few weeks ago, Mr. A came in with an associate, Miss B and ordered a specialty menu. At first, the two seemed to barely know each other, but in the course of food sharing, they drew a closer relationship. The good experience they shared communicated something to them, not necessarily verbal. The kind of food served conveys the degree of interpersonal relationship between the customers. When Mr. A ordered for an expensive and exotic food, it showed how important Miss. B was to him. This was a sign of respect too. The table set up was candlelit, showing his intimate intentions towards Miss. B. This is in line with the Chinese society, where food is used to treat others with the motive of making new friends and/or improving an existing relationship (Jin Hoare and Butcher 2008, p166). XYZ restaurant offers Cantonese breakfast to its customers where morning tea is taken alongside a business talk. Social status In the Chinese society, food may be used as a representation of the social status of an individual. Foods can be used by people to express their social status. Wealth and high status of socioeconomic abilities can be identified through the costs incurred in meals and the type of foods consumed. Wealthy people associate themselves with animal protein foods, which are exotic and often imported. These characteristics influences the manner in which a service provider relates with the customers. However, it may be difficult to identify the status of a customer, especially those visiting for the first time. According to the Confucianism philosophy, people of high social status earn themselves more respect and they my only interact with people of the same standards (Lin and Mattilla 2006, p13). When I receive an order to serve a meal with a rare ingredient, the notion of price against quality strikes into my mind. As the restaurant’s head waitress, I am obliged to ensuring the customers are satisfied. This role makes me strike a one-on-one interaction with such customers, to gather information about their take on the service quality. This move is mostly deemed as disrespect to the customers, especially those whose status makes them confide to stereotypes and discrimination of those in lower social classes (Mohsin and Lockyer 2010, p163). The smiles on the customer faces correlates to their feelings and perceptions of the restaurant and the service offered. This, however manageable, is a challenge to communication, and there is a likelihood of misunderstanding. Gender roles The XYZ Chinese restaurant is also affected by the Chinese culture all through the supply chain. The culture is keen on raw material cultivation and harvest, food production and serving procedures. The rules set by the society restricts the people when it comes to cooking. The female gender is responsible for cooking and serving of food. Earlier this Month, a client, referred to as Mr. K raised concerns about who cooked the meal offered by the restaurants. His strong affiliations to the cultural beliefs on masculinity could not allow him take the food as it had been prepared by the head chef, who is a man (Jin Hoare and Butcher 2008, p171). Making the matters worse, my colleague waiter, Cheng, was in charge of the table, from which Mr. K was seated. Cheng faced a hard time trying to communicate with Mr. K, who was getting aggressive as a result of “disrespect” from the restaurant’s personnel. According to the Chinese customs, a man cannot cook for another man, neither can a man serve meals (Han and Ryu 2009, p490). Despite the efforts by the management to settle this conflict, the experience of this customer had already been soiled. Apart from this, the culture also restricts people and their interactions when eating. There are considerations of who can have a meal with who, eating venue, the order of serving, and occasion types. Food portioning and sequence of service Just like any other society, the women are obliged with the roles concerning food preparation. This poses a challenge to the restaurant as some male employees tend to neglect their roles leaving the burden of overwork to the ladies (Jin Hoare and Butcher 2008, p168). The restaurant also faces hardships during purchasing and selection of commodities for use in production. Most men have no experience in undertaking these operations, therefore predisposing the restaurant to a biased employment opportunities, in favor of the women. When it comes to food distribution, food is portioned depending on its adequacy. In most occasions, the elderly and men are served in priority, normally with bigger amounts than the women. Food distribution patterns often depend on demand and/or contribution. The neediest and those with bigger effect in terms of contribution to the food get the priorities. Moreover, food is distributed based on gender. The men receive more food than the women. In terms of age, the children receive more than the elders, in terms of portion and quality (Chow et al. 2007, p701). Despite all these, the older people are served first, before the other members, reflecting the traditional respect for the seniors as a virtue. These factors affect the relationship between the service providers and the customers at XYZ restaurant. For instance, an American waiter serving in the restaurant can be easily confused about the sequence of service. The American way of service suggests that one should serve from left, towards the right, whereby the eldest among the group marks the starting point (Lin and Mattilla 2006, p7). In a table where Chinese customers are seated randomly, the waiter has to observe the traditions of the people. With this in mind, the quality of service is affected as one serves under tension. Moreover, communication between the two group is jeopardized, as a result of the Chinese Confucianism culture, which tends to restrict them from uttering what may be deemed as an insult by the recipient (Chow et al. 2007, p701). Communication barriers Most of the customers are prone to emotional responses to do with respect, fear, anxiety and embarrassment. Disconnections in terms of communication falls in as a result, because the customers may feel humiliated before their associates when they discover that one has no knowledge on the menu. Sometimes, the customers become anxious as they experience hardships to respond to the service provider’s questions. Non-Chinese clientele, who visit the restaurant for reasons like adventure and the zeal to taste the Chinese cuisine may feel embarrassed when they fail to use chopsticks, a traditional set of cutleries used when eating. This condition may be worsened by lack of effective communication, bringing about the issue of “face consciousness” (Ho 1991, p119). Ones face determines the individual’s credibility of his or her social class and reputation (Ho 1979, p146), and the Chinese population are overwhelmingly face-sensitive (Ho 1991, p118). Conclusion and Recommendations Menu customization and Gender roles In summary, cultural beliefs affect the way people perceive things and relate with each other (Han and Ryu 2009, p496). This formulates a concrete boundary between people of different cultural origins. Their medium of communication is further compromised, as they may fail to understand the traditions of the counterparts. To curb this challenge in public places, like XYZ restaurant, the management may choose to diversify, in terms of Menu and the employees. Despite being a Chinese restaurant, the production section may offer other meals based on other cuisines like American, to ensure those customers who enjoy other services like the restaurant’s ambiance and the professional levels enjoy their favorite dishes too (Jin Hoare and Butcher 2008, p161). Moreover, strategizing with competent employees from different cultures helps in handling different clientele. The value and role of food In addition, menu can be displayed on the walls of the restaurant. Showcasing the kinds of food in eye-catching images helps the customers to choose which food they may want. This, unlike the normal menu presentation on cards, gives the customers the confidence to point out on an item (Hofstede et al. 2010, p179). This reduces the chances of misunderstanding among the two parties, and the customer is able to make own choices. In a different angle, this may serve as a way of coping up with behaviors that may result due to emotional responses. During the process of ordering in the restaurants, some customers may be faced with anxiety, embarrassment and fear. This may make them keep mute and withdraw from enquiring with the service provider and raising complaints unless the quality of service is adversely dissatisfactory (Chow et al. 2007, p.699). It is therefore essential to ensure that the employees are well trained to accommodate different cultures to allow the customers ask and complain about the services, because this influences the levels of customer satisfaction and improves on customer loyalty (McCollough, et al. 2000, p125). Social status and Communication barriers The restaurant may develop strategies to counter these issues through improve intellectual competence of the employees. This means that the XYZ restaurant employees will have the ability to adapt to one’s behaviors based on their cultural grounds. This may be achieved through developing appropriate knowledge, motivation development and skill enhancement (Hofstede et al. 2010, p157). Different communication codes may be countered through getting necessary information to be conversant with different languages and how other communicate. This is achievable through information seeking, developing a third culture inclusive of two or more cultures and improving listening skills. Through employee motivation, the restaurant will be at a better position to curb interpersonal communication barriers. When the employees feel satisfied and ready to respond to anything at any time, helps them appreciate the customers. This will improve on their tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity, and kill the stereotyping and knee-jerk negativity towards each other (Ho 1991, p114). Moreover, the XYZ restaurant management ought to encourage mindfulness among the employees. This is because of the connection that exists between one’s thoughts and deeds. If the employees develop flexibility, exhibit other-oriented personalities and adapt to others, there is a higher possibility of cubing the interpersonal communication barriers. References Chow, I.H.S., Lau, V.P., Lo, T.W.C., Sha, Z. and Yun, H., 2007. Service quality in restaurant operations in China: Decision-and experiential-oriented perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 26(3), pp.698-710. Chu, G.C., 1993. The Great Wall in ruins: Communication and cultural change in China. SUNY Press. Feng, S., 2003. Food and Beverage in China. Jing Yao Wen Hua chu ban you Xian gongsi, Xianggang (in Chinese). Han, H. and Ryu, K., 2009. The roles of the physical environment, price perception, and customer satisfaction in determining customer loyalty in the restaurant industry. 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