Day II and future

Day II (Friday, March 11, 2011)

The rain has gone! American University’s campus turned out to be more stunning than yesterday. I bless ad appreciate it because couple hours before the second day’s conference started, Japan was hit by the earthquake and the tsunami. Please pray for Japan!

An interesting session I experienced today was a case study by a Japanese visiting scholar Motoo Unno, about the significant cultural impact in last year’s Congressional hearings of the motor company Toyota. Motoo presented four pieces of video from the Congressional hearing. Each of them was a valid piece to show why and how cross-cultural conflicts occurred between the company’s President Mr. Toyoda and the Congressional Members. TO-DO and TO-BE cultures and Low v.s. High Context communication styles were presented to session audiences in a lively and persuading way. The idea of Protean Negotiation was new to me. How to be dynamic and effective in cross-cultural negotiation? I would say “Listen” is the first step you need to take!

If you are interested in arts/cultural exchanges, especially between U.S. and the Soviet Union, you will regret for not being at scholar Yale Richmond’s session: Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won. He provided us such a comprehensive first-hand report from 1958 to 1988. His information then provided us a mirror to reflect today’s cultural exchanges activities and the cultural policies behind the scene. Yes, the Soviet Union and the Cold War have gone. But history should never be forgotten because it is the best guideline for every practice and for each of us.

The overall experience at the conference was just great. It may not lead to direct benefits for your research, study, or operation right away. Don’t worry. After the conference, take some time to digest what you have gotten from sessions, discussions, observations and random conversations with attendees, benefits will come to you automatically, sooner or later :D

Best luck to everyone. Maybe see you at the 13^th IMI conference next year.

By Chen Yang, 2011