Face Negotiation Theory - Theoretical Assumptions

Theoretical Assumptions

Culture has a significant impact on how people communicate and manage conflict with each other individually, and between groups. Culture provides the frame of reference for individual and group interaction because it consists of values, norms, beliefs, and traditions that play a large part in how a person or a group identify themselves. Dr. Ting-Toomey states that conflict can come from either a direct clash of these cultural beliefs and values, or as a result of misapplying certain expectations and standards of behavior for a given situation. Face-Negotiation Theory identifies three goal issues that conflict will revolve around: content, relational, and identity. Content conflict goals are external issues that an individual holds in high regard. Relational conflict goals, as the name implies, refer to how individuals define, or would ideally define their relationship with the other member in a conflict situation. Finally, identity based goals involve issues of identity confirmation, respect, and approval of the conflict members. These goals have the deepest connection with culture and they are most directly related to face-saving issues.

Face and facework are a part of everyday life, but the frame of reference on how one manages face individually and on a cultural level is what Face Negotiation Theory tries to capture. To that extent, the theory has seven assumptions:

1. Communication in all cultures is based on maintaining and negotiating face.
2. Face is problematic when identities are questioned.
3. Differences in individualistic vs. collectivistic and small vs. large power distance cultures profoundly shape face management.
4. Individualistic cultures prefer self oriented facework, and collectivistic cultures prefer other oriented facework.
5. Small power distance cultures prefer an “individuals are equal” framework, whereas large power distance cultures prefer a hierarchical framework.
6. Behavior is also influenced by cultural variances, individual, relational, and situational factors.
7. Competence in intercultural communication is a culmination of knowledge and mindfulness

From these assumptions, Dr. Ting-Toomey developed 24 propositions that form Face Negotiation Theory, which will be discussed later in the article.