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RE: Article: "EXCLUSIVE: Help Wanted -- 'Arrogant Americans' NeedNot Apply" AND THIS IS FOR A TECHWRITER
Subject:RE: Article: "EXCLUSIVE: Help Wanted -- 'Arrogant Americans' NeedNot Apply" AND THIS IS FOR A TECHWRITER From:"Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com> To:<neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:52:06 -0800
Interesting. On what grounds are we saying that Stan is arrogant? I think we can say that Stan's arrogance does not lay in his directness. Direct and indirect are just amoral communication styles. We could equally say that the Asian in the story is arrogant in his refusal to accommodate Stan's directness.
Can we say that Stan is arrogant because he presumed to try and close a deal with an Asian client using a direct approach? I don't think so. Stan wants to make the sale, so it is highly unlikely that he would deliberately do anything to offend his client. His presumption comes from naïveté rather than arrogance.
So what exactly makes Stan arrogant? Apart from the fact that he is a salesman and, as everyone knows, all salesmen are arrogant, we could label Stan "arrogant" only if we knew that he knew that Asians preferred a less direct approach, and that he insisted on being direct nonetheless. But what decent salesman would do that? None that I know of. So at worst, Stan is naïve. Perhaps the ad should have said, "A naïve American will not work well in this role."
It seems to me that the only arrogance to be found anywhere is in the presumption that Americans are arrogant because they tend to be self-assured, loud, and direct and lack the metacognitive competence to understand how they might come across to someone of another culture. Ironically, Americans are labeled as arrogant because they unwittingly act as they are taught, from pre-school, they must to succeed in our culture.
And here is what I really need to know: if Asians are ubiquitously indirect as Peter suggests, how do you write warnings? Passive voice? Is it OK to include direct warnings (e.g., "Do not touch!") in manuals written for Asian audiences?
Leonard
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of neilson -at- windstream -dot- net
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:01 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Article: "EXCLUSIVE: Help Wanted -- 'Arrogant Americans' NeedNot Apply" AND THIS IS FOR A TECHWRITER
Those who have a bit of understanding of the Orient should be able to see exactly what the ad-writer intended, though. Standard American directness, common in American business, often fails in the Orient.
"So, Mr. Foo, may we sign you up for an order of 100,000 widgets?"
"I am thinking that might be a good idea." (This is a polite way to express "NO". No, itself, is impolite.)
Later, on the phone to the States, "Harry, Stan here. Tool up for 100,000 widgets. We got the order." (No, you did not. Not at all.)
We've only set the stage for Stan's eventual discussion with Mr. Foo, who will still try to remain polite while Stan calls him a liar.
The main problem with the ad is that arrogant Americans who are culturally unsuited to the Orient will not see themselves as members of the excluded class.
-Peter Neilson
---- Jon Leer <jleer -at- leertech -dot- net> wrote:
> Get a load at the fallout from this ad for a technical writer!!!!! Article
> was posted on FoxNews today.
>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586342,00.html
>
> Funny how picking your words makes a difference!
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