Faculty/staff note: Garcia

Assistant Prof. Adolfo J. Garcia, of the Communication program, is co-author of the article “An analysis of the relationships among face concerns and facework behaviors in perceived conflict situations: A four-culture investigation.” The work appears in the International Journal of Conflict Management. The quantitative study, drawn from large samples collected in Germany, Japan, China, and the United States, is an in-depth comparison of differing attitudes and behaviors during conflict situations.  “Face” is the favorable social image that people want others to accept in any social situation, and one’s “face” can be threatened in conflict situations, leading to “face-saving” strategies.  The study found that face and face-saving strategies are different depending on cultural difference.  For example, Americans typically use competitive strategies to manage conflict more than Japanese and Chinese do, and Chinese use avoiding strategies more than Americans do to manage the “face” of others in an interpersonal conflict.