Chapter 31: Face-Negotiation Theory

Face-Negotiation Theory deals with the kinds of conflict-management techniques people will use in a given culture. This is in large part affected by the concept of "face", which is a person,s public persona, and the way they want others to see them. People engage in "facework" to mainatain and repair face, as well as promote positive face. The type of conflict management strategies used depend on the type of culture (individualistic vs. collectivistic), a person's self-construal (independent or interdependent) and the type of face management strategy a person uses. In more collectivistic cultures, the face of others is more important, and vice versa for individualistic cultures.

An example of this would be the actions of Japanese kamikaze pilots during World War II. More concerned for their country than themselves, these pilots flew their planes into American ships in an attempt to sink them, sacrificing their own lives in the process. Such an action would likely not be taken by people from a more individualistic culture, such as the United States.