Communication In Small Commodities Market Places In China: A Cultural Approach

This thesis attempts to examine the stall-owners' communication practices in Hangzhou Anqi'er Small Commodities Market Place, by focusing on the stall-owners' social relationships with other stall-owners, customers and employees, and also manages to portray the way of communication in small commodities market places in China through the lens of Chinese culture. The data of this thesis are mainly composed of a collection of transcribed recordings of conversations of stall-owners with other parties involved, as well as the stories that happened among the stall-owners. With the approach of narrative, this study shows that the parties in the market place employ detour in their communication to gain access. They avoid a frontal confrontation with one another and communicate in an oblique way. Participants are in a hierarchical relationship according to the status in the communication. Based on this kind of relationship, people are in a harmonious state. However, there are contradictions succeeding harmony both in the human relationships and man-nature relationships. After solving the problems, contradictions fade away, and a new harmonious state is achieved. People in the market place often look backwards. That is to say, people appeal to their own guanxi while doing things. Guanxi plays an important role in all aspects in the business activities in the small commodities market place. Business communication in the small commodities market place is nothing more than experiencing, understanding the specialities of the Chinese culture.