A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University Of Zululand, 2016 / The aim of this study was to investigate politeness within the isiZulu speaking community. The study focused on the understanding of politeness within the target community (Umlazi Township) and whether this understanding has changed over the past generation. It also examined if males and females exhibit and value politeness differently. Finally, the study investigated which of the existing Western/non-Western models of politeness are relevant for describing the politeness phenomena in the target community. This study was conducted through the realisation of the speech acts of requests and apologies focusing on the variables of age, status and social distance. In order to achieve triangulation, qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used. These comprised of observation of domestic and educational contexts, interviews with cultural/religious leaders, discourse completion tasks (DCTs) and interviews with families. My findings reveal that the understanding of politeness phenomena within the target community is more in keeping with that of other non-Western cultures than in Western cultures. Females are found to exhibit more polite behaviours than males. Furthermore, the general understanding of politeness over the past generation has remained more or less constant.

Yes / Death, bereavement, and grief are experiences suffused with conflict and disenfranchisement. Intricately connected is ‘etiquette’ – the sense of ‘should’ ‘must’ ‘right’ ‘wrong’ ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’ individuals feel in death and bereavement situations. This paper is the first of two answering the question, ‘where does etiquette arise in death and bereavement situations and what does this ‘look like?’’ The theme The etiquette of communication and conversation is described, highlighting the importance of early communication for resolving conflict, what is considered ‘appropriate’ communication and support, and the social values underpinning these. Data highlighted how the CBT concept of ‘shoulding and musting’ manifests in death and bereavement situations, gave insight into etiquette’s role in disenfranchising grief through shaping conversations, and offered suggestions for bereavement support. Though the term ‘etiquette’ may be misleading out of context, the concept resonated with the bereaved community and provided language to discuss the nuances of their experiences. / Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

abstract: This study seeks to identify the unwritten rules and standards of professional conduct followed by the music community. Its central source of information is a pair of surveys sent to professional musicians, specifically members of large instrumental ensembles across the United States. The first survey posed multiple-choice questions on topics related to personal professional standards, rehearsal and concert etiquette and protocol, and ethical obligations. The second survey followed up with consenting individual participants and requested stories and anecdotes from the respondents’ professional careers. The surveys yielded 70 responses from the initial 350 solicitations, representing 35 professional ensembles in 30 cities and 20 states, 18 different instruments, 41 principal players, and nearly 2,000 combined years of professional music experience. The findings shed light on many specific aspects of professionalism in the music community, and they demonstrate that an unwritten code of largely understood and observed expectations both exists and varies minimally throughout professional ensembles across the United States. The consummate professional musician is prompt, prepared, and observant of an array of expectations generated by the routines and hierarchies of rehearsals and concerts. Understanding the professional attributes and practices of successful ensemble members is important to aspiring musicians, and so this study is intended as a useful resource both for students and their teachers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2016

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Guanxi literally means a �special personal relationship� in Chinese social and business life. It is commonly considered a cultural barrier for many foreign entrants in China due to its exclusiveness, complexity and dynamics. This research study aims to understand the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. Specific questions addressed in this study are: (a) What are the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural relationships in marketing? (b) How do business actors manage these constraints and dilemmas? (c) What new insights can be developed in order to improve Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships? These questions are important because most theoretical understandings of business relationships are developed in Western contexts. Furthermore, the emergence of China as a major global trading nation gives weight to these questions. A case study strategy is adopted with a focus on Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships. This study follows the International/Industrial Marketing & Purchasing Group (IMP)�s research tradition that views relationship building as the consequence of interaction among networks of actors. The research methodology is both qualitative and interpretive. A hermeneutical approach under the constructivist paradigm is adopted to interpret empirical findings from interviews with 58 Chinese and Western business managers. Analysis was conducted in three hermeneutical stages. Each stage progressed and revealed new sources of understanding. The first stage provided a contextual understanding of Chinese-Western intercultural business relationship by identifying �three circles� of relationship development activity based on behavioural norms, respectively the insider (guanxi) circle, an emerging intercultural circle and an outsider circle. This allowed me to develop a bridging perspective of guanxi ties in the emerging intercultural �middle� circle. The second stage revealed three types of guanxi dilemmas for outsiders. The second stage also disclosed seven kinds of perceived risk derived from Confucian ideology. The third stage developed a new concept of guanxi gatekeeper. These guanxi gatekeepers play vital roles in managing outsiders� dilemmas and the risks perceived by insiders in developing intercultural (interpersonal) relationships. They engage two gatekeeping processes: reciprocal gatekeeping and symbolic gatekeeping. It is my conclusion that the gatekeeping view of guanxi processes provides an improved understanding of relationship development in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. This study contributes to the marketing literature by identifying a new interpersonal network perspective and also the network position of guanxi gatekeeper in emerging Chinese-Western intercultural business networks. Thus, indirectly connected actors are seen to work independently but also interdependently through the involvement of gatekeepers. This study has an important strategic implication for Western entrants in China: Western firms and managers can avoid la guanxi (forcing direct relationships with innermost guanxi insiders) and instead operate through the facilitation of a middle force - guanxi gatekeepers.

This thesis is concerned with cross-cultural consulting. The research examines how a multinational consulting team worked with a multinational client. The consultants were from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, USA and Australia and the client was a multinational oil company located on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The study employs the narrative theory of Ricoeur together with the research findings on culture of Hofstede, Trompenaars, Hall, Kluckhorn and Strodtbeck. The study relies on a comparison of national cultural characteristics as they were enacted duringthe conduct of a consulting project. The research emphasises the roles of the consultants, the consulting process and the consulting outcomes.

Guanxi literally means a �special personal relationship� in Chinese social and business life. It is commonly considered a cultural barrier for many foreign entrants in China due to its exclusiveness, complexity and dynamics. This research study aims to understand the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. Specific questions addressed in this study are: (a) What are the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural relationships in marketing? (b) How do business actors manage these constraints and dilemmas? (c) What new insights can be developed in order to improve Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships? These questions are important because most theoretical understandings of business relationships are developed in Western contexts. Furthermore, the emergence of China as a major global trading nation gives weight to these questions. A case study strategy is adopted with a focus on Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships. This study follows the International/Industrial Marketing & Purchasing Group (IMP)�s research tradition that views relationship building as the consequence of interaction among networks of actors. The research methodology is both qualitative and interpretive. A hermeneutical approach under the constructivist paradigm is adopted to interpret empirical findings from interviews with 58 Chinese and Western business managers. Analysis was conducted in three hermeneutical stages. Each stage progressed and revealed new sources of understanding. The first stage provided a contextual understanding of Chinese-Western intercultural business relationship by identifying �three circles� of relationship development activity based on behavioural norms, respectively the insider (guanxi) circle, an emerging intercultural circle and an outsider circle. This allowed me to develop a bridging perspective of guanxi ties in the emerging intercultural �middle� circle. The second stage revealed three types of guanxi dilemmas for outsiders. The second stage also disclosed seven kinds of perceived risk derived from Confucian ideology. The third stage developed a new concept of guanxi gatekeeper. These guanxi gatekeepers play vital roles in managing outsiders� dilemmas and the risks perceived by insiders in developing intercultural (interpersonal) relationships. They engage two gatekeeping processes: reciprocal gatekeeping and symbolic gatekeeping. It is my conclusion that the gatekeeping view of guanxi processes provides an improved understanding of relationship development in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. This study contributes to the marketing literature by identifying a new interpersonal network perspective and also the network position of guanxi gatekeeper in emerging Chinese-Western intercultural business networks. Thus, indirectly connected actors are seen to work independently but also interdependently through the involvement of gatekeepers. This study has an important strategic implication for Western entrants in China: Western firms and managers can avoid la guanxi (forcing direct relationships with innermost guanxi insiders) and instead operate through the facilitation of a middle force - guanxi gatekeepers.

Thesis (Master of Business (Organisation dynamics)) - Swinburne University of Technology, Division of Business, Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Business, 2000. / Submitted for the degree of Master of Business (Organisation dynamics), Swinburne University of Technology, Division of Business, Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Business, 2000. Typescript. Bibliography: p. 263-268.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 18, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.