Qiumin Dong
ABSTRACT
Technical communicators need to develop certain skills to succeed in intercultural interactions. Drawing on the literature of intercultural and professional communication, this article presents a case study that examines the design features and analyzes the differences of home heater manuals from China and the U.S. By discussing the possible cultural influences, the article exemplifies a cross-cultural approach in teaching international technical communication and in creating instructional documentation across cultures.
- Aloha Breeze. Owner's Manual for Ceramic Tower Heater. Nashville: Anderson, 2004.Google Scholar
- Barker T. and N. Matveeva. "Teaching Intercultural Communication in a Technical Writing Service Course: Real Instructors' Practices and Suggestions for Textbook Selection." Technical Communication Quarterly, 2006; 15: 191--214.Google Scholar
- Boiarsky, C. "The Relationship between Cultural and Rhetorical Conventions: Engaging in International Communication. Technical Communication, 1995; 4: 245--259.Google Scholar
- Bosley, D. S. "Visual Elements in Cross-cultural Technical Communication: Recognition and Comprehension as a Function of Cultural Conventions." In: C. Lovitt and D. Goswami, (eds.), Exploring the Rhetoric of International Professional Communication. Amityville: Baywood Publishing, 1999. p. 253--276.Google Scholar
- Brown, P., S. C. Levinson, and J. L. Gumperz. Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.Google Scholar
- Burnett, R. E. Technical Communication. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001.Google Scholar
- Coggin, W. O. and B. F. Coggin. "So you Want to Work in China?" Technical Communication, 2001; 48: 385--88.Google Scholar
- Dictionary. Com. http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/instruction%20manual.Google Scholar
- Ding, D. and and J. Jablonski. "Challenges and Opportunities: Two Weeks of Teaching Technical Communication at Suzhou University, China." Technical Communication, 2001; 48: 421--434.Google Scholar
- Dragga S. "A Visit to the Forbidden City: a Sign of the Times." In D. S. Bosley (ed.), Global Contexts: Case Studies in International Technical Communication. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 2001, p. 10--18.Google Scholar
- Guangdong Zhongshan Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Room Heater Serials. Guangdong, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Hall, E. T. Beyond Culture. New York: Doubleday, 1989.Google Scholar
- Hall, M, M. de Jong and M. Steerhouder. "Cultural Differences and Usability Evaluation: Individualistic and Collectivistic Participants Compared." Technical Communication, 2005; 51: 489--504.Google Scholar
- Hall, E. T. and M. R. Hall. Understanding Cultural Differences. Yarmouth: Intercultural Press, 1990.Google Scholar
- Hofstede, G. H. Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2001.Google Scholar
- Hoft, N. International Technical Communication: How to Export Information about High Technology. New York: Wiley, 1995. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Holms Group, Inc. Owner's Guide for Tower Quartz Heater. El Paso, 2004.Google Scholar
- Holmes Group, Inc. Owner's Manual for Fan Forced Heater. El Paso, 2004.Google Scholar
- Honeywell Inc. Owner's Manual for Oscillating Ceramic Heater. Southborough, 2004.Google Scholar
- Kaz Home Environment. Owner's Manual for Surround Heater Fan. 2004. Available Online at: http://www.kaz.com.Google Scholar
- King of Fans, Inc. Owner's Manual for Maxi-heat Utility Heater. Lauderdale, 2004.Google Scholar
- Kostelnic, C. "Cultural Adaptation and Information Design: Two Contrasting Views." IEEEE transactions on professional communication, 1995; 38: 182--196.Google Scholar
- Lannon, J. Technical Communication. New York: Longman, 2003.Google Scholar
- Lasko Products Inc. Owner's Manual for Oil Filled Radiator Heater, 2004. http://www.laskoproducts.com/heaters/heaters.html.Google Scholar
- Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary. 2004. http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary.Google Scholar
- Ningbo Favorite To All Electrical Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Favorite to All Heater Serials. Jiangsu, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Pelonis USA, Ltd. Owner's Manual for Fan Forced Disc Furnace Ceramic Heater, 2004. http://www.heaters.xynfo.com.Google Scholar
- Pelonis USA, Ltd. Owner's Manual for Oil Filled Radiator Heater, 2004. http://www.heaters.xynfo.com.Google Scholar
- Pelonis USA, Ltd. Owner's manual for safe-t furnace ceramic heater, 2004. http://www.heaters.xynfo.com.Google Scholar
- Pfeiffer, W. S. Technical Writing: a Practical Approach. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Shanghai Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Hongji Heater Serials. Shanghai, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Shanghai Home Appliances Research Institute. Instructional Manual for Star Heater Serials, Shanghai, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Shanghai Shenzhou Electrical Home Appliances Research Institute. Instructional Manual for Shenzhou Sunshine Heater Serials, Shanghai, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Shanghai Xinma Electrical Appliance Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Qiyu Heater Serials. Shanghai, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Shanghai Xinma Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Silver Camel Heater Serials. Shanghai, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Shanghai Yiongfeng Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Little Sun Heater Serials. Ningbo, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- St. Amant, K. "Considering China: a Perspective for Technical Communicators." Technical Communication, 2001; 48: 385--389.Google Scholar
- ------. "Integrating Intercultural Online Learning Experiences into the Computer Classroom." Technical Communication Quarterly, 2002; 11: 285-315.Google Scholar
- Thatcher, B. "Adapting to South American Communication Patterns: Odyssey's Proposal to Remedy Inconsistent Car Sales." In: D. S. Bosley (ed.), Global Contexts: Case Studies in International Technical Communication, Boston: the Allyn and Bacon, 2001, p. 81--95.Google Scholar
- Thatcher, B. et. al. "Web Sites Analysis across Cultures: an Inquiry into Intercultural Values and Web Site Design." In St. Amant (ed.) Linguistic and Cultural Online Communication Issues in the Global Age. Hershey: Premier Reference Source, 2007, p. 124--142.Google Scholar
- Thrush, E. J. "Bridging the Gaps: Technical Communication in an International and Multicultural Society." Technical Communication Quarterly, 1993; 7: 271--283.Google Scholar
- Triandis, H. C. Culture and Social Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.Google Scholar
- Hampden-Turner, C. M., Trompenaars, F. and Lewis, D. Building Cross-cultural Competence: How to Create Wealth from Conflicting Values. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000.Google Scholar
- Varner, I. and L. Beamer. Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace. Boston: McGraw-hill Irwin, 2001.Google Scholar
- Wang, Qiyue. "A Cross-cultural Comparison of the Use of Graphics in Scientific and Technical Communication." Technical Communication, 2000; 47: 553--560.Google Scholar
- Warren, T. L. Cross-cultural Communication: Perspectives in Theory and Practice. Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, 2005.Google Scholar
- Weiss, E. "Technical Communication across Culture: Five Philosophical Questions." Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 1998; 12: 253--269.Google Scholar
- Wuxi Beautiful Chrysanthemum Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manual for Chrysanthemum Heater Serials. Jiangsu, China, 2004.Google Scholar
- Zhuhai Gree Home Appliances Co. Ltd. Instructional Manuals for NDY Oil Filled Heater Serials. Guangdong, China, 2004.Google Scholar
Index Terms
- Cross-cultural considerations in instructional documentation: contrasting Chinese and U.S. home heater manuals
Recommendations
Prelude to cultural software agents: cultural backgrounds in agent simulation
SpringSim '08: Proceedings of the 2008 Spring simulation multiconferenceThe aim is to glean appropriate theories and pragmatic findings on human culture and explore ways in which they can be embedded on the decision making of advanced software agents. For this purpose, bases for fuzzy computational agents to represent ...
Multinationals on the web: Cultural similarities and differences in English-language and Chinese-language website designs
The goal of this article is to explore the manifestation of culture in the design of English-language and Chinese-language corporate websites, using Hofstede's dimensions of culture. Data were gathered from the 2010 Global 500 list published by Fortune ...
SIDEKICKS AND SOCIETY: A study of the generational evolution of values in UK's Society through minor characters in popular English literature
IndiaHCI '20: Proceedings of the 11th Indian Conference on Human-Computer InteractionUsing an etic lens, this study deals with identifying and deliberating upon culture in the United Kingdom as represented in the literary works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Dahl and JK Rowling. We posit that literature is an art form that invariably ...
Comments