Turning Bricks into Jade: Critical Incidents for Mutual Understanding Among Chinese and Americans bridges the metaphorical gap between East and West. Exploring Chinese and American interactions through 41 specific, cultural incidents, Turning Bricks into Jade helps readers to clarify the issues between these two cultures. Each incident relates a miscommunication or complicated situation and is followed by a discussion of possible solutions, based on the authors' experiences and grounded in current research. The authors use incidents to highlight situations of miscommunication and discuss possible alternative solutions, while supplementing with current research and personal experiences. Turning Bricks into Jade also covers key theoretical concepts in Chinese-American interactions, such as individualism versus collectivism, hierarchies, gender relations in the workplace, deference to authority, work incentives and concepts of ownership. Useful in almost any setting?business training, the classroom, pre-departure orientation or at home?Turning Bricks into Jade can offer the necessary tools for improving East-West relationships.
