Relying on data collected from in-depth interviews and participant
observation, as well as secondary data, this chapter compares the crosscultural
communication processes between easterners and westerners in an
Asian cultural context, namely, that of Taiwan, as well as the potential
influences of Confucianism and the theory of ‘‘manners of different
orders.’’ Our data reveal that westerners tend to communicate with
Taiwanese people in an outspoken and brusque way and to make few
changes during the communication process. On the contrary, easterners
are inclined to communicate with a gentler approach and make
adjustments for the local culture. We also find that Confucianism and
the theory of manners of different orders have strong influences on crosscultural
communication strategies and performance. This chapter
provides evidence to support the arguments that the theory of manners
of different orders may play an even more significant role than the
individualism–collectivism paradigm in explaining the causes of better
communicational performance in Taiwan and possibly mainland China.