Santa Stopniece

Amidst the global pandemic of COVID-19, online learning and teaching were oftentimes treated as the new normal. Students and tutors were expected to accept it and perform as effectively as they did in face-to-face situations. However, the online mode sustained over extended periods of time often results in decreased motivation, a lesser ability to concentrate, and general fatigue. This paper explores how outdoor workshops involving local and international students were used for restoration amidst lengthy online COVID-19-related learning periods at Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture (China) and their role as a regular practice for sustainability in education. The methods of the study consist of content analysis of reports on outdoor workshops organized, interviews with tutors, and qualitative questionnaires for students. Results of the study indicate that workshop experiences outdoors provide renewal of motivation, the joy of getting together, learning by doing, involvement in a vivid way, and chances to create milestone memories of achievement. Important aspects to note while organizing workshops outdoors, along with possible challenges and their solutions, are outlined while proposing outdoor workshops as interculturally relevant tools based on fundamental human values such as connecting with nature and face-to-face contact with others. To facilitate the sustainability goals of the United Nations, particularly those pertaining to good health, well-being, and quality education, this approach offers a counterbalance to online or classroom learning, is globally relevant, and can be applied creatively in a variety of settings, learning situations, and disciplines. The paper uses the triple bottom line model to consider the sustainability of this approach from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, and concludes with its usefulness and reasonable application.

This paper explores some language-related aspects in investment negotiation between Finnish and Chinese partners, such as language choices, the role of interpreters, and overcoming misunderstandings. These are seen as sites of both search for common ground in terms of positive politeness (affiliation) and power positioning in terms of negative politeness (autonomy) (Brown and Levinson 1987). This study is based on data obtained by interviewing individuals who work for state investment attraction agency and local governments in Finland and observation in delegation meetings. While misunderstandings occur, overcoming linguistic, contextual and cultural differences in understanding is possible. Common ground is more easily achieved when using English, however changing power relations with China render the use of the Mandarin Chinese necessary as well.peerReviewe

The importance of co-operation with China has been growing in Finland and the rest of Europe in view of the rising global economic and political status of China and the interest in attracting Chinese investments. In Finland, government agencies have been established for this purpose, and regional and local governments are also actively involved. Delegation visits between China and Finland have been intensively on-going for some years, but matching interests and finding common ground for co-operation, trade and investment often still proves to be a challenging task. Based on interviews with Finnish representatives and on observing delegation visits, this paper explores the difficulties that Finns report to be having in moving past a general level of interest by the Chinese in Finland and presents suggested solutions. Speech codes theory by Philipsen (1997) and the notion of common ground by Stalnaker (1999) form the theoretical basis of this paper. The results illustrate how a lack o...

This paper explores the intercultural communication, cultural adjustment strategies and power relations between Finnish and Chinese representatives in the context of Chinese investment facilitation in Finland. The study is mostly based on interviews of individuals who work either for one of Finland’s state agencies tasked with attracting investment or local government. When analyzing aspects of power, the paper’s theoretical basis is the Positioning Theory of Harré (1991). Due to the phenomenon of ‘rising China’, the dominant discursive practice of the Finnish positioning is adaption to a communication and working style seen as typically Chinese. The results show the main aspects of Chinese culture, to which Finns see need of adjusting, are their distinct concepts of time, indirectness and overt

Stopniece, Santa Finnish-Chinese intercultural negotiation: power positioning and search for common ground Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2018, 102 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities ISSN 1459-4323; 337 (print) ISSN 1459-4331; 337 (PDF)) ISBN 978-951-39-7274-5 (print) ISBN 978-951-39-7275-2 (PDF) ‘Rising China’ is a term that has come to refer to China’s march to being number one, the speed of its economic growth, and its investment around the world during last two decades. In Finland, government agencies have been established to promote investment, trade, and co-operation with China, while regional and local governments are also actively involved. Meanwhile, much of the world is now competing for the attention of China, so the power dynamic is tending to shift in favour of the Chinese. This developing context has been examined in previous studies primarily from the perspectives of politics, economics, and management studies. The overarching aim of this study is to investigate...

This paper explores the intercultural communication, cultural adjustment strategies and power relations between Finnish and Chinese representatives in the context of Chinese investment facilitation in Finland. The study is mostly based on interviews of individuals who work either for one of Finland’s state agencies tasked with attracting investment or local government. When analyzing aspects of power, the paper’s theoretical basis is the Positioning Theory of Harré (1991). Due to the phenomenon of ‘rising China’, the dominant discursive practice of the Finnish positioning is adaption to a communication and working style seen as typically Chinese. The results show the main aspects of Chinese culture, to which Finns see need of adjusting, are their distinct concepts of time, indirectness and overt hierarchy.

The importance of cooperation with China has been growing in Finland lately in view of interest to attract Chinese investments and the increasing importance of China on a global scale. Finland has established governmental agencies to aid Chinese investment and ensured the cooperation of regional and local governments in the framework activities, such as town twinning. An important part of investment facilitation and wider cooperation comprises delegation visits by both interested nations to the other country. These involve enterprise interest match-making events, meetings with officials, company visits, etc. Based on interview and observation data, this paper elaborates on how the phenomena related to power, positioning, and accommodation between Finnish and Chinese side are manifested during delegation visits. This study was guided by the Positioning Theory by Davies and Harré (J Theory Social Behav 21:1–18, 1991) which involves the need to attend to local moral orders and centers on the view that local distribution of rights and duties determine different kinds of acts and the way episodes unfold. As potential investors, recently Chinese partners yield a different kind of power, which also affects communication between sides. However, in some contexts the discourse of China as a developing country is present as well. Local hosting traditions and being in a role of a guest or host adds some additional variety and layering to communication dynamics. The presence of various discursive positioning elements is analyzed in such aspects as preconceived attitudes, initial visiting impressions, self-presentation, reception style, and the provision of food.

This paper explores humor and laughter as sites of the search for common ground and power positioning in the context of Finnish-Chinese co-operation. It is mainly based on data obtained by interviewing individuals who work in Finland either for local government or one of the state agencies responsible for attracting foreign investment. The study uses positioning theory by Harré (1991) and politeness theory by Brown and Levinson (1987) when analyzing expressions of humor between the Finns and the Chinese. Humor and laughter are seen as integral to co-operation and at times can assist in finding common ground and improving the atmosphere at meetings. At the same time, perceived differences in the sense of humor and the complexities of Chinese ‘face’ may render the use of humor during negotiations difficult. According to the interviews, both sides nationalities make adjustments in their humorous expressions for the sake of co-operation. However, in some situations, power positioning and autonomy are also asserted.

The importance of co-operation with China has been growing in Finland and the rest of Europe in view of the rising global economic and political status of China and the interest in attracting Chinese investments. In Finland, government agencies have been established for this purpose, and regional and local governments are also actively involved. Delegation visits between China and Finland have been intensively on-going for some years, but matching interests and finding common ground for co-operation, trade and investment often still proves to be a challenging task.
Based on interviews with Finnish representatives and on observing delegation visits, this paper explores the difficulties that Finns report to be having in moving past a general level of interest by the Chinese in Finland and presents suggested solutions.
Speech codes theory by Philipsen (1997) and the notion of common ground by Stalnaker (1999) form the theoretical basis of this paper. The results illustrate how a lack of serious interest, vague or restrictive government regulations, the long time to build relationships, and the involvement of intermediaries are seen by interviewees as factors contributing to talks often remaining at a general level. Suggested strategies to create more possibilities for finding common ground and for making co-operation talks more specific include presenting areas of expertise in Finland and matching those with Chinese needs, utilizing the pragmatism that is seen to be characteristic of both cultures, and investing in building necessary connections and relationships.