GCAS 25 問題解決：反対意見の伝え方

A. Culture

In your culture, is it common to disagree openly in meetings?

• Traditionally, in China, Korea and Japan, people don't disagree openly. 
  • In Confucian societies, people maintain group harmony by saving face.
    • Protecting another person’s "face" is more important than stating what you believe is correct. 
    • Group harmony exists when everyone plays their prescribed role and reinforces the roles of others.
• Traditionally, in France and Germany, people disagree openly.
  • The Socratic method is to build up an argument, knock it down, then come to a conclusion.
  • (Students are taught to reason via thesis, antithesis and synthesis.)
• The USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are somewhere between the two.
  • In English-speaking countries, people will sometimes play devil's advocate in meetings. 

Read more: The Most Productive Ways to Disagree Across Cultures.

B. Three levels of disagreement 

Recall the parts of an argument: 

1. Claim (or opinion/premise): All companies should establish a casual dress code.
2. Evidence: Studies show that being comfortable leads to greater productivity. 
3. Reasoning: So, all companies should allow their employees to wear casual, comfortable clothes.

You can disagree with each one. 

NOTE: This section is to help students expect disagreement, not to help them disagree themselves. 

1. Counter-claim (counter-premise). 
   • Let's think about the big picture. Does being comfortable really increase productivity?
   • Might being dressed professionally make employees more productive? Casual clothes might create a casual attitude toward getting work done.
2. Counter-evidence. 
   • I'm not sure that's true in some cases.
   • I've read studies that say the opposite. 
   • I'd like to see those studies you mentioned. 
3. Counter-reasoning. 
   • Wait, does that make sense? All companies?
   • Wouldn't that make a bad impression when meeting with clients? 
   • Don't you think some staff would prefer to dress professionally?