韵文iwethey星期一英语课材料

2021年1月13日发(作者：庞炳勋)
I, we, they
1 A medium-sized Swedish high-technology corporation was
approached by a compatriot, a businessman with good contacts
me call him Johannesson – to Riyadh, where he was introduced
to a small Saudi engineering firm, run by two brothers in their
mid- thirties, both with British university degrees.
Johannesson was to assist in a development project on behalf
of the Saudi government. However, after six visits over a period
of two years, nothing seemed to happen. Johannesson's meetings
with the Saudi brothers were always held in the presence of the
Swedish businessman who had established the first contact. This
annoyed Johannesson and his superiors, because they were not
at all sure that this businessman did not have contacts with
their competitors as well – but the Saudis wanted the
intermediary to be there. Discussions often dwelt on issues
having little to do with the business – like Shakespeare, of
whom both brothers were fans.
2 Just when Johannesson's superiors started to doubt the
wisdom of the corporation's investment in these expensive trips,
a telex arrived from Riyadh inviting him back for an urgent
visit. A contract worth several millions of dollars was ready
to be signed. From one day to the next, the Saudis' attitude
changed: The presence of the businessman-intermediary was no
longer necessary, and for the first time Johannesson saw the
Saudis smile, and even make jokes.
3 So far, so good; but the story goes on. The remarkable
order contributed to Johannesson being promoted to a management
position in a different division. Thus, he was no longer in
charge of the Saudi account. A successor was nominated, another
in Saudi Arabia. The company sent one of their engineers – let
engineer with considerable international experience, whom
Johannesson personally introduced to the Saudi brothers. A few
weeks later a telex arrived from Riyadh in which the Saudis
threatened to cancel the contract over a detail in the delivery
conditions. Johannesson's help was asked. When he came to
Riyadh it appeared that the conflict was over a minor issue and
could easily be resolved – but only, the Saudis felt, with
Johannesson as the corporation's representative. So the
corporation twisted its structure to allow Johannesson to
handle the Saudi account although his main responsibilities
were now in a completely different field.
4 The Swedes and the Saudis in this true story have different
concepts of the role of personal relationships in business. For
the Swedes, business is done with a company; for the Saudis,
with a person whom one has learned to know and trust. As
long as one does not know another person well enough it is
convenient to have present an intermediary or go-between,
someone who knows and is trusted by both parties. At the root
of the difference between these cultures is a fundamental issue
in human societies: the role of the individual versus the role
of the group.
5 The vast majority of people in our world live in societies
in which the interest of the group prevails over the interest
of the individual. I will call these societies collectivist,
using a word which to some readers may have political
connotations, but it is not meant here in any political sense.
It does not refer to the power of the state over the individual
but to the power of the group. The first group in our lives is
always the family into which we are born. Family structures,
however, differ between societies. In most collectivist
societies the within which the child grows up consists