Abstract
This paper takes a frame analysis approach to discourse analysis and explores how Japanese and German managers of a multinational company interact and communicate with each other in their meetings. The analysis focuses on differences in communication styles and what contributes to these differences. The two groups framed their utterances differently: the Japanese sequence of frame was "prelude - context-setting - short discussion of message," while that of the Germans was "heading - rationale - summary + calling for action." The structural and stylistic differences of their utterances suggest their contrastive cultural orientations toward discourse and decision-making values: the Japanese strive to share their thinking process; the Germans tend to identify clear boundaries between their thoughts and to take some credit for the decision-making process.
