Achieving Mutual Understanding Without Saying a Word: The Conceptualization of Moqi and a Nomological Network

Xiao-Ping Chen and Benjamin M. Cole

Management and Organization Review, 2023, vol. 19, issue 1, 3-31

Abstract: While the construct of moqi (默契, pronounced ‘mò-chee’) is ubiquitously understood and finds itself in everyday conversations around the home and workplace in China, the theoretical development of moqi has been scarce. In this article, we expand on prior work on moqi and conceptualize moqi as a dyadic level construct that describes a situated state of shared contextualized understanding without saying a word between two counterparties. We further articulate a broader view of moqi as a dyadic communication construct that is both target-specific and situation-specific. We propose a nomological network of moqi that shows how shared contextualized understandings between counterparties are informed by several different layers, including ‘capability’ (a) a generalized proclivity to be able to form such understandings with others, and ‘contributing factors’, (b) how those understandings are formed either (i) through interactions or (ii) without them through overlaps in background characteristics or experiences, and (c) how other factors accentuate the capability and inclination to ultimately achieve moqi. We then discuss several potential consequences of moqi in organizational settings. Finally, we discuss why moqi is a powerful form of effective communication that is meaningful beyond the Chinese cultural context. 虽然默契这个词在中国广为人知，但是对于默契的理论构建却极为罕见。本文将默契定义为在特定情景中两个人无需语言就彼此理解的状态。默契是一个二人层面、而不是个体层面的概念，它具有情景特定性和目标特定性。本文认为，有几个个体因素能够帮助两个人达成默契：（1）个体具有与他人形成共享理解的倾向和能力，（2）二人之间交往的深度，（3）二人在各种背景特征和人生经历上的重合程度。与此同时，也有其他的环境因素会通过影响上述个体因素而最终对默契的达成造成影响。本文接着讨论了默契在组织情境中可能产生的几个后果，并强调默契是一种非常有效的沟通方式，应该在中国文化之外也有重要意义。

Date: 2023
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