Narrative theory: foundational concepts and frameworks

Narrative Theory

According to the Narrative theory, human beings are story-telling creatures. The success or lack thereof in communication depends upon the perceptions of the stories told by the narrator. This is what occurred in Murdoch's communication with the Chinese. The narrative used by Murdoch advances through several stages, until success is reached. Both failures and successes are dependent upon the perception of the storyteller by the listener. This perception is independent of the actual amount of truth contained within the narrative. The reaction of the Chinese rests solely upon their perception and their conclusions from the words used by Murdoch. This is true throughout all the stages of his communication with the country. This is the narrative requirement that stories should contain enough coherence to substantiate its clarity and thus its perceived truth. It is perhaps ironic that, according to this theory, it is the same element that is responsible for both Murdoch's failure and his success in entering the Chinese media market.

Mr. Murdoch's first communication in this matter occurred during a speech in London. His assertion that communications technology advances proved to be a threat to totalitarian regimes was perceived as a direct threat to the Chinese government. The fact that this remark was aimed at the Russian government makes no difference to this perception, even had it been explained as such to the Chinese. In this case the actual truth and the perceived truth differ widely. It is the perceived truth that plays the most important role in communication success. The perceived truth in this case was so vital that it caused a four-year hiatus in Mr. Murdoch's plans to enter the Chinese media market.

The manifestation of this perception could be seen in the Chinese retaliatory boycotts to Mr. Murdoch's enterprises. After Murdoch's purchase of Hong Kong's Star TV network, private ownership of satellite dishes was banned. This extreme retaliation shows how important the audience is in narrative theory. The narrator should therefore very carefully assess the audience and its concerns before entering the communication process. Cultural differences further complicate the matter, as misunderstanding occurs very easily, as was the case with the Murdoch situation.

Mr. Murdoch's subsequent actions show that no tokens or gestures were enough to undo the damage caused by his verbal remarks. This emphasizes the importance of narrative in human interaction, as opposed to non-verbal communication. While non-verbal communication does play an important part in narrative, it is the narrative itself in this case that proves the strongest in the competing stories. This is then the element that drives Murdoch's initial defeat and also his subsequent success.

The only opportunity that Murdoch then has to redeem himself is through another narrative in the form of a meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Mr. Murdoch's rehearsal of his presentation indicates an attempt to verbally convince the Chinese of his goodwill. It does not however include a connection with the Chinese way of thinking. This is what the actual narrative during the meeting provides.

The initially cold Chinese reception of Murdoch and his company indicates the truth perceptions initiated by Murdoch's earlier speech. His willingness to however participate in Chinese narrative protocol does win him a degree of favor. This narrative also differs fundamentally from his failing speech in that it is an interaction rather than a one-sided speech. The Chinese delegates are able to respond to every element of the narrative and draw conclusions based upon Murdoch's responses. This contrasts with the initial speech in that conclusions were drawn without the opportunity for rebuttal. Murdoch could only attempt to make amends by non-verbal means, and this was insufficient.

Another way in which Murdoch's narrative contrasts with the trouble-making speech is that he uses non-threatening assertions in a non-threatening narrative style. He for example suggests rather than demands, and expects an equal partnership rather than a power struggle with the Chinese government. The change in truth perception prompted by these assertions is evident in Mr. Ding's sudden interest when Murdoch's association with Fox movie studios was mentioned. Murdoch's communicative success manifested itself in Ding's prompt introduction of Murdoch to the officials to work with him.

In terms of narrative then, Murdoch's initial mistake was a remark that was insensitive to the Chinese concern. The truth perception of the Chinese then overshadowed all attempts on Murdoch's part to prove his true feelings regarding China and its government. No conciliatory actions on his part spoke as loudly as the perception brought about by the speech. A further mistake was making this remark during a speech, when there was no opportunity for the Chinese to demand clarity or to retaliate verbally.