FRUSTRATION

Introduction

One universal point of frustration in the world is dealing bureaucracy. Even the simplest of requests and tasks cannot be undertaken without the required paper work and the compulsory official stamp. Dealing with bureaucrats requires special skills such as tact, patience and persistence if you intend to achieve your required goal. This unit present several situations that will practice these skills.

Discussion - Frustration

Along with a partner or in a small group, look at the following situations and decide which is the most frustrating to do or requires the most ‘bureaucracy’:

Buying a train ticket Obtaining a passportEntering for an examination Obtaining a driving licenceRoutine treatment in hospital Changing your residence permitBuying medicine in a hospital Posting an international parcelOpening a private business Visiting a restricted areaPurchasing your own residence Having a foreigner stay at your homeObtaining a visa to study abroad Anything else.

Pair Work - Asking to do something

Along with a partner, act out the following situations. You should concentrate on the way you reflect your attitude to each other. This is done, not so much in the words that you use, but the way that they are said. There are, however, certain phrases which can be used to try and elicit a co-operative response.

Polite expressions for requesting help

I would be grateful if...Please would you help me...I’m sorry to bother you, but...I know you’re busy, but I’d be grateful if...Would you please be so kind as to...

I1. You are part of a business consortium which is planning to open an English medium kindergarten in the city. You have filled all the requirements of the education department such as location, qualifications of teachers and teaching resources. All you need now is the correct registration form titled Schools Form 20.

(Partners role card for I1 is on, page 3 labelled I4)

Alternative Pair Work – Asking to do something

I3. You need to buy two hard sleeper tickets to the capitol city from your local railway station travelling tomorrow evening. After waiting in the line for over one hour, you eventually arrive at the ticket office window. You are tired, hot and feeling very impatient.

H5. You have travelled over two hours to the city to obtain a permit to visit a relative who lives in a restricted area. You have done this many times before so you know you need many different documents, therefore you have photocopies of your ID Card, Introduction Letters, Residence Permit, Workers Card etc. The originals are back at your home. Go to the office and try and obtain your permit.

(Partners role card for I3 is on, page 3 labelled I6)(Partners role card for I5 is on, page 3 labelled I8)

Pair Work - Difficult Situations

Imagine that you have paid the 5.000 RMB registration fee and obtained the correct Schools Form 20. Now having completed the form, you want to submit it for approval by the education department so that you can be issued a licence to open your school and start enrolling students.

This set of role plays practices situations where people experience frustration or exasperation. As with the role plays above, a great degree of skill is required to remain calm and respond to the situation in a controlled manner. There are some expressions in English, which indicate feelings of frustration:

Expressing frustration Polite responses which simply mean ‘No’

What on earth am I going to do?How was I to know...?But this is ridiculous...This cant be happening to me.What am I supposed to do...?That’s preposterous!!

I’m very sorry, but...I’d like to help you, but...I’m afraid I can’t help you...I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to...I’m doing the best I can, but...It’s more than my jobs worth…

I7. You are the member of the business consortium taking the registration form back to the education department four weeks later. You have, at very great expense and time, now fulfilled all the requirements of registration. You have to pay a large amount of interest to the bank so you want the licence to be issued as soon as possible as you need to re-coup your outlay by enrolling fee paying students.

(Partners role card for I7 is on, page 3 labelled I12)

Alternative Pair Work – Difficult Situations

I9. You wish to post a letter to friend in the USA. You have written the envelope in exactly that same way as you would write it to someone in China, except that you have written the address in English. You want the letter to be posted today as it is urgent.

I11. You want to withdraw some money from your deposit account in the bank. There is a long line at the desk and it takes you fifteen minutes to reach the attendant. You have already prepared the withdrawal slip with the pen next to the counter.

(Partners role card for I9 is on, page 3 labelled I16)(Partners role card for I11 is on, page 3 labelled I18)

Group Work - Crisis Meeting

Along with four others, imagine that you are all members of the consortium who intended to open the English medium kindergarten. You have now been told that you have to re-apply for registration which will cost you much more than you anticipated and will take more time so that you will not be able to open on time. You need to decide what your are going to do about the enterprise.

I13. The Manager of the Consortium You need to decide what to do next about opening your English Language Kindergarten. You did not anticipate the problems with the Education Department and now to continue re-applying for the licence would cost your investors more than they expected to pay. You have called your managers to advise you as to your course of action.

The other players role cards are as follows:

Accountant, page 3 labelled I2. Lawyer, page 3 labelled I10.Business manager, page 3 labelled I14. Financial advisor, page 3 labelled I20.

Discussion – Red Tape – Form Filling

Along with a partner or in a small group, look at the following form and decide which information you would not like to give to a stranger. There is no need to fill in the form.

Full name (Mr/Mrs/Miss) Address Telephone Number

Date of Birth Place of Birth Profession

Marital Status (Married/Single/ Divorced/Widowed etc)

Height Weight

Number of dependants Names Owner or tenant of residence

Name of Employer Present Position If unemployed, state reason why

Monthly income Bank Account No. Current Bank Balance

Do you owe money to anyone? How much? To whom?

Name of Doctor When did you last visit the doctor?

Why?

Do you smoke? How much? Do you drink? How much? Have you ever been tested for AIDS?

After discussing the contents of the form, then consider the questions below and how you would answer them?

a. What do you understand by the term ‘red tape’? Is this form an example of it?

b. If a stranger were to have access to this completed form, what could they deduce about you?

c. If a researcher stopped you in the street and asked you questions about your private life, would you answer them. Why/why not?

d. How can information in forms be used in both a good way or in a bad way?

e. Bits of paper rule our life. True or false?

I2. The Consortium’s Accountant You think that the investors will be prepared to try and find some more money to keep the enterprise alive, but you would need guarantees that there would be no more delays, and no extra hidden costs. Any suggestion that a ‘bribe’ be given should be strongly rejected for the reason that if you pay one person one bribe, there is always someone else who wants their extra money too.

I4. You work in the education department. Before you can issue a form you must ensure that the applicants have fulfilled all the requirements about location, qualifications of teachers and adequate teaching resources. Only if you are satisfied, will you give them a form. The cost of registration is 5,000 RMB. This must be paid before you give them the form titled Schools Form 20.

I6. You work in railway station selling tickets. You do not like your job as many people are rude to you and you can do nothing about it. Your philosophy is that if people are very polite and kind to you, then you will be kind to them, but if they sound rude or demanding, then you will not give them any co-operation.

I8. You work in an office issuing permits. A recent regulation has been published that before you can issue a permit, you have to see the original documents. A photocopied document is not longer acceptable. Anyone without the original documents will not be issued a permit.

I10. The Consortium’s Lawyer While you think that what the Education Department have said is not fair, it is, unfortunately legal and binding. You could suggest taking the department to court for negligence for not giving you the correct registration form. You may then obtain your initial payment of $500 and compensation for loss of earnings by not being able to start your school. Going to court though could be even more expensive if you lose and may take a long time.

I12. You are an official in the education department. The regulations for registering new schools changed two weeks earlier. Anyone applying for registration has to apply on a form called Schools Form 30. The form Schools Form 20, is now invalid and anyone using it will have to start the process all over again and pay a new registration fee.

I14. The Consortium’s Business Manager You think that the whole affair can be sorted out by making the right connections in the Education Department. After all, you have fulfilled all the requirements for registration, this is merely a bureaucratic hold-up that may be sorted out if you give the right people in the department appropriate ‘gifts’ for their assistance in clearing up ‘the misunderstanding’.

I16. You work in the post office and someone hands you a letter to send to the USA. But the person has not used an official air mail envelope and have written the return address in the bottom right corner, when it should be written at the top left. You cannot accept the letter for postage and you do not have any airmail envelopes for sale in the post office.

I18. You work in a bank dealing with deposit accounts. Today you have been very busy with hundreds of young people wanting your attention. One customer presents a withdrawal slip to you which is filled out correctly, but is written in biro rather than by a fountain pen. Regulations state that all transactions should be made with a fountain pen so you cannot accept the withdrawal slip.

I20. The Consortium’s Financial Advisor The consortium has already borrowed a substantial amount of money to finance the project and does not have any collateral to borrow any more. You see only two choices. Either find some more money from somewhere else and hope that you will re-coup your losses when the school does eventually open. Or to cancel the enterprise and declare bankruptcy so that you may not have to pay back all the money owed to the bank.