Understanding a cultural norm called “face” to Asian people, what it means to “give face” and “saving face” as a means to facilitate resolution in hearings and decision making

Jack Tam¹

¹Partner, Edison Tam Lawyers and Adjudicator, Tenancy Tribunal

Biography:

Jack Tam is a partner at Edison Tam Lawyers, a South Auckland law firm specialising in dispute resolution, employment, accident compensation, immigration law, and civil litigation. Jack is fluent in Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, and Malay, allowing him to communicate effectively with clients and people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

Jack read law at London University and qualified as a Barrister-at-Law at Lincoln’s Inn in 1997. He then returned to his birthplace, Malaysia, where he practised as an Advocate and Solicitor in Kuala Lumpur for several years, gaining experience in property law, criminal and civil litigation, and commercial law.

In 2004, Jack emigrated to Auckland and served as Tenancy Mediator at the Housing Ministry. His career in disputes resolution progressed to being Referee of the Disputes Tribunal.

Jack is presently an Adjudicator of the Tenancy Tribunal, a role he held for the past 15 years.

Abstract:

Jack Tam will present Understanding Asian Parties, exploring the cultural norm called “face” to Asian people, what it means to “give face” and “saving face” as a means to facilitate resolution in hearings and decision making in tribunal settings.

The presentation introduces the idea of “building a golden bridge” for parties to “escape and live”, showing how people often communicate indirectly to preserve dignity, avoid shame, and create space for agreement. Through practical examples, he illustrates how parties seek reassurance before moving toward acknowledgment rather than direct admission.

He then applies these ideas to real-world dispute scenarios, including tenancy and disputes tribunal cases, to demonstrate how language choices can influence credibility, outcomes, and resolution pathways. Jack contrasts “face-losing” communication with more constructive, face-preserving approaches, while maintaining trust and engagement.

He concludes by linking these insights to restorative and relationship-focused frameworks such as Whiria te Tāngata, emphasising empathy, cultural awareness, and the restoration of mana and harmony as key outcomes in effective dispute resolution.