Which of the following is a traditional behavior of Chinese businesspeople A If from BUSN 1 at University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Traditional Chinese businesspeople tend to build trust networks typically based from MGT 3303 at University of Houston, Downtown
Oct 01, 2003 · Often, Chinese businesspeople see Americans as aggressive, impersonal, and excitable. ... Traditional Chinese agriculture is peasant farming. ... Following are the eight important elements of the ...
Cultural Notes on Chinese Business Negotiation 2 Second, China’s contemporary guo qing has greatly affected the way business is conducted between Chinese and foreign firms. For instance, one element of China’s guo qing is lack of economic and social development due to foreign invasions and exploitation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the military and …
Before the 1980s, agrarian values trumped business values. When during the Cultural Revolution Mao Tse-tung sent bureaucrats and students to be “reeducated” by the peasantry, he was reflecting the deep-seated belief in the virtues of rural life. Indeed, Chinese philosopher Fung Yu-lan explains in his works that Chinese sages historically distinguished between the “root” (agriculture) and the “branch” (commerce). Social and economic theories and policies tended to favor the root and slight the branch. People who dealt with the branch—merchants—were therefore looked down upon.
Deep cultural differences have created seemingly incompatible contrasts between Chinese and Westerners’ approaches to negotiation. Often, Chinese businesspeople see Americans as aggressive, impersonal, and excitable. Westerners may see Chinese negotiators as inefficient, indirect, and even dishonest.
Zhongjian ren (the intermediary). An intermediary is essential during meetings with strangers. This trusted business associate connects you with his trusted associate, creating a personal link to your target organization or executive. Intermediaries interpret negotiators’ moods, body language, and facial expressions.
The Chinese sayings, “A man without a smile should not open a shop” and “Sweet temper and friendliness produce money” speak volumes about the importance of harmonious relations between business partners. While respect and responsibility are the glue that binds hierarchical relationships, friendships and positive feelings, or renji hexie, hold relationships of equals together. In the United States, the initial sizing up—the nontask sounding—takes minutes. In China, nontask sounding may last days, weeks, even months. And it includes home visits, invitations to sporting or other events, and long dinners during which everything but business is discussed. There’s just no other way.
In Chinese business culture, a person’s reputation and social standing rest on saving face. If Westerners cause the Chinese embarrassment or loss of composure, even unintentionally, it can be disastrous for business negotiations. The Chinese notion of saving face is closely associated with American concepts of dignity and prestige. Mianzi defines a person’s place in his social network; it is the most important measure of social worth. Sources of face can be wealth, intelligence, attractiveness, skills, position, and, of course, good guanxi. But, while Americans tend to think in absolute terms—a person either has prestige and dignity or doesn’t—the Chinese think of face in quantitative terms. Face, like money, can be earned, lost, given, or taken away.
In fact, “personal connections” doesn’t do justice to the fundamental, and complex, concept of guanxi. While Americans put a premium on networking, information, and institutions, the Chinese place a premium on individuals’ social capital within their group of friends, relatives, and close associates. Though the role of guanxi is fading a bit against the backdrop of population mobility and the Westernization of some Chinese business practices, it remains an important social force. More often than not, the person with the best guanxi wins.
The emphasis of the Chinese on interpersonal relationships and Ren Zhi (i.e., rule by people) is logically correlated with Confucius’s disregard of legal systems. 10 Confucianism holds that law does not eradicate problems, that people’s behavior can be effectively influenced by a set of self-regulating moral mechanisms, for example, by li (ritual propriety, etiquette, and so forth) and by instilling “a sense of shame” in people. In Sino-foreign negotiations, Chinese negotiators will typically try to identify among their counterparts those who are more sympathetic to China, build friendships with them, and use them as interlocutors for information and side influence.11 Foreigners who consider themselves “friends” will feel a sense of guilt if they fail to satisfy the requests of their Chinese counterparts and try to make it up to them at a later time.
Chinese business negotiations nevertheless continue to be heavily influenced by the people-centric philosophies of Confucius and Lao Tzu, and their core values of collectivism, honor, respect, obedience, and harmonious relationships . China’s unique guo qing adds another layer of complexity to negotiating behavior by shaping the decision-making process politically and setting the tone for doing business with foreigners. The western business practices admitted through China’s open door have paved the way for smoother communication during business negotiations, albeit sometimes constrained by conflicting concepts or values.
The central theme of Confucianism is relationships, in particular, interpersonal relationships . In the eyes of the Chinese people, any relationship between businesses is ultimately built upon relationships between individuals. As a Swedish businessman once observed: Business in China is not about doing business between organizations, but about doing business between people. . . . Your successor does not automatically inherit your friends and relationships. As I perceive, Chinese do business with you, not with your company. You can’t be blue-eyed and believe that you have made friends through one or two deals. It takes a little more time.8
China is a socialist country that has been heavily influenced since the founding of the new China in 1949 by Soviet-style governance. Communism backed by Marxism-Leninism and Maoism is its political ideology, the Communist Party of China its ruling party, and government’s central planning and macro-control system its economic engine. Confucianism is confined mainly to the realms of culture and philosophy and was almost overturned by the Cultural Revolution. Frequent political movement and pervasive Communism influence in government administration, business operation, and daily social lives before 1980s make the Chinese very risk-averse and political sensitive. As the result, pursuing political righteousness is always an important factor in Chinese businesses’ considerations when dealing with foreign firms. One common example in Sino-foreign joint venture negotiation would be the contradict views between the Chinese and the foreign party on whether the Communist Party should have its political leadership over joint venture’s business operation.
Confucianism, a form of moral ethics and practical doctrine of interpersonal relationships, encompasses from the perspective of negotiation six core values: moral cultivation; importance of interpersonal relationships; family orientation; respect for seniority and hierarchy; pursuit of harmony and avoidance of conflict; and the concept of face.1
Hierarchy, interdependence, and reciprocity are the key features of Confucianism’s five interpersonal relationships ( relationships between: ruler and people being ruled, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger siblings, and seniors and juniors). Failure to honor these characteristics can jeopardize interpersonal relationships as well as mutual trust among negotiating parties.
Social standing, called lian or “face” in Chinese society, is critical to the achievement of wealth and power. Face involves both prestige and public standing. Failure to follow Confucius’ moral code in business will lead to public disapproval, a powerful force that can negatively affect both aspects of face, jeopardizing prestige and, by impugning character, capability, and personal integrity, which is to say, reputation, jeopardizing as well the comfort and convenience that attends respectability.15 Face can also be diminished by criticism, intentional or unintentional, which is why it is always difficult for Chinese to accept the “constructive criticism” approach frequently adopted by westerners during public presentations and discussions.
claimed responsibility – highlighted the country’s instability, with experts warning the withdrawal of US troops was giving terror groups opportunities to plot attacks.
The Taliban has sought to strike a moderate tone to distinguish itself from the hardline approach of two decades ago. It has vowed to maintain women’s rights and media freedom and cut ties with terror groups.
Present day Chinese culture is an amalgamation of old world traditions and a westernized lifestyle. The two co-exist like the traditional Yin Yang formula of balance. This can be seen in the juxtaposition of towering skyscrapers with heritage buildings, the contrast of western fashion with the traditional Chinese Qipao dress, the people's paradoxical affinity for both dim sums and McDonald's.
Confucianism propagated “Ren” (Love) and “Li” (rituals), signifying respect for society and social hierarchy. Taoism advocated the controversial philosophy of inaction. Buddhism emphasized on the need to attain self- emancipation through good deeds.
China, a large united multi-national state, is composed of 56 ethnic groups. Han Chinese account for 91.59% of the overall Chinese population, and the other 55 groups make up the remaining 8.41%, according to the Fifth National Population Census of 2000.
Everything is basically one despite the appearance of differences. Because all is one, matters of good and evil and of true or false, as well as differing opinions, can only arise when people lose sight of the oneness and think that their private beliefs are absolutely true.
Ancient Chinese Culture is older than 5000 years. Chinese cultural history has enormous diversity and variety. The sophisticated Chinese civilization was rich in the Arts and Sciences, elaborate Painting and Printing techniques and delicate pottery and sculpture. Chinese architectural traditions were much respected all over the world.
Buddhism in China. Buddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan in Xinjiang to Central China.
In about the 6th century BC, under the influence of ideas credited to a man named Lao-tzu, Taoism became "the way". like Confucianism, it has influenced every aspect of Chinese culture. Taoism began as a complex system of philosophical thought that could be indulged in by only a few individuals.
David De Cremer is a Provost’s chair and professor in management and organizations at NUS Business School, National University of Singapore. He is the founder and director of the Center on AI Technology for Humankind at NUS Business school.
China is not an individualistic culture, but neither is it – as claimed incorrectly by many people – a collectivistic culture. It is a relational culture. Guanxi is a Chinese concept referring to the tight social networks that shape Chinese society.
Its function is subtly different in each culture. China is the second-largest economy in the world and expected to surpass the US in the next decade. This shift in economic power makes it even more important for Western executives to build successful, high-quality relationships with their Chinese counterparts.