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An Intoduction to Chinese Business Etiquette An Intoduction to Chinese Business Etiquette

An Intoduction to Chinese Business Etiquette - PowerPoint Presentation

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An Intoduction to Chinese Business Etiquette - PPT Presentation

May 16 2013 Zagreb Professor Yan L idong Chinese director of Confucius Institute at University of Zagreb C ontact jimmy4401sinacom We are different but live in one world Understanding cultural differences ID: 604387

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Slide1

An Intoduction to Chinese Business Etiquette

May 16, 2013. ZagrebProfessor Yan Lidong, Chinese director of Confucius Institute at University of ZagrebContact: jimmy4401@sina.comSlide2

We are different but

live in one

world

Understanding cultural differencesAvoiding misunderstandingsDeveloping business cooperationSlide3

Main topics

What is Business Etiquette?What influences Business Etiquette?How to interpret Chinese Business Etiquette?Slide4

1. What is Business Etiquette?

It is all that you do and say while others are looking at you and listening to youIt is the forms, manners and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in social relations, professional relations or in a business settingIt dictates how people of differing or similar tastes relate to one another

How

does business etiquette benefit you?

The importance of k

nowing

the

Acceptable

way of doing things

—what to say, how to dress,

how to react in various situations –

becom

es more and more important

a

s your rank becomes higher. Slide5

2. What influences Business Etiquette?

Business Etiquette is the behavior within a culture

Culture exists in the background through its fundamental impact on the behavior of people who are in the center of business relationships

Culture is the business of international business (Hofstede,1994)Cultural understanding is difficult and sometimes hard to attain, but the rewards can be greatSlide6

2. What influences Business Etiquette?

In order to understand Chinese Business Etiquette, it is important that you try to understand the increasing diversification of the Chinese culture

(especially Han culture)Slide7

2. What influences Business Etiquette?

AgeRaceEthnicityCultureGender

Marital status

Physical statusSocio-economic statusEducationReligionPolitical ideologySlide8

S.H.

18MIO

B.J.

12MIO

CH.DU 10MIOHARBIN 9MIO

T.J.

9MIO

WUHAN.7MIO

74

dialects

56 nationalities

4450

KM

3400

KMSlide9

Categorizations of Chinese culture

By form

Chinese culture as a whole

SubculturesBy language

Capital culture (hanzi, hanyu)Wuyue, Cantonese, Minnan, Sichuan

By ethnicity

Han culture

Minority cultures

By geographical

position

Northern Chinese culture

Southern Chinese culture

Mid-Chinese culture (inland)

By context

Business

culture

Festival/daily life culture

Restaurant culture

Urban/rustic culture

400

sounds*4 tones=1600sounds

56,000characters/1600sounds=35 meanings

per soundSlide10

Categorizations of Chinese culture

Main questions:What forms the characteristics of Chinese culture as a whole?What is the philosophical foundation of Chinese behavior?Slide11

Chinese culture

Characteristics of Chinese culture:Long history and diversity (over 5000 years old with 56 ethnicities)Social structure (family-oriented)interperson-oriented,

collectivist group loyalty (

guanxi)Network embedded (guanxi wang)Philosophical foundation of Chinese culture:ConfucianismBuddhismTaoism

These are the three philosophical traditions of Chinese cultureSlide12

Confucianism

Deals

with:

Moral cultivationHuman relationshipsInterpersonal relationshipsGuanxi / Renqing (EQ) /Trust

Respect for age and hierarchyFamily orientationAvoidance of conflict (indirect)Need for harmony (concept of the face)

Taoism

Deals with:

Life in harmony with nature

Doing nothing

The Yin/Yang

principle

(

there exists neither absolute black nor absolute white. They depend on each other, exist within each other, give birth to each other,

)

Yin

: Female, moon, night, water, weakness, darkness, mystery, softness, passivity

Yang

: Male, sun, day, fire, strength, brightness, clearness, hardness, activity

Tai Chi,

Gong Fu

Chinese traditional herbal medicine

Buddhism

Deals

with:

Uncontrolled power in reach of human beings

Enduring hardship

Looking forward toward

s a better futureSlide13

The Yin and Yang principleSlide14

3. Business Etiquette in China

Greeting

Getting to know each other

Introduction

Improving mutual communication

Attending a meeting

Dress

code

, punctuality,

polite conversation

Attending

a

dinner

Table manners

Building up

Guanxi

(interpersonal relations)

Personal

space

,

r

ank

, roles of

the

intermediary, giving gift

s

, saving face

Some symbol

s

Color preference

s

, figure preference

s

Holidays

Official holiday

s

and traditional holidays

Tips

to better understand ChinaSlide15

What’s wrong?

Li Yong returns to China after one year abroad in the States. He marries Wang Lin, his childhood sweetheart, who has never traveled abroad and speaks very little English. Li's best friend in the States, Brown, comes to visit

Li in China for the first time and is introduced to the

bride of his best friend. "Gee, it's great to meet you", says Brown, "Li talked about you all the time back in Houston!" , and kisses Wang Lin heartily on both cheeks. Wang Lin is shocked.

Questions:Why did Brown and Wang Lin behave the way they did from a cultural perspective?What behaviors caused the misunderstanding in the first place?What corrections to their behavior would you suggest in order to avoid further misunderstandings?Slide16

What’s wrong?

Jin Yi is a new teacher in a middle school. One day, one of her Chinese colleague

s

Yang Fan introduces her to their middle-aged foreign teacher

M

aggy

.

Yang:

Jin Yi, this is

Maggy

, our English teacher from America.

Maggy

,

this is Jin Yi, our new colleague.

Jin and

Maggy

:

How do you do?

Maggy

:

Your sweater is so smart.

Jin:

Oh, it is only an old one, I bought it last year.

Maggy

:

You are so young and smart, I am sure you are a good

teacher.

Jin:

No, no. I am just a newcomer, I should learn from you

old teachers.

Maggy

looks surprised and thinks, "I am really so old?“

Question:

What is the problem in this conversation?Slide17

Greeting – getting to know each other

Greetings are the first step to observe a cultureCommon Chinese greetings:

Traditional

way

Did you already eat

? Ni chi fan le ma?-

你吃饭了吗?

Have

you

been

busy recently?

Zui

jin

mang

ma?

最近忙吗?忙不忙

?

Where are you going?

Qu

na

er

?

去哪?

Hello

!

Ni

hao

!

你好

Modern way

Good morning

!

Z

ao

shang

hao

!

早上好

Good afternoon

!

X

ia

wu

hao

!

下午好

Bye

!

Z

ai

jian

!

再见

See you later

!

H

ui

tou

jian

!

回头见

Other

(limited

body contact)

Nodding

Handshake (gentle, short, with a smile)

Make a bow with your hands folded in the frontSlide18

Introduction to your Chinese partner

Introduce yourself through a third party Introduce yourself through Shaking

hands

Exchange of business cards (ming pian 名片)

A formal introductionTake care about the following:Chinese don’t like to do business with strangers – introduce yourself through a person or an organization

Chinese like formal introductions

– stand up, and keep standing throughout the introduction

Chinese don’t like direct body contact

– a short handshake is acceptable, maybe a hug with an old friendSlide19

Introduction to your Chinese partner

Rules for a succesful introduction:

Do not forget to ask a

Chinese person which name is their family nameAddress a Chinese

person using his or her family name onlyIt is acceptable to call a person by their surname, together with a titleAvoid using someone’s first name unless you have known the person for a long time

Do not try to become

intimate

too fast

No touching like hugs or arm around the shoulder

Do not look people straight in the eye

A man is always introduced to a woman

A young

person

is always introduced to an old person

A less important person is always introduced to a more important personSlide20

Introduction to your Chinese partner

How to make an introduction?TitleSurnameOne/two syllable given nameHow to use a business card?What should be on a business card?When do we exchange business cards?Slide21

Introduction to your Chinese partner

Rules for exchanging a business card:Have one side of you business card translated to ChineseHold the card in both hands when offering it, the Chinese side facing the recipient

Business cards should never be exchanged over a table

Examine the card before putting it in a business card caseA handshake, nod or a slight bow should follow the exchangeSlide22

Attending a meeting

Make an appointment in advance

Pay a

ttention to the agendaDress properly

Promptness or early arrival is welcomeKeep body language limited

Hire an i

nterpreter

if necessarySlide23

Attending a meeting

Time orientation Order of entering the

meeting

roomIntroductionsTable shape and seating orderVIPs

and guests sit on the rightLeader sits in

the

middle

facing

the

leader

of

the

partners

Principal

host

sits

directly opposite to the principal guestSmall talk in order to

break the tensionWelcome speech (both sides,

only senior members)Slide24

Attending a

meeting – FAQWho should enter the meeting room first?Senior members (usually

escorted to

their seats)What is the dress code for a business

meeting?Conservative business suitsWhy should the

starting

price

leave

room

for

negotiation

?

It

is

not

likely

that

any

decisions

will

be made during the meetingBring the

materials in both languagesHow to interpret „We’ll see

.” or „We’ll think about it”?Look for signs

of

dismay

or

surprise

(

such

as

sharp

intakes

of

breath

)

Take

care

that

applause is a common form of greeting in China, be respectful and return the applause.Slide25

Attending a

business dinnerDelicious and colorful Chinese food Prepare a short, friendly speech in response to the

host’s

speech Understand the table mannersSeat

ing arrangementSome common misstepsSlide26

Delicious and colorful Chinese food

Lu

Chuan

Hang/Z

he

Y

ue

X

iang

H

uaiyang

H

ui

M

inSlide27

Attending

a business dinner

When

to sit down? Guests first, host second; Seniors first,

juniors second; Older first, younger second.

The main tables and the important

tables

first

What

to

order

?

Drink

s

(beer,

Baijiu

or alcoholic beverage)

Starter

s

(

Tea

, cold

dishes

)

Main

courses (hot meats and vegetables

)Soup (with Rice, noodles or dumplings) Public

chopsticks and spoonsConversationPaying the bill Slide28

Attending a

business dinner – table mannersAll dishes are placed on the

table and shared

Chinese hosts will sometimes put food in your bowl or plate with public chopsticksDo not stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl

Make sure that the spout of a teapot is not facing anyoneDo not turn over the fishDo not tap your bowl with your chopsticksDo

not

o

verorder

or

overeat

H

ow

to tell a Chinese “ I am really

full”

?Slide29

Building up

GuānxìWhat’s Guanxi?Roles

of the

intermediaryChanges in personal distanceAttention to different ranksFormal invitation

Gift-givingSlide30

Building

up Guā

nxì

How to build up Guanxi? How to interpret „

friendship first, business second”?In China, guānxì provides the necessary social glue between parties who interact over an extended period.

I

n

this

context

,

Guānxì

refers

to

a long-term relationship based on mutual obligation.

One begins to build

guānxì

by doing small favors, taking one out to dinner, or bringing a gift.

Trust also grows with the relationship, and one relies on the honor of his

guānxì

partner rather than legal remedies to vouchsafe an agreement. Slide31

Chinese people

rarely do business with strangersPersonal space in China is closer than in

the West.

The person with the higher rank should always be respected

Intimate

Personal

Social

Public

15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Building

up

Gu

ā

nx

ìSlide32

Building

up Guā

nxì

- giftsGifts are very important for Guānxì

and friendshipsIt is appropriate to bring a gift to a business meeting or a social eventGiving business gifts time

amount

wrapp

ing

(

color

of

the

wrapping

paper

and

appropriate

time

to open)Slide33

Building up

Guānxì - giftsDo not give clocks, chrysanthemum, cut flowers, white objects which are associated with

deathWrap

gifts: red and gold colors for wrapping paperDo not use black or white paper to wrap the gifts because they are the colors of mourningDo not

use red ink to write namesChinese do not open gifts when they are received because it indicates that it is the thought that counts more than the material valueSlide34

Saving face

Saving face, losing face, giving faceSaving face plays some roles in almost every culture, but in China and other southeastern Asian countries it is a constant preoccupation One never speaks or acts in a social setting without consedering

the effect on reputation

A primary goal at a social or business gathering is to avoid embarrassing or offending one's associates One does not show or provoke anger“Thank you” is mainly spoken to strangersSlide35

Common

symbols and interpretationsSymbolization is how people imagine or regard something, which reflects the way people think

Meaning of symbols differs across cultures

Symbolic meaning of nonverbal communication can also cause problems Common Chinese symbolsSymbol of the

Twelve animalsSymbol of Wu XingSymbol of the DragonColor preference Figure preferenceSlide36

Twelve

animalsSlide37

Twelve animals

Mouse

wise

Ox

hard-working

Tiger

brave

R

abbit

cautious

D

ragon

fierce

Snake

timid

H

orse

agressive

S

heep

amiable

M

onkey

agile

Rooster

eternal

D

og

faihful

P

ig

flexibleSlide38

Symbol

of the DragonWe regard the dragon as God and say that we Chinese are the descendants of the

dragonThe God of Dragons of the four seas

takes charge of the rainfalls, so we sometimes also call it the God of the water or rain.Dragon is imagined as snakelike, flowing in the sky most

of the timeIts shape is a combination of the face of a horse, the horns of a deer, the ears of an ox, the body of a snake, the claws of

an

eagle,

squama

of

a

fish

Many

emperors in the history of China declared themselves to be the sons of dragons,

wore

clothing

with

the

dragon

symbol

, had

thrones

carved

in the likeness of a dragonIn the West, dragons, like dinosaurs, can stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge wingsThey

are regarded as dangerous due to their ability to breathe

fire - they have even become the symbol of the DevilSlide39

Symbol of

the DragonSlide40

Color

preferenceIn the APEC summit held in Shanghai in 2001, the presidents wore the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo together. The colors of the suits were chosen by themselves freely. However, it’s quite interesting to find that most Eastern leaders chose red while most of the western leaders preferred blue.To explain this, it’s easy to realize that what red means is almost opposite in the East and the

WestRed

means luck, fortune in China. We Chinese often use this color to decorate for festivals, such as red lanterns, red Chinese knots, red bannersred stands for blood, revolutions in the West. Slide41

Number

preference4 (si)

Similar

pronunciation as death, hardly ever used6 (liu

)Good luck8 (ba)Wealthy,

pronounced

the

same as fa

9 (

jiu

)

The

biggest

number

10 (

shi

)

The

perfect

numberSlide42

Holidays

Spring Festival The first day of

Chinese lunar

new year Lantern Festival T

he fifteenth day of the Chinese lunar new Year

Qing Min

g

festival

April

5th

Dragon Boat Festival

May

5

th

Lunar year

Mid-Autumn Festival

T

he

fifteenth day of the eighth lunar

month

Chong Yang Festival

T

he

ninth day

of the ninth month in lunar yearSlide43

Holidays

and working hoursNew Year’s day (

January 1st)Labor

day (May 1st)Children’s day (June 1st)Army’s day (August 1st)Women’s

day (March 8th)National day (October 1st)Working

hours

:

Monday

to

Friday

, 8h a

day

Extra

pay

for

overtimeSlide44

Golden R

ules of doing business with the Chinese

Everything

is possible Nothing is easy Western business logic usually does not apply

It is a fun project if there is no deadline You must be patient - things will eventually come your way “You don’t know China” means they disagree

“New

regulation” means they found a new way to avoid doing something

When

you are optimistic, think about Rule #2

When

you are discouraged, think about Rule #1 Slide45

Havala

and

wish you a successful career!

Do as the

Chinese do…