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…