CHINESE CULTURE & BUSINESS ETIQUETTE (12) -Communication styles -Business etiquette Ma Qin Chinese Communication styles • Personal privacy might not be as major a concern for people in collectivistic cultures as it is for people in individualistic cultures. In daily life: - Where are you going? Have you eaten yet? Have you been married? How old are you? What are you doing? Chinese Communication styles • Indirectness -Chinese people are looking for meaning and understanding in what is not said — in the nonverbal communication or body language, in the silences and pauses, in relationships and empathy. - Can I invite you to dinner tonight? - Oh, I have an exam tomorrow. (implication) Chinese Communication styles • Compliment - A way of giving face. - May not really mean it. • Response to compliment - Be modest - Your new dress is beautiful! - It’s quite cheap. Or - I bought it 3 years ago. - You can play tennis well! - Just so so! Chinese Communication styles e.g. - Your cooking is so great! (1) - I should apologize profusely for giving you nothing even slightly edible and for not showing you enough honor by providing proper dishes. (2) - Oh, I’m so glad you liked it. I cooked it especially for you.” Chinese Communication styles • Refuse an offer (3 times) before they accept. -This practice left many Chinese hungry at a western table - Do you want some tea? - Please don’t bother. (may be signal to fetch tea, or ask twice) - You have to try our tea. My friend brought it from Yun Nan. - OK! Obedience is better than politeness. Reasons: To reduce the weight of imposition or to avoid a face-threatening acts. Case Study • A Chinese policeman (A) goes to his British superior (B) and asks leave to take his mother to hospital. Here is the conversation. • A: Sir • B: Yes, what is it? • A: My mother is not very well, sir. • B: So? • A: She has to go into hospital, sir. • B: Well, get on with it. What do you want? • A: On Thursday, sir. • B: bloody hell, man. What do you want? • A: Nothing, sir. (Xu Yulong，1992:303) Chinese Communication styles • Sorry to have wasted your time! (thanks for your help) • You still remain the same and do not look older than before (compliment to a longtime departed friend ) Denigrating Self and Respecting Others • Chinese indirectness is expressed by denigrating self and respecting others • Chinese “谦逊(modesty)” is to put down self and to build up others whereas “modesty” is avoiding self-praise • Chinese “谦逊 (modesty)” is the core of Chinese politeness Face-Directed Communication Strategies • Non-confrontation (No criticism in public) • Compliance Strategies – Unassertive ways of expressing intentions – Meaning should not be negotiated in public (threaten authority and harmony) • Provisional responses – Inconvenient, there are some difficulties. (No.) – No big problem. (Yes) – We will study/consider it. (bureaucracy) • Using intermediaries (save face for both sides) Chinese Communication styles • All relationships in China are hierarchical - conscious in any interaction who is older and who is younger, who has a higher level of education, who has a lower level, who is in a higher institutional or economic position and who is lower, or who is a teacher and who is a student. • Kinship terms (terms for younger/elder brother, uncle from maternal/paternal side…) Chinese Communication styles • Topic introduction-- hierarchical - the person in the higher position has the right to introduce the topic and that right supersedes the question of who speaks first in the interaction. • Respect leader or senior colleagues Americanization “The Chinese want the American lifestyle, a modern lifestyle, the way they think Americans live." ---James Watson, anthropology professor at Harvard University Americanization Consumerism • Consumption of Luxury goods Understanding Chinese Consumers • The consumption of Women: The transformation from dedication to selfdom. (behind Jack Ma) Consumerism • Traditionally, businessmen are – wicked – gainful (work exclusively for profit ) – money-grubber – forget one's integrity when tempted by personal gain • Now, rich businessmen as heroes/heroines • 91.2billion 12 minutes 10 billion 91.2billion Jack Ma’s Rules for Success • Customers No1. 顾客 • Employees No.2 员工 • Shareholders No.3 股东 • Video Greetings • Handshaking is the accepted greeting, with a light handshake encouraged (manman or man-woman) • Body touch (may pat your shoulder) • Chinese lower their eyes slightly as a sign of respect. • Staring may make Chinese uncomfortable. • Compliments Business cards • Start from the most senior person before moving down the line. • With both hands. • Remember to face the card you are giving out in a manner such that the receiving party gets it facing him correctly. Gift-giving • If you are buying gifts for an initial contact, make sure you buy better gifts for the senior managers instead of buying similar gifts across the board. • Expect to receive gifts from the Chinese, especially Chinese art products. • It is polite not to refuse, especially if it is not of too high a monetary value. Gift-giving • Gifts are always appreciated • Good choices of gifts include quality office instruments, branded wines, picture books about your city, region or country and products your home country is famous for. • Do not expect that a gift will be opened immediately • At the same time, watch out for culture-specific taboos. Gift-giving • Do not give clocks. Clocks are associated with death. • Do not give knives, scissors, letter openers, etc. It implies the severing of a relationship • Do not give umbrellas (“disband or dissolve”) • Avoid giving things to people in groups of four, since the number four in Chinese is a homonym for the word 'death' . • Never give a Chinese gentleman a green hat. (means that man's wife is having an affair with another man). Gift-giving • In most Asian countries, business gifts are given at the end of a meeting. • If you want to give gift to one person, avoid giving it in front of others. You may pull him aside at an opportune time and give him the gift quietly. • Or you can give something that can be shared and enjoyed by the whole group. Concept of time • Western business visitors are often deadline-driven and unwilling to slow down to the Chinese pace when discussing business. • China the pace can be fast and slow simultaneously. Those involved in negotiations know how long they can drag on when the Chinese side is consulting internally or has other reasons for delay. Difference in Logic • Where Westerners tend to look for clear alternatives (option A instead of option B), Easterners may examine ways to combine both option A and option B. This difference in approach may make a Westerner think that a Chinese negotiator is being illogical, evasive or devious, when he believes he is being quite straightforward. • Writing styles Direct approach and indirect approach The Chinese and Japanese dislike doing business with strangers; it’s helpful to be introduced properly by an intermediary known to both sides. If you make an independent initial approach, you should provide as much information as possible about your company and what you hope to accomplish. Drinking • The Chinese are big drinkers especially in Northern and Western China. It does not matter if it is lunch or dinner; as long as a meal is being hosted, there will be alcohol. • Chinese wine is the favorite, followed by red wine and beer. Chinese wine is more like fuel than liquor, having an alcohol concentration as high as 60%! Drinking • It is often seen as rude not to drink with the Chinese in a formal dinner. To maintain your sanity, either claim to be a non alcoholic or plead medical grounds as an excuse. This will let you off the hook with little or minimal drinks. Better yet, bring a partner who can drink on your behalf! Cheers Low To Give Face Tips • If you are the guest, wait to be seated as hierarchy is involved • Eating usually begins once the host offers the first drink. • Use the serving chopsticks or turn your chopsticks around when use them to server others Seat Arrangement • sitting positions in a meeting room or a dining table is arranged accordingly to rank, importance and seniority. It is good to seek advice before embarking on your first meeting with Chinese business contacts to avoid making the wrong move. Seat Arrangement • In business meeting or negotiation Chief-guest Chief-host Door Seat Arrangement • In business meeting or negotiation Chief-host Door Chief-guest Seat Arrangement • In business meeting or negotiation – Round tables create a harmonious atmosphere Minute-taker, Interpreter – Ungulate tables Chief-host Chief-guest Seat Arrangement • for the contract-signing ceremony Chief-host Chief-guest Audience Business Banquet • If the host and the guest go to the restaurant separately, the host shall try to arrive first and make due arrangement and welcome the guest in person. • The seats with the best views of the table shall be reserved for the guest. • If spouses are included and the group is large enough, make sure the spouses are not sitting next to each other. Business Talk • There is no business talk in China without at least one trip to a restaurant. • Conversation at dinner table should be soft spoken. • Do not jump at the business issue too fast. You need at least 5-10 minutes of ice-breaking small talks. • Avoid personal or uneasy topics, and do not speak only to one person at the dinner table. Uneasy Topics 1. You must not mention that Taiwan or Tibet is an independent state or a country. 2. You must NEVER praise the Japanese or be seen to be good buddies with them 3. You can condemn Mao Tse Tung but avoid critising Deng Hsiao Ping 4. You must not praise Shanghai in front of natives of Beijing and similarly vice versa Business Talk • Business Relationship in China is social relationship • The more you share your personal life, including family, hobbies, political views, aspirations, the closer you are in your business relationship. • Sometimes, a lot of time is spent discussing matters outside of business, but then a lot of time, the other party is also making up his mind about your deal based on how much he sees your personal relationship with him. After Dinner Entertainment • Formal business dinner normally drags for quite sometime as there will be much social talk, some karaoke, and drinking contests. • If you are just new to this partnership, you are unlikely to be invited to further after dinner entertainment. Business Entertainment • However, once you are familiar with them, you may be invited to a Karaoke, or a Night Club, or a Sauna. • If they are the host for the night, all bills will be picked up by them for the night, including all entertainment. It is impolite to fight for the bill or worst, split the bills. • If you are the host for the night, you are expected to pick up all bills for the night.
