Values and Cultural Assumptions in China

Business leaders in the US may rely more on formal policies and processes, while Chinese business leaders may stress people orientated practices of loyalty and trustworthiness. These ethical concepts are not necessarily incompatible (many may actually overlap), but do highlight the importance of understanding perceptions from each culture.

On the contrary, collectivist societies value conformity, and are more concerned with the success of the group as a whole (Goncalo & Staw, 2006). One of the key differences between the two is the structure of the family unit and the significance placed on maintaining close family ties. Collectivist societies follow a hierarchical system with the patriarchal figure given ultimate power and respect. The importance of family is not valued as highly in individualist societies. For example, while it would be typical for a family living under one roof to consist of many generations and extended relations in China, it would seem highly unusual if the same was to occur in a country such as the United States of America (USA) (Jyh-Shen Chiou, 2001). This is due to the heavy emphasis placed on collectivism in China. Western countries, including the USA, are traditionally viewed as individualist societies (Cai, Wilson, & Drake, 2000). As there is no clear distinction between the family unit and the individual in collectivist cultures, the reputation of the family name is closely tied to the behaviour of every person. Embarrassing one’s self would be to bring shame to the

The Chinese culture is built around thousands of years of tradition. Understanding these Chinese beliefs and social influences may benefit you when attending to someone of this culture.

required uniforms, although theoretically education is free. A small minority are educated beyond primary school. ("Haitians facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Haitians", 2017)

The basic foundation for the development of various communication phenomena are based on cultural and cross-cultural patterned practices. One such communication phenomenon in interpersonal communication is facework. Famous ethnographers of communication, Erving Goffman, Penelope Brown, and Stephen C. Levinson, developed compelling cases on the theory of facework that are often used as the basis for understanding issues of facework active in diverse cultures. Thus, this section of the paper will review works of Victoria Chen, and Brown and Levinson to better understand how the communicative practice of facework is performed in different situations.

Nowadays, exploring the differences in overall cultural value structures among different cultures has gradually grew business’s attention across the world. No matter small companies or global conglomerates, how to get involve and maintain their competitive advantages and long-term sustainable success in global business trade has been a heated topic to discuss. To fully understand the ethic differences and cultural influences, the following four aspects will help us to uncover the similarities and differences between the American and Chinese cultures.

The following examines the nation of China and its trade relations with the world, particularly the United States. The focus is primarily on China’s culture and how it impacts business dealings with other countries. Areas examined include: Religion, Management Philosophy, and Business Etiquette. Also discussed is China’s growing status as a world super power and how that has impacted the global business landscape. Likewise, various trading partners are examined and the effects of doing business with China, specifically for the United States. Points of concern for the United States are things such as the

This process has more significance in most countries except the Unites States. The approach in the U.S. is to get down to business straight away without wasting too much time on people. This is in stark contrast to the process in China where the focus is on building “Guanxi”, that is, the intricate and omnipresent network of personal relations. The U.S. approach can be a huge problem when doing business with China. The American efficiency interferes with the patient development of a mutually trusting relationship – the very basis of an Asian business agreement. This is what happened in the case study. Mr. Smith had done his research and was aware about the Chinese business methodology, but he did not think it was important to implement it. He was well advised by Mr. Tang. Mr. Tang, even though pointed out the significant features of the “American” and the “Chinese” way of doing business, did not stress enough to make Mr. Smith understand its significance. Mr. Tang also jeopardized his relationship with Mrs. Ming whom he had known for many years by not disclosing that the supplier was not a direct supplier.

Cultural values are defined as ideas that are good, right, fair, and just. Children learn these values through different stages of development, from infancy to adulthood. Culture is a way of life, a learned behavior, passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to another and can vary greatly based on nationality, ethnicity, religious values, and beliefs. With increasing globalization, it is paramount that cross-cultural values are understood by educators, healthcare providers, and parents to better understand and address the needs and desires of the next generation.

The Chinese highly value their families as this is the structure of stability and continuity. Children are highly valued, they are educated keenly as they are the predecessors both in arts and culture. The most important lesson they are taught is respect as this is the core value of the Chinese culture. The work of the adults to nurture each other and take care

“Guanxi” derives from Confucianism which greatly values interpersonal relations, but is utilized in business negotiations, particularly with foreigners. Due to China’s history of betrayal by other countries, the Chinese have a fear of being taken advantage of by untrustworthy foreigners. To prevent any future betrayal, the Chinese use the negotiating tactic “guanxi” to ensure a superior status versus the dependent in their business or political relationship.

The geographical area of China is more than 9 million square kilometers and as a result, it is the fourth largest country in the world. There are several ethnic groups in China, the Han Chinese is the largest group, and it is found in almost all parts of the country. Other minority groups include Tibetan, Zhuang, Korean, and Mongol. The Chinese society is high context and non-verbal. The Chinese people acquire the knowledge of what they are supposed to do and say even if they are not told through conversation. Voice and facial expressions play a critical role in determining the feelings in a person. They do not have facial expressions when in a conversation. Direct eye contact is avoided because it is viewed as a symbol of disrespect (Clair & Norris, 2011).

The People's Republic of China is the second-largest country in the world by land area, with a unique style of doing business. People from other countries would also look at America and think they have a unique style of doing business as well while we would see it as the norm. By the same token, China’s take on the business world, economy, and general way of shopping vastly differs from the American’s because Chinese business value personal relationships in comparison to American’s more impersonal style.

     On the other hand, Chinese worker are centered on relationship. Chinese focus on relationship with others and live in the world of trust. Chinese trust people around them in their work place. Often, Chinese did not require signing contract in every agreement unlike American where all agreement must be in contract. By trusting others credibility, it helps create a friendly working environment and promotes intimate relationship among the workers. However, their main weakness is their business culture, where they are quiet and reserved which will reduce their credibility when dealing with American. They weakness also made them a weak immediate decision maker. As for interpersonal problem, Chinese are very concern about the good relationship, and hold it as their top priorities. Chinese would not do any agreement or trade that could harm their relationship with others. Lastly, Chinese are very polite and indirect. They try as hard to prevent the relationship from

Chinese workers believe that close personal relationships are imperative to effective communication. American companies don’t share the same views and some organizations have even related this to workplace fraternization, which can result in disciplinary action. Since we don’t believe that these relationships are necessary, or even appropriate, we don’t form them and this could affect a bi-national workplace and possibly even carry over to business dealings outside of the company. The Chinese believe that, when conducting business with other people, a relationship must first be formed to gain the trust of business partners.