中美文化差异对商务礼仪的影响.docx

中美文化差异对商务礼仪的影响.docx

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中美文化差异对商务礼仪的影响

中美文化差异对商务礼仪的影响

摘要:

作为世界上两大重要的国家和主要的贸易合作伙伴，如今中美两国的商务活动越来越频繁。

然而，当两国进行贸易时，受文化差异的影响所产生的商务礼仪的不同是一个不可忽视的问题。

如果不了解对方国家的文化礼仪，两国的商务进程很可能会失败。

因此，掌握各国的商务礼仪知识是十分必要的，而且在进行贸易活动之前对这些差异进行研究也是十分值得的。

在本文中，作者首先对礼仪做出了定义和概念,介绍其基本的观点，然后再进行深入了解。

但是本文的重心则从五个方面分析中美两国商务礼仪的差异，包括首次见面时的礼仪，餐桌礼仪，由于时间、价值观念不同看法，和思维方式的差异带来的礼仪。

本文的写作目的是帮助两国的商人了解彼此礼仪的差异，使他们能够在商务进程中做出得体的举止，并尽可能地取得成功。

关键词：

文化差异，商务礼仪，影响

1.     Introduction

Therapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnologyaremakingtheworldsmaller.Therefore,therelationshipamongcountriesisbecomingcloserandcloser,especiallybetweenChinaandAmerica.Duringtheeconomicdevelopmentoftheglobalization,themostobviousphenomenonisthatthebusinessactivitiesbetweenthetwocountriesarebecomingmoreandmorefrequent.However,becauseofthedifferenteconomicbackgrounds,values,andreligiousbeliefsduetoculturaldifferences,thebusinessetiquettediffersfromeachother,whichleadstoconflictsandfrictionsindoingbusiness.

Inordertoreducetheconflicts,peopleshouldknowthedifferenceswellinculturesandbusinessetiquettebetweenChinaandAmerica.Inthefollowingstudies,culturaldifferencesandtheirinfluenceoneachcountry’setiquetteondifferentoccasionsaresystematicallypresented.Besides,theauthorgivesseveralcasestoillustratethedifferencesofetiquetteandshowshowimportantforthebusinessmeninbothChinaandAmericatounderstandthosedifferences.

2.     LiteratureReview

Presently,moreandmorepeoplehaverealizedtheimportanceofbusinessetiquette,thusmanyscholarsengageinstudyinginthisfield.SincethisthesisstudiestheimpactofSino-Americanculturaldifferencesonbusinessetiquette,areviewonthetheoriesofpredecessorsfromtwoaspectsincludingcultureandbusinessetiquetteisindispensable.

2.1Theoriesrelatedtoculture

2.1.1Definitionofculture

Therearemanydefinitionsofculture.Theearliestandclassicdefinitionwasputforwardover100yearsagobyTaylor,awell-knownBritishanthropologist,whodefinedcultureas“thatcomplexwholewhichincludesknowledge,belief,art,morals,law,custom,andanyothercapabilitiesandhabitsacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety.”（Taylor,1874:

1）

Therearemanyotherdefinitionsfromdifferentperspectives,butnevertheless,weareconcernedwiththosewhichareconductivetoourunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweencultureandbusinessetiquette.

GeertHofstede,anexpertonmanagementandcross-culturaldifferences,definedcultureas“thecollectiveprogrammingofthemindwhichdistinguishesthemembersofonehumangroupfromanother…Culture,inthissense,includessystemsofvalues，andvaluesareamongthebuildingblocksofculture.”（GeertHofstede,1984）Fromthispointofview,wecanseethatcultureisasystemofvaluesandnormswhicharesharedbyagroupofpeople.Bythosevaluesandnorms,peopleinonegroupcanjudgewhatisgood,right,anddesirable.

2.1.2Culturaldifferencesandtheirroots

Itisknownthatpeopleacrossnationsandcultureshavedifferentbehaviorsandbeliefs.“Membersofdifferentcultureslookdifferentlyattheworldaroundthem.Somebelievethatthephysicalworldisreal.Othersbelievethatitisjustanillusion.Somebelieveeverythingaroundthemispermanentwhileotherssayitistransient.Realityisnotthesameforallpeople.”（Samovar,Porter&Stefani,2003:

33）Forinstance,ageishighlyrespectedinChina.Youngpeoplearetaughttorespecttheoldwhentheyarechildren.Onthecontrary,Americansencourageandpromotethosewhoarequalifiedandcompetentregardlessofageandtheyoungdon'tseetheoldinthesamewayasChinesedo.Americancultureisconsideredtobeindividualistic,whereasChinesecultureischaracterizedbycollective.

Whyculturesdifferbetweenthesetwocountries?

Toanswerthisquestion,weshouldexploretherootsofAmericancultureandChineseone.“IntheUnitedStates,itisestimatedthat86%ofthepopulationisChristian.”（Samovar,Porter&Stefani,2003:

94）ChristiansbelieveinGodwhoisalmightyandtheCreatorofeverything,heaven,earth,moon,animalsandhuman.Sotheybehaveconfidentlyandattachmuchimportancetoindividualism.WhileinChina,ConfucianismisaphilosophicthoughtthathasspreadnotonlyinChinabutalsointhewholeEastAsiafor2,500years.“Confucianismcanbeconceivedasinvolvingsixcorevalues:

（a）moralcultivation,（b）importanceofinterpersonalrelationships,（c）familyorientation,（d）respectforageandhierarchy,（e）avoidanceofconflictandneedforharmony,（f）conceptofface.”（Fang,1999:

109）Accordingtothisthought,individualismhasnegativemeanings.Itstressesonharmony,face,peaceandsoon.AllthesehaveshapedChinesetraditionalculture.Nowadays,theinfluenceofConfuciancanstillbeseeneverywhereinChina.Withsomanyculturaldifferences,eachcountry’sbusinessetiquettemustdifferfromeachother.

2.2Theoriesrelatedtobusinessetiquette

2.2.1Definitionofbusinessetiquette

Beforediscussingthedefinitionofbusinessetiquette,weshouldunderstandthemeaningoftheword,etiquette.Etiquettereferstoakindofstandardizedbehaviorinhuman’scontactsandcommunicationswhichmeansmorethanpoliteness.Hereisadefinitionofetiquetteasfollows:

“Etiquettemeansformalrulesofcorrectandpolitebehaviorinsocietyoramongmembersofaprofession.”（Hornby,1997:

491）

Accordingly,businessetiquettecanbedefinedasstandardizedbehaviorsandnormsthatshouldbeabidedbybusinesspeopleintheiractivities．InMa’sopinion,hedefinesthebusinessetiquetteasfollows:

Businessetiquetteisthenormsandcriteriaalongwithlanguage,expressionandbehaviors,indifferentsituationabidedbytwoormorebusinessparties,bywhichtheyexpresstheirrecognition,showtheirrespectstoeachotherandexchangeeachopinion,inordertoestablishafriendlyandharmoniousbusinessrelationship.（Ma,2004:

411）

2.2.2RootofChineseandAmericanetiquette

China,asthecradleoforientalculture,enjoysareputationoftheetiquettecountry.InChina,etiquetteisequaltocourtesyandceremony.AsearlyasinHandynasty,therewerethreegreatworks,called“threeli”,Yi-li,Chou-liandLi-ji,whichtogetherhadagreatinfluenceinChinesesociety.

However,Americahistoryisshort,soisitsetiquettehistory.ThewordetiquettewasoriginatedfromFrench“etiquette”,whoseoriginalmeaningwaslaissez-passerincourt.Later,peoplefoundnotonlyincourt,butinsocialcommunitytheyshouldabidebysomenormsandregulations.Soetiquettebecamethelaissez-passerofpersonalintercoursenowadays.（Zhu,2006:

3-6）

Therefore,AmericanetiquetteisnotasprofoundasChineseetiquette.That’swhyAmericansdon’tcaresomuchaboutetiquetteasChinesepeopledo.

3.ImpactsofSino-Americanculturaldifferencesonetiquette

Becausecultureinfluencesetiquette,thevalues,beliefs,attitudesandbehaviorsarevastlydifferentfromculturetoculture.WithsuchdifferentculturalbackgroundsbetweenChinaandAmerica,thebusinessetiquetteofthetwocountriesisdifferentbeyondquestion.Thespecificdifferenceswillbediscussedfromfiveaspectsasfollows.

3.1Onknockingupanacquaintance

3.1.1Greeting

Greetingscanberoughlydividedintolanguagegreetingsandnon-languagegreetings.Forthenon-languagegreetings,itmeansbesidessayingsomething,theygreetthroughfacialexpressionorbodylanguage,suchasnodding,smilingorshakinghands.Itisacommonetiquetteallovertheworldthatpeoplegreeteachotherwhentheymeet.Butthewaysorwordstheyusetogreetaredifferent.InAmerica,peoplegreeteachotherassimpleas:

“hello”or“howareyou?

”or“goodmorning”,“goodafternoon”accordingtothetime.ThesearequitedifferentfromourChina’sgreetings.Takeanexample,anewAmericanteacherinChinawasridinghisbicycleinthecampuswhenhemetaChinesestudent.TheChinesestudentaskedhim:

“haveyouhadyourdinner?

”OfcourseitisjustacommonChinesegreetingaroundmealtime.Buttheteacherstoppedandsaid:

“I’mgoingto.Let’sgo.”Butthestudenthadwalkaway,justleavingoneword:

“goodbye.”TheAmericanteacherfeltsurprisedandembarrassed.BecausetoAmericans,thegreetingmightmean:

“Ihaven’teither.Comeon.Let’sgotoeatsomethingtogether.”Thatistosay,ifwegreetAmericanslikethis,theywillconsiderwegivethemaninvitation.

TheothergreetinginChinaisthat:

“Whereareyougoing?

”ThisisalsoimproperwhengreetinganAmerican.BecauseAmericansputmuchemphasisonprivacyandtheythinkitistheirprivacy.

3.1.2Personalspace

Personalspaceisvariablefrompersontoperson,dependingonthegender,age,culturalbackground,andrelationshiptothepeoplewithwhomtheyarecommunicating.InChina,peoplearecomfortablewithacloserpersonalspacethanthatofAmericans.Theythinkashortdistancecanenhancethefriendshipbetweenpeople.Butwhenconversingwiththeoppositesex,thepersonaldistanceisbigger,becauseChinesepeoplehaveaconventionalconceptonit.AccordingChineseculture,peopleshouldkeepabiggerdistancebetweenmenandwomen.

3.1.3Addressing

Inbusinessactivities,peopleareverysensibletotheaddressingothersmaketothem.Chinesecultureisaformalone.InChina,Mr.orMs.（surname）ispopularaddressing,andcompletenameisalsoacceptable.Buttitleandstatusareextremelyimportant.UsingtitlesisasignofrespectinChina.Forexample,it’spropertoaddresssomeoneMr.Zhang,butit’sbettertoaddresshimasChiefZhangifheisachiefofacompany.Chinesepeoplealwaysavoidcallingpeoplebytheirfirstnames,unlesstheyarelon