Essays on Cultural Differences.docx

Essays on Cultural Differences.docx

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EssaysonCulturalDifferences

EssaysonCulturalDifferences

#1DoingBusinessinChina

WhiledoingbusinessinChina,itisnotunusualtobeaskedifyouaremarriedorsingle,howmuchmoneyyouearn,orhaveyougainedweight.Dr.CarynVoskuilprovidesexamplesofthemajordifferencebetweenChineseandWesternbusiness cultures

Notlongago,Iwashavingdinnerwithsomecolleagues.Afterthemeal,oneofthemturnedtomeandremarkedthatIshouldconsidergettingplasticsurgeryforthebagsundermyeyes.BecausethisismythirdyearinChina,Iwasnotshockedorhurt（thoughmypridewasabitwounded）,butIwasagainremindedofoneoftheinterestingdifferencesbetweenlivinghereandintheWest:

theissueofwhatisconsidered‘personal’andwhatis‘private’–particularlyinbusinessandworkrelationships.WhileImakenoclaimtobeingaspecialistinthisfield,Iwillmakesomeobservationsbasedonmyownbusinessexperienceswhilelivingabroad.

InChina,itisnotunusualforcolleagues,bossesorsubordinatestocommentonone’sappearanceortoaskaboutone’spersonallife.Forexample,Iwas oncetoldbyastudentthatIseemedtobegettingfat.OthershaveaskedmeifIammarried（ormoresurprisingly,WHYI’mnotmarried!

）.Itisnotunusualforstudents,co-workersorclientstoaskifIhaveaboyfriend,orifIamaChristian.IhavereceivedunsolicitedadvicefrommanypeoplewithwhomIworkregardingmyeatinghabits,myclothing,andmysleepinghabits.Iamregularlytoldnottodrinkcoldbeverages,towearwarmerclothing,nottotakecertaintypesofmedicines,nottoconsumecaffeineduringcertaintimesofthemonth,todrinkmorehotwater,andnottouseairconditioning.Lastmonth,acolleaguethatIwasworkingwithforthefirsttimeaskedmehowmuchmoneyImade!

Itseemsthatone’spersonalhabitsandprivatelifeare,inmanyways,mattersofpublicconcerninChina.

Inthewestofcourse,onemaydiscusssuchthingswithfriendsorfamily.Itisalsopossibletohave‘friends’atworkwithwhomyoudiscusspersonalissues.However,intheworkplace,suchcommentswouldbeconsideredparticularlyboorishfromacolleagueorsuperior,andwouldbecompletelyunacceptablefromsubordinates.PrivacyistakensoseriouslyinAmericanbusinessthattherearelawswhichmakeitillegalforabosstoaskanemployeeaboutmostpersonalissueswhenhiringsuchasreligion,age,maritalandfamilystatus,height,weightanddisabilities.Askinghowmuchmoneyaco-workermakescanbegroundsfordismissalinmanycompanies,andattheveryleastisconsidereduncouth.Thisisbecauseinthewest,businessisconsideredanactivitybaseduponthelogicalapplicationofbusinessprinciplestooneend–makingmoney,andgoodbusinesspeopleareconsideredtobethosewhoarenotswayedbypersonalissuesunrelatedtothebusinessmattersathand.

DoingBusinessinChina,however,isbasedlargelyuponpersonalrelationshipsandconnections（关系－guanxi）,andaskingsuchquestionsisawaytoshowsincereinterestinyourcolleagues,andtobuildcloserrelationships.Asmycolleague,TheresaGao,wrote inherarticle,ChineseBusinessCulture, ithasbeenthiswayforcenturies,sosuchquestionsnotonlysoundcompletelynaturaltomostChinese,theyareconsideredappropriate.Thisfocusonthe‘personal’whenoneisDoingBusinessinChinaexplainsotheraspectsofbusinessbehaviorthatareoftenbafflingtowesterners.Forexample,itisnotunusualforsomeonewhoisdoingbusinessinChinatodosowithoutacontract,thoughthiswouldbegenerallyunacceptableintheWest.

IntheWest,acontractassuresthatallbusinessassociatesconductthemselvesaccordingtothelawsandtotheiragreements.Oneneednotknowanassociate‘personally’totrustthattheywilladheretothecontract.ButinChina,personalrelationshipsbetweenassociatesarethefoundationforbusinessrelationships,andIoftenwonderifcontractsseemtoimplyanabsenceoftrusttoChinese.PerhapsinthemindsofChinesebusinesspeople,contractsarenotreally‘necessary’.Certainlythisisnotthecaseinlargebusinessventuresandjointventures,butinconsultingrelationshipsandbusinessagreementsthataresmallerinscope,Ihavenoticedthatcontractsarerare,andevenwhentheyexist,oftenarenotcloselyadheredto.Havinggoodrelationshipswithyourassociatesandclients,then,isoftheutmostimportance!

OtherinterestingbusinesspracticesinChinathatdifferfromthoseofthewestinvolve‘socializing’withclientsandassociates.WhenDoingBusinessinChina,itiscommonforbusinessassociatestosocializetogetherafterworkhours.Thisagainisdoneforthepurposeofcementing‘personal’relationshipsorguanxi,withamindtoimprovingbusinessrelations.Ihavealsoattendedmanybusinessbanquetswhereagooddealofdrinkingtakesplace.WhileitisconsideredbadformtoencourageassociatestodrinkalcoholintheWest（duetotheincreasingawarenessofthenegativehealtheffectofalcohol）,Chinesecolleagueswillfillyourglassrepeatedly,encouragingyoutotoasttomutualfriendshipandcamaraderie.Again,thisisafriendlygesturemeanttopromotegood-will.Ifyoudonotwishtodrink,youcansimplytoastwithwaterorjuice（asIoftendo）.

Anotherissuethatsurprisesmanywesternersistheubiquityofsmokingintheworkplace（andeverywhereelse）inChina.IllegalinmuchoftheWest（andconsideredaviolationof‘personal’space）,smokingintheworkplaceisalsotechnically‘notpermitted’inmanyworkplacesinChina–butsuchrulesarepatentlyignored.Again,nooffenseisintended–theChineseseemtobemuchmoretolerantofsuchbehaviorsthanwesterners,andaremuchlessfocusedontheconceptof‘personal’space.Onemightarguethatthestresscausedbyfeelingsofresentmentisalmostasbadforone’shealthassecond-handsmoke.Soletthemgofornow–Ifeelcertain,however,thatthiswillchangeinduetimeasawarenessofthehazardsofsmokingincreasesinChina.

Asthebusinessworldshrinks,morewesternersareDoingBusinessinChinawithgreatersuccess.AnunderstandingoftheimportanceofpersonalrelationshipsandsocialinteractionsinChinesebusinesspracticescanclearupnumerousmisunderstandingsbetweentheEastandtheWest,andbringaboutaprosperousfutureforallwishingtobenefitfromtherichbusinessclimateofthisfertileandrapidlydevelopingcountry.

#2CustomsinChina

CustomsinChinaareverydifferentfromthoseintheWest;UnderstandingsuchcustomsisthekeytosuccessfullyenjoylivingandworkinginChina

Oneofthemostexcitingthingsabouttravelingorlivingabroadisbeingabletoexperienceaculturedifferentfromyourown.Yet,culturaldifferencescanalsobeveryfrustrating!

Ashumanbeingsweareproductsofourupbringing.Atthesametime,weareallcertainthatweareproductsof‘nature’–thuswethinkthatourideasandwaysofdoingthingsare‘right’,eventhoughtheyaresimplyhabitsthatwehavebeentaughtandtowhichwehavegrownaccustomed.Thefeelingthatweareall‘normal’andthatforeignersare‘abnormal’iscommontoallcultures.Wearelikecatswhothinkthatdogsare‘odd’forlikingbones,insteadofpreferringmilkaswedo.

Customissomethingweputon,likeacoatorashoe.Weadoptthecustomsthatwearetoldare‘best’byourancestorsandoursociety,andwebecomesocomfortableinthemthatwefeelthatwewerebornwiththem.Manyculturaldifferencesincustomaresimplyamusingorinteresting,butthosehavingtodowithsocialbehaviorandpolitenesscanbemuchmoredistressingastheygotothecoreofourfeelingsofesteemandself-respect.WheninChina,westernersmaybesurprisedandastonishedathowsocialbehaviorcustomsinChinaareverydifferentfromtheirown.Likewise,theirChinesehostsmayfeelunabletocomprehendthebehavioroftheirforeignvisitors.Restassured,however,thatbothChineseandwesternsocietyplaceagreatdealofvalueandemphasisonpolitesocialinteraction.Theydonot,however,defineitinpreciselythesameway.

Inthewestourparents,churches,andschoolsinstructusfromanearlyagetotreatstrangersandfriendsalike.TheBiblicalgoldenrule“dountoothersasyouwouldhavethemdountoyou”istheexamplehelduptothereligiousandnon-religiousalike.Manyfollowitbecausetheywanttobe‘good’.Othersbelievethatifoneexpectstoliveinasocietyandbetreatedwithkindnessanddecency,thenlogicdemandsthatonemusttreatotherswithkindnessanddecency.

Thistranslatesintocustomsofopeningdoorsforstrangers,takingturnsintrafficoratthestore,waitingpatientlyinlineandgivingseatstowomen,theweak,andtheelderly.Breakingtherulesorlawsofsocialbehaviorisviewedasanimpositionuponthehealth,comfort,andsafetyofothers.Toavoidconflictsandpromotesocialharmony,noonecanbean‘exception’totherules.Theviewislong-term:

followingtherulestodaywillcreateabetterenvironmentforeachofusnowandinthefuture.Ofcourse,manywesternersdonotabidebytheserules,buttheyaregenerallyviewedasanti-socialandill-bredbysocietyatlarge.

InChinaasinthewest,socialbehaviorisculturallyandhistoricallybound–andthereforethedefinitionof‘politeness’isquitedifferent.TheteachingsofConfuciushaveanimportantinfluenceonsocietalmoresinChina.Confuciusteachesthattherearefivemajorrelationships;Rulerandsubject,Fatherandson,Friendandfriend,Husbandandwife,andBrotherandsister.Etiquettedemandsthatthesefiverelationshipsberespectedaboveallothers.Treatingstrangersasonewouldtreatafriend,familymemberors