On Communication with International Businessmen

- business etiquette & cultural differences

WANG Guo-An (Andrew) 王国安Professor of International TradeZhejiang Gongshang University,ChinaE-mail: wangguoan@mail.zjgsu.edu.cnhttp://econet.zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang

1.Direct/indirect approach

The Chinese and Japanese dislike doingbusiness with strangers; it’s helpful to be introduced properly by an intermediary known to both sides. But Americans like to adopt a direct approach.

What about Koreans?

1. Direct approach or Indirect approach?

Alternatively, in any culture, if you make an independent initial approach, you should provide as much information as possible about your company and what you hope to accomplish.

What information do you provide your prospective partners with ?

2. Greetings Chinese: Where are you going? Have you had a meal?Japanese: Konichiwa! OuhayogozayimasAmericans: Hi, what’s up?

How do Koreans greet people?

3.Telephone conversation Could/Would…? Who are you?X Who is speaking? This is Andrew

speaking. Do not hang up the receiver until your customer/superior

has hung up.

By yourself: Institution (full name), department, rank or position and nameBy someone else:The young to the old ；Man to woman ；Low position to high position;Unmarried to married;Close relation to distant relation

4. Introduction by yourself or by someone else

4. Introduction by yourself or by someone else

Name cards: Simplified/traditional Chinese characters,

English, with not more than two ranks or positions, different name cards on different occasions, no home phone number, no scratching.

4. Introduction by yourself or by someone else

How to get name cards?By offering your name card, by saying; “can I

exchange my name card with you” or “how can I get in touch with you?”

Examine others’ name cards carefully to show respect.Offer your name cards with two hands to others.

Privacy: Usually do not ask questions regarding one’s income, age, marital status, health/constitution, personal experience, religious belief and voting intention, etc. if you are not close friends yet.

How to address people?

Administrative title: President, Dean, Chairman

Professional/academic title: Professor, Dr.Mr., Miss, Ms. WANG Guo-An/王国安 Andrew WangLIM Dong WonGary JohnsonMary Johnson

Intimate/informal Address: given/first name, eg. Andrew/Andy, James/Jim, Robert/Rob

5. Gifts

Functions: To show esteem or gratitude , as souvenirs, promotion of one’s culture, enterprise’s image and national features, marking occasions.

Friendship or bribe?Taboos: religion, cultures, not too expensiveWrap the gift, open and examine the gift

with appreciation before the guest, give or receive gifts with both hands.

For East Asians, business decisions are sometimes made by eating, drinking at the table or singing karaoke rather than at the desk in the office.

Five Ms: money, menu, medium, music and manners

Money: Who pays the bill? Go Dutch or your treat?

6. Meals or banquets

6. Meals or banquets

Menu: What do you dislike to eat?

Do you have any food restrictions? Religious taboos should be respected. Dog

meat, paws of chickens and pigs, and internal organs of animals are unpopular food for Westerners. No beef for Indians. No pork of Islamic people.

6. Meals or banquets

Medium: environment Music: guest’s national music, no rock or disco

music Manners: no smoking; no spitting or

expectorating; no noise; offering, but no urging, no making up before others, no offering food with the chopsticks you have used.

6. Meals or banquets

Japanese do not pour wine for themselves. Chinese pour wine for themselves and guests. Westerners help themselves to food.

Chinese, Koreans and Japanese eat with chopsticks and spoons.

Westerners eat with spoons, forks and knives.Some Islamic/Muslim people eat with hands.It is OK for Chinese and Japanese to make noise

when eating noodles and drinking soup.

Table Manners in the UK

Drink soup with a round spoon outward, never with a bowl;

Cut meat with the right hand and with the index finger pressing the knife;

Do not put elbows on the table, put the elbows downward;

The small knife is for butter and the big knife is for main course/food;

Table Manners in the UK

The small fork is for dessert and the big fork is for main course;

Do not fold napkins after using them;Offer a tip to the waitress, amounting to 10-15% of

the meal. In these more informal days you will find many

variations in England. Things are more international now.

Table manners in Korea/China/Japan/USA?

Queen Victoria at table

There is a lovely story about Queen Victoria at table. In her day she had "finger bowls" on the table so that diners could dip their sticky fingers into the water in the bowl to clean them. On one occasion a Foreign Dignitary picked up his bowl to drink the water, not knowing the etiquette. Many diners were shocked!!! So Queen Victoria picked up her bowl and drank from it!!! History does not relate what the other diners did!

7. Bad habits or culture offensive to some Westerners

Belching 打嗝 .Expectorating and throwing garbage on the street.Smoking cigarettes indiscriminately/at the table.Making noise when eating.Picking your tooth at the table before others.

7. Bad habits or culture offensive to some Westerners

Staring at foreigners. Urging the guest to drink or to sing songs.Intruding into their privacy by asking privatequestions, standing too close, looking at the files on their desks without permission.Late reply or acknowledgement of the receipt.No standing in a queue.

8. Working with interpreters

Communicate with the interpreter before your meeting.

A good interpreter can help you immeasurably in a foreign culture.

When talking through an interpreter, pause frequently and avoid slang and colloquialisms.

8. Working with interpreters

Always talk to the host, never directly to the interpreter.

“Hayi’ in Japanese is not equal to “yes”.Japanese and Chinese usually do not say

“No” to guests.Restate what was accomplished at the close

of a meeting to guard against misunderstanding.

Ask for a contact person for further dealings.

9. Appointment and schedule

Westerners make appointments and schedules or agendas WELL in advance while Chinese like to do something with foreigners within VERY short notice, which Westerners are not used to.

10. Invitation Official letter head/host with all the contact

information, including a logo The invited: legal name, passport/ID number,

rank/position, date of birth Visit schedule/ agenda: firm dates and

programs Who covers the expenses

11. Online Communication

Conspicuous/specific/personal title when sending an e-mail message

Acknowledge the receipt of emails and reply promptly

Clear, courteous, concise and personal Leaving all your contact information Check and proofread before sending Use your e-mail account at your

institution/company/university

12 Chinese guanxi and different hospitality in the West

and in the East

12.1 The concept of guanxi (personal connections) is not unique to China, but it is vital to get important things accomplished in East Asia. Local and foreign companies spend heavily to establish and maintain relationships with influential people. The payoff may be personal or organizational.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.2 At its heart, guanxi is a tit-for-tat relationship between two people. Chinese naturally turn to their relationship networks for help, so they work hard to cultivate friends in high or strategic places. If a Chinese finds him or herself without guanxi, the first order of business is to establish

one.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.3 One reason for the pervasiveness of the guanxi system on the Mainland China is the relative lack of a reliable legal system. But it is also important in areas outside China, where the legal system is more developed.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.4 Good guanxi is a renewable resource and can be reestablished even after much time has passed. But it may also be an exhaustible resource if the ledger between two people does not remain in approximate balance.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.5 Guanxi is well within the grasp of foreigners who wish to cultivate it. Often all it takes is an overture-a conversation, a meal, or a favor. Foreigners who live and work in China may become integrated into relationship networks, where they are expected to play by Chinese rules. Nonetheless, they are within their rights to draw their own lines as to what they are and are not prepared to deliver.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.6 The Chinese assume the rest of the world works along a similar set of principles, and they sometimes view foreign friends as windows to benefits in the world outside China. They also often do not distinguish clearly between the world of the personal and the world of the organizational, which means that a personal friend may well ask for an organizational favor.

12 Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.7 Chinese generally feel freer to ask for favors earlier in a relationship than Westerners do. Unlike foreigners, who may feel quite put upon when asked for favors-especially personal favors that involve the use of organizational resources-Chinese are often very eager to be of service if they have it in their power to assist. In recent years guanxi has even been a commodity for sale. However, guanxi will play a less important role in getting things accomplished as the Chinese legal system is improving and the market economic system is developing.

12. Guanxi and different hospitality in the West and in the East

12.8 Chinese prefer to do business with, and even to hire, those with whom they have guanxi, It is contrasted to an aversion to doing this among Westerners. They believe it diminishes the danger of problem, and makes solving them much easier when they do arise.

13. Guests in the West and in the East

East Asians/ Orientals or Asians are more hospitable than Westerners.

Foreigners/guests are better treated in Asia than in the West.

Homework:Homework: The cultural differences between The cultural differences between Korea and China/ USA/Japan”Korea and China/ USA/Japan”

Please write on the topic “The cultural differences between Korea Please write on the topic “The cultural differences between Korea and China/ USA/Japan”. Three students work in a group on one paper.and China/ USA/Japan”. Three students work in a group on one paper.Please indicate the references at the end of the paper. The cover Please indicate the references at the end of the paper. The cover page includes the tpage includes the title, the author’s name, phone, email and student number.

Length: at least one page of A4Length: at least one page of A4Letter size: 10 in Times New RomanLetter size: 10 in Times New RomanSubmission Deadline:Submission Deadline: