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BUS 302 - China

Tiffany Y

[TY @TY_BUS302]

It's common for business meetings to start late, or for them to begin with the serving of hot tea. It is proper etiquette to fill everyone's tea cup before your own. Relationships and respect are important when conducting business in China.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Almost all communication in China is not through email, but through WeChat. In fact, 1.4 billion people in China use WeChat not only for communication, but daily tasks like paying for services or products.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Business in China is usually conducted in Mandarin. In Hong Kong and Macau, the language is usually Cantonese.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

If any of these apps are used for work, you must use a VPN and download it prior to getting to China.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

It's important to know that many sites that are banned in China are used for business in other countries. For ex: Slack, Google, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Bing, Instagram, Amazon, Imgr, Medium, NY Times, etc are all banned.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

China uses a five-day workweek (M-F) with 8 AM - 6 PM normal business hours. There is a 2 hour break between 12-2 PM but there are local variations between different sectors and cities

[TY @TY_BUS302]

The best way to start a professional relationship with someone is to find a third party that is already a trusted business partner of your potential partner. It will help you be accepted more quickly and build guan xi (trust)

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Relationship building activities in China before establishing a contract can include formal meetings, home visits, invitations to sports events, long dinners and drinks.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Because "keeping face" (dignity and respect) is such an important social concept in Asia and China, people in business are often risk averse. They follow a strict framework in their decision making process

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Chinese business culture is largely influenced by Confucianism. Relationship networking is based on the concept of Guanxi which is why it's so important to be courteous, loyal and modest when conducting business.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Due to the high power distance in Chinese culture, you can expect to have to earn your respect in the workforce. It's important to acknowledge a leader's status and don't be alarmed if you have to go directly to top management for certain information.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Gift giving is important in Chinese culture and play a role in relationship-building, showing respect, and appreciation. It's important to note though, to not give white flowers since the color represents death and is only appropriate at funerals.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

This is also the case for Chinese culture!

[Eugene Kim @EugeneKim102]

Red ink is considered bad luck in South Korea. Writing a person's name in the color red signifies the person is dead, or will die soon.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

That's so interesting! I wonder if COVID will change this etiquette.

[Katie Dunlop @KatieDunlop18]

Handshakes are an extremely important part of Russian culture, and anyone doing business there should become familiar with Russian handshake etiquette. Handshakes should never be given through doorways/thresholds, as this is considered bad luck.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Wow! This is great to know. I never would have guessed it could be seen as impolite.

[Francesca Tubito @FTubito]

When attending a dinner party in France, it is considered impolite to bring a bottle of wine. While it is seen as a nice gesture in the United States, the people in France see it as the opposite. It may be a sign that the guest thinks the host is incapable of providing good wine!

[TY @TY_BUS302]

@Professor_Hoang

[TY @TY_BUS302]

In Chinese culture, there is little sense of individualism. Instead, people focus on the collective good. They value unity and conformity, which is why they prefer a very structured hierarchy. This is reflected in their political/economic structure.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

When I was in Japan, I noticed how much emphasis was placed on respect and hospitality! Everyone always remained calm even in stressful situations, and was very courteous. For example, when accepting an item, they accepted things with two hands and bowed.

[TY @TY_BUS302]

Source: https://t.co/bWWw5fnhQ8

[TY @TY_BUS302]

@professor_hoang Chinese culture is heavy on tradition and family. In orgs, people look at members as their family but also demand a lot in return. An example is Alibaba's annual mass weddings, a way the company formally welcomes employee life partners into the Alibaba family.