ThisarticleisoneofaseriesofCulturalContextprofilesthatwaswrittenforanEatonConsultingGroup newsletter.

TheCulturalContextChina
byBobRiel

Whilelogisticalinformationandprotocoltipsarenecessaryfornavigatingthedaytodaychallenges presentedbylifeinanewcountry,akeytolongtermbusinesssuccessisonesabilitytoadapttocultural differences.Thisfollowingsectionfocusesonimportantelementsofacountrysculturalprofilewhich affectthewaypeoplecommunicate,makedecisions,negotiate,conductbusiness,andbuildrelationships.

ACollectiveCulture
CollectivismisaculturalvaluefoundinChinathatcontrastswiththemoreWesternemphasis onindividualism.Inacollectivistculture,individualsputgroupgoalsandneedsaheadoftheir ownpersonaldesires.Infact,thisvalueissometimessomuchapartoftheculturethata personmaynotdistinguishbetweenpersonalandcommunityneeds,asthesurvivaland cohesivenessofthegroupisofparamountimportance. ThecollectiveidentityoftheChinesepeopleispartlytheresultofacivilizationthatforseveral thousandyearshasbeenbuiltonagriculture.Eachsuccessivegenerationofpeasantsfarmed thesamesoilandlivedwiththesameneighborsandrelativesastheirparentsandgrandparents beforethem.Thus,thefamilyandvillageidentitytalesonamuchgreaterimportance.The ChinesehavealsobeendeeplyaffectedbytheteachingsofConfucianism,whichemphasizes theimportanceofextendedfamiliesandinterdependentrelationships. Thismanifestsitselfinbusinessinseveralways.TheChinesetendtocreateworkteams,with tasksassignedtothesegroupsratherthantoindividuals.Negotiationsessionsarealsoateam effort.TheChineseusuallysendlargedelegationstonegotiatingsessions.Groupconsensus amongtheirnegotiatorsisanimportantfactorindeterminingtheprogressofbusinesstalks.

Hierarchy
TheChinesehaveagreatrespectforfixedhierarchicalrelationships.Theyevenhaveavirtue, calledli,whichmeansbothproprietyandritual.Ithasbeentranslatedasthemannerin whicheachpersonisexpectedtoactsoastomaintainthehierarchicalorder.Thisinvolves showingacertainrespectforothersandacceptingtheobligationsthatcomewithonesposition inthehierarchy. MuchofthisemphasisonhierarchycanbetracedtotheteachingsofConfucius,whospokeof theFiveConstantRelationshipsthosebetweenparentandchild,elderandyoungersiblings, husbandandwife,elderandjuniorfriends,andrulerandsubject.Therearecertainwaysoneis expectedtoactdependingononesplaceinthesocialorder.Forexample,rulersareexpectedto bebenevolentinexchangeforloyaltyfromtheirsubjects.Olderfriendswillserveasmentorsto theiryoungeracquaintances. TheseteachingsaresignificantinChinesebusinessculture.Promotionsatworkareinmany casesbasedonagebeforeability.Inaddition,theadviceandopinionsofanolderworkerare generallyvaluedmorethanthewordsofayoungerperson.Theyoung,inturn,aredeferential andrespectfultotheiroldercoworkersandbusinessassociates.

TheImportanceofFace
Thephrasetosavefaceisfamiliartomanypeople.InChina,thesewordsareacluetoa deeplyheldculturalvalue.TheChineseplacegreatsignificanceontheconceptofface.They gotogreatlengthstoavoidcallingattentiontoerrors,indiscretionsoremotionsthatwould causethemselvesoranotherpersontoloseface,particularlyinfrontofothers. TheimportanceofthisvalueisduepartlytothelonghistoryofChinesesociety.Peopletendto remainrootedinoneplace,spendingtheirentirelivesinthecompanyofthesamerelativesand friends.Goodrelationshipsaremaintainedbyavoidingconflictsandhelpingeachothertosave face.AnotherreasonbehindthisvalueistheConfucianemphasisonbothhierarchyand personalrelationships.Tocauseotherpeopletolosefacecouldbeseenasachallengetotheir positioninthehierarchy,whichcouldthreatengroupharmonyandthesocialorder. Inkeepingwiththevalueofface,Chinesebusinesspeoplewillnotusuallybeconfrontational. Theyprefertocommunicateindirectly,eventothepointofnotdirectlyansweringnoin responsetoanunfavorablesuggestion.TheChinesemayalsonotpointoutthatamistakehas beenmade,forfearthatitwillcausealossofface.Itisalsoconsidereddisrespectfulfora persontobeinterruptedorcorrectedbyamorejuniorperson.

Guanxi
ThereisnoexacttranslationfortheChineseconceptofguanxi,butitisamutuallybeneficial relationshipthatprovidesanongoinglinkbetweenindividuals.Itinvolvesreciprocalfavorsor assistancethattwopeopleprovideforeachother.Ithasbeensaidthatthisisthefoundation uponwhichmosteverythingisaccomplishedinChina. ThiscanalsobetracedtotheChineseemphasisoninterdependentpersonalrelationships. WhencombinedwiththestructureandprotocolofChinesesociety,thisinterdependencetakes onamoreformalaspect.Thisstructuredinterdependenceiscalledguanxi.Onepersonwilldo afavorforanotherperson,withtheexpectationthatthepersonbeinghelpedisthenobligated toprovidesometypeofunspecifiedfutureassistanceinreturn.Suchrelationshipsmayexist betweenneighbors,withtheclerkinalocalstore,withgovernmentofficials,orwithbusiness associates.

TheInfluenceofConfucianismandTaoism
Likeallcultures,theChineseworldviewhasbeenshapedbyreligion,especiallythetwothat areindigenoustoChinaConfucianismandTaoism.BuddhismisalsowidespreadinChina, butithasbecomemoreavehicleforviewingtheafterlifeandpracticingancestorworship. ConfucianismandTaoism,meanwhile,haveexertedsignificantinfluenceonthecourseof everydaylifeinChina.Thesereligionsarenotsetupasexclusiveandcompetitive philosophies.Rather,theyhaveblendedwitheachotherintheChinesemind. Confucianismismoreasystemofethicsandpersonalconductfordailylife.Someofthemore importantcorebeliefsincluderespectforfamilyandelders,aswellasthevalueofaccepting onesplaceinthesocialorderandtheconsequentobligations.Taoism,meanwhile,focuses moreonthenatureoressenceoflife,withitsunderlyingbeliefthatauniversalenergycourses throughallofcreation.Taoistsbelievethatchiisthevitalenergyoflife,whichmustbeallowed toflowfreelyandnotbeblocked;thathumansneedtoliveinharmonywithnatureandnot apartfromit,andthatlifeisbestunderstoodasabalanceofopposites(hence,theTaoistsymbol foryinandyang).

TheinfluenceofthesebeliefscanbeseenineverydayChinesesociety.Atwork,thereisa Confucianemphasisoninterdependentrelationships,onhierarchy,andonrespectforthemost seniormanagers.Taoismalsomakesitsinfluenceknowninthebusinessworld.Forexample, TaoismcanbeseenintheChinesesystemoffengshui,whichistheartofassessingthemost favorableconditionsforplacingbuildingsandofficessoastoworkinharmonywithnature.

CommunicationStyles
TheChinesehaveahighcontextandnonverbalstyleofcommunication.Itishighcontextinthe sensethatcertainknowledgeisalreadyassumed.Thisisopposedtoalowcontextculture, wheremoreinformationisexchangedduringeachcommunication.TheChinesealsomake significantuseofnonverbalmeansofcommunication,suchasimpliedmeanings,nonverbal cues,indirectstatementsandsymboliclanguage.Inaddition,theyarecomfortablewitha considerableamountofsilence. ThehighcontextnatureofChinesecommunicationcomesfromalonghistoryofclosefamilies andinterpersonalrelations.Thereisnoneedinmostinstancestorepeatinformationthathas beenbuiltupovertime.Itassumesasharedunderstandingbetweencommunicants.The emphasisonnonverbalcommunicationislargelytiedtotheemphasisonlongterm relationshipsandtheimportanceoffaceandsocialharmony.Inanefforttonotoffendanother personortonotupsettheorderofthings,theChinesewillresorttoindirectornonverbalcues. Forinstance,aChinesebusinesspersonwillrarelysaynodirectlyinresponsetoasuggestion. Theywilloftensuggestinsteadthatthematterbegivenfurtherstudy.Similarly,openended questionsarecommon,astheydontforceapersonintoacornerasdoyesornoquestions. Ratherthanvaluingdirectness,theChinesearemorelikelytobepolitebutvague.Ahigher valueisplacedonambiguityandtact.

TimeOrientation
TheChineseviewoftimeisorientedtowardthepastandislongterm.Aneventthathappened longagomaystillexertsignificantinfluenceonChinesethinking.Thisisunderstandablein lightofthefactthatChinesecivilizationdatesback4,000years,makingittheoldestcivilization intheworld.TherearerecordsofChineserulingdynastiesnearlytwomillenniabeforethe birthofChrist.TheGreatWallofChinawasconstructedduringthe3rdcenturyB.C.andtwo ofthemostinfluentialthinkersinChinesehistory,ConfuciusandLaoTzu,livedduringthe6th centuryB.C.TheChinesealsohaveastrongtraditionofancestorworship.Thus,theyaremore likelytoseethemselvesaspartofthecontinuumofhistorywithlessemphasisonthepresent time. Inbusiness,thismeansthattheChinesearemorestronglyinfluencedbythepast.Itisonly throughthepassingoftimethatindividualsandbusinessescanprovethemselvestobe trustworthy.TheChinesearenotveryfocusedonthepresentortheshorttermfuture.They certainlyplanahead,butitismorethelongtermfuture,inkeepingwithamoreexpansiveview oftime. ThisarticlewascontributedbyBobRiel,a cross-cultural writer and consultant.