Chinese Business Communication Practices

Chinese Business Communication Practices

Introduction

The last few decades have seen a significant expansion in the business world as companies are adopting global requirements and seeking to find new markets. Different countries are now putting laws in place to enable their citizens to carry out businesses both locally and internationally. One such country is China, which has seen tremendous growth since its economic reforms of 1978. As a fact, China is on the verge of becoming the world’s economic superpower as it increases its interactions with the rest of the world. Currently, in a single day, China exports more than what it sold abroad in the entire year of 1978. This is a clear indication of the aggression China has in doing business in the world. As a result, Chinese companies are setting up branches all over the world, and other foreign companies are going to invest in China. However, as people go to invest and others look forward to interacting and closing business deals with Chinese corporations, it is essential to understand the background of the country China and how it conducts its business.

China, being an Eastern country, there are distinct and clear differences that will come on how the people from this country carry put their business. In this paper, we are going to discuss how China and Chinese companies carry out their business communication and the factors that affect such communication in the country and outside the country. We will discuss Chinese business communication, Chinese business culture, the Chinese business etiquette, the role the government has played in changing the paradigm of business communication. The paper will eventually shed light on anyone who wants to do business in China or with Chinese firms.

Chinese Business Communication

Communication is culture, and this culture is coded into human beings through cultural scripts.  Essentially, the Chinese style of communication can only be understood in contemporary Chinese culture. The Chinese communication style is on the high end of the continuum for high-to-low context. A high-context culture usually communicates implicitly with messages whose messages can only be inferred from the context.

Further, the Chinese are said to belong to a collectivist culture. In this culture, group interest, social harmony, and personal interdependence are usually given priority before personal satisfaction and autonomy of the needs of an individual. Five characteristics distinguish Chinese communication, and they are; polite communication,  face-directed communication, listening-centered communication, and implicit communication.

Politeness is a fundamental principle that is practiced and observed by the Chinese in their daily communication. The Chinese observe the behavior of their guests differently based on the group in question, and they equally embody the value of humbleness and modesty when interacting with visitors. Face directed communications require that members of their in-group respect a person with good morals. Chinese are more inclined to get into an in-depth conversation with someone they know who, in this case, is the insider, but they will seldom speak to strangers. As stated earlier, the Chinese prefer to have implicit communication whereby messages are indirect, and the Chinese culture encourages them to listen more rather than speaking.

Business culture

Many people usually fall for the trap of thinking that the entire world shares the culture that they are used to in their countries of origin. For example, when one does all their businesses in the United States, then they might end up believing that everyone does their business the American way, which is not the case. Thus, it is essential to learn that different people conduct their businesses within the dictates of their culture guided by different values and principles. Therefore, if one is going to do business with the said people, it is crucial to understand their values and beliefs if one desires to have a successful business with people from different cultures.

In China, one culture has always remained predominant in both personal and business interactions, and it is the culture of face. In the business, this metaphor majorly relates to respect, status, prestige, and dignity when doing business with the Chinese. Observing face requires that one is aware of who they are about to meet, their social status in the society or the organization, and the kind of respect they should be accorded. For example, if a representative of a given organization goes to meet with the CEO of a Chinese farm, they are expected to greet them as they bow their heads, or else they will be regarded as disrespectful and lose the business deal. Foreigners are also likely to carry gifts for their hosts, speak highly of them, and ensure that they show symbols of success if they are to be considered.

Business Etiquette

Business etiquette is a paradigm that is concerned with building proper relationships with other people. In essence, etiquette is not concerned about rules and regulations; instead, it is concerned about providing basic social comfort and ultimately creating an environment where other people feel comfortable and secure, which can only be achieved through proper communication.

Confucianism dictates China’s traditional culture, and thus the profound connotation of etiquette is different in this country. In China, a son is subject to their father; a wife is subject to her husband, and officials are subject to the monarch. In this country, people believe that to keep the social order stabilized, then only each class should keep its etiquette. Thus, in a Chinese business context, no matter how close people are, it is usual for the inferior address the other person by the name of their positions or occupations such as Supervisor Zhang, Manager Li. This way, subordinates show their respect to their superiors and the superiors gain respect by exhibiting humble behavior. This is unlike Western culture, where freedom and democracy are embraced, and it is embarrassing to address people using their formal titles.

Government and Business

The Chinese government has direct control over the business sector, and it deems this as a way of maintaining the socialist philosophy. Although the government announced that it had replaced the traditional business model with the current market-driven business model, it still oversees most of the aspects of this sector. As the government changed the business model of the country, Chinese companies had to restructure, and in the process, business communication also underwent drastic changes.

Previously, companies have relied on old traditions to carry out communication, but it is no longer the case. Now companies have a global market to communicate to, and this is a market where the forces of demand and supply determine the success of the business. Thus, organizations have now realized how important business communication is for an organization, and they are now investing heavily in it. Previously, the role of communication was to pass messages among employees, the management, and the local business partners. With the current business model, the role of business communication has changed to that of communicating the company’s brand strategy, corporate identity as well as public relations. Internally, the role of communication has evolved to executive communication, ethics code, as well as employee communication. Eventually, Chinese firms and corporations are taking a Western approach in terms of business communication.

Doing business in china

For someone from the Western culture, starting a business in China or working with the Chinese will prove to be a challenge if one is not prepared adequately in terms of communication. To start with, one needs to learn the culture of the Chinese to be able to learn other aspects of communication since communication and culture are interdependent. Further, one must be aware that unlike in the west, where people are more direct and aggressive, the Chinese prefer an inferred message. In Chinese culture, if you push someone too much and ask personal questions, they are more likely to shut down and end the negotiations. As they prefer to communicate politely, the Chinese also prefer to be treated politely and courteously, and they choose an indirect path to negotiations.

Besides culture, people seeking to do business with the Chinese should be aware of the levels of etiquette required of them. Etiquette includes how one greets people, addresses them, the kind of gifts they are to carry, and how they conduct themselves. Further, they should also be aware of how the communication paradigm has changed and how the new communication landscapes look like. If all the above are taken into consideration, then it will be quite easy to conduct business with the Chinese.