In this book, you will be introduced to the basics of Chinese culture. You will discover how to initiate contact, what to expect in meetings, and how to behave there. You will learn the way the Chinese approach negotiations, discover how you can respond to them, and learn how to negotiate a successful conclusion. You will also find out how to socialize for success, how to cope with specific problems of living and working in China, and the best way to treat Chinese visitors to your organization. You are given practical advice throughout on business etiquette, and on how to fit into Chinese cultural expectations in order to achieve your goals. An appendix briefly explains Chinese history, and then considers recent economic, political, and social changes.
If you fit any one of the following descriptions, this book will provide valuable help to you in your chosen field:
- I am a business person and I am thinking of moving into the China market to buy or sell, or I already buy or sell in China, or I am contemplating investing in China.
- I work for the government and I would like to know more about China, its business practices, and how to deal with the Chinese I meet.
- I am a university professor and I teach a course about doing business in China, or the Chinese economy and society, or cross cultural management problems, or law and international negotiating practices.
- I am a student and I am studying China, or taking courses about cross cultural management, or doing business in China, or international business studies, or negotiating abroad.
PREFACE 4
CONTENTS 7
LIST OF TABLES 8
ABBREVIATIONS 9
CHAPTER 1. CHINESE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS 11
CHAPTER 2. YOUR BEHAVIOR IN CHINA 35
CHAPTER 3. STARTING THE BUSINESS PROCESS 52
CHAPTER 4. MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS: GENERALITIES 66
CHAPTER 5. MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS: THEIR TACTICS 82
CHAPTER 6. MEETINGS AND NEGOTIATIONS: YOUR TACTICS 103
CHAPTER 7. SOCIALIZING AND PROPER BEHAVIOR 129
CHAPTER 8. HOW TO TREAT VISITORS TO ONE’S OWN COUNTRY 141
CHAPTER 9. LIVING IN CHINA 146
CHAPTER 10. WORKING IN CHINA 162
APPENDIX 1. CHINA SUMMARISED 189
ENDNOTES 218
Reviews
Publishers Weekly...
Bucknall, who has has held various UN posts throughout Asia, knows firsthand the complications of negotiating business deals in the Far East. Drawing on his stints in Asia, he explains the dramatic cultural differences between East and West, offering insights on "things to do" and "things to avoid" when conducting business in China. In direct prose, Bucknall explains the cultural impact of various colors, the importance of gift giving and how foreigners are judged on their ability to follow local ways. Throughout, he provides concrete suggestions. For example, he says that Chinese always come to a negotiating table in groups, so you should also come as part of a team and appoint someone team leader. With its many specific details and anecdotes, this guide should help anyone engaged in business discussions in the world's most populous country.
Amazon.com customer...
Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture is a most persuasive book on Chinese culture and society I've ever read. Mr. Bucknall is really an expert on China!
Just as proclaimed in the preface, "...how to improve your behaviour to achieve greater success is explained in the context of Chinese culture. The information is practical and provided in a simple and direct way."
In this book, you can find many practical and interesting examples of cultural shocks westerners would expect in China. For example, in China, "man in a green hat " is a metaphor that his wife or lover has an affair with another guy. Amusingly, I personally happen to have read a true story elsewhere: " Several years ago, a Washington state agricultural delegate used green hats as presents in China*. No recipient bothered to put on it." Another example is about Guanxi -- a network of personal relationships with Chinese characteristic, which I bet will be of immense interest to business men. I absolutely agree with the author that Guanxi is the secret of being successful in China.
Many business tactics are taught, which deeply impressed me, an individual born and raised in China. One instance is negotiating skills covered in depth. You may also be interested in learning about Chinese business law from this book.
Although the good news is that Chinese people are more and more understanding towards foreign cultures because of globalization, there is one thing that I can't refrain from not telling: the bloody history between China and Japan in the war from 1937 till 1945. The Nanjing Massacre is a typical example. The most exasperating thing to us Chinese is that until today the Japanese has never formally apologized for their atrocity in the war . A Canadian liquor trader's experience* in Shanghai is a good lesson to those ignorant of that history. He told Chinese reporters that he was confident in the marketing prospect of his products in China because they were very popular in culturally similar Japan. His liquor never sold well.
However, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the large number of details, a very small part of which are even minor to us Chinese. One such example is Not to Ask about the Weather. In my opinion, this is a small drawback of this book.
Highly recommend!...
About the Author
Kevin Bucknall's interest in Asia dates back forty years to the days of his military service in Singapore and Malaya, as it then was. He spent the evenings with Chinese friends, and played clarinet and saxophone in a local Chinese nightclub. Since then, he has lived almost all his life in Asia and Australia, including periods in China, Hong Kong, and Thailand. He has negotiated in and published extensively about China, including two books and over twenty articles. He has written also about Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. He has a B.Sc.(Economics) from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University.
In 1988 Kevin Bucknall was appointed the Foundation Head of the School of International Business Relations, at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, where he ran the Centre for the Study of Australia-Asia Relations and continues to be a member of the Editorial Board of the Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs.
He has held a variety of posts in commerce, local government, national government, and the United Nations. Kevin Bucknall's most valuable contribution in life is his invention of the concept of Simulcast. Simulcast is TV pictures accompanied by FM sound on the radio, which is much used around the world for presenting serious music on TV. He has spent much of his life working in academia, to which he keeps returning after periods in the real world. He puts much effort into teaching and is the author of Studying at University: how to make a success of your academic course.
He spends half the year lecturing in economics, the Chinese economy, and parts of courses in cross-cultural communications and legal negotiation, at Griffith University. The other half he does whatever he wants. This usually means traveling, writing, and generally enjoying life among the actors, authors, musicians, and other sundry bohemians in Primrose Hill, London.
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Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture
by Kevin Barry Bucknall
