Business China: A Practical Guide to Understanding Chinese Business Culture (Business)

Rating:
Summary: Quick Reference, But Other Books Will Give You More Depth
Review: This book gives a quick rundown of the differences between Chinese and Western business etiquette, but does not prepare one for the aspects of Chinese culture that cause culture shock in Western business travellers - rude public behaviour, extraordinary personal habits; things that can distract you from the task at hand if not aware of them. A good supplement is Taiwanese writer Bo Yang's *The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis in Chinese Culture,* which traces, frankly and informatively, the long, sad history of cultural stagnation and repression which is the other half of China's story in addition to Confucius and the poetry of Li Po, and has an impact on encounters between Westerners and Easterners today. Most important is Bo Yang's comments on the concept of "Face" - that is, the importance of not losing face to a Chinese - this is more important to a Chinese than anything else, and can affect the subject under discussion in a business meeting. The more aware the Western business person (or again, traveller) is of Chinese society, the more successfull his trip will be (and the more positive his appreciation of China, ultimately, will be). The style of *The Ugly Chinaman* will give you additional insight into how Chinese culture differs from ours.

Another book I recommend is Paul Theroux's account of travelling across China, *Riding The Iron Rooster*. Many aspects of this far-flung trip mirrored my own practical experiences business-travelling in a much smaller part of China (and Hong Kong). I found it enlightening and helpful as a general, prepatory work (it is also highly readable).

For Hong Kong, in addition to Bo Yang's book, I recommend Jan Morris's book *Hong Kong* which has a wealth of detail on the unhappy history of the millions of refugee Chinese who fled to British Hong Kong in the last four or five decades and who are (understandably) very touchy about this subject (it involves, again, loss of "face"). In Hong Kong today there is a reluctance to admit this sad history but a knowledge of it is essential to understanding how Hong Kong ticks, and a business traveller who absorbs this knowledge will be in a better position to understand Hong Kong. The book also contains a wealth of absorbing, easy to read history about British days.

Paul Theroux's book, *Kowloon Tong* though a novel, captures the mood of Handover-era Hong Kong and has illuminating portraits of different types of Western and Chinese characters of a kind you will meet and interact with if your stay in Hong Kong is extended or you are domiciled there.

Rating:
Summary: Quick Reference, But Other Books Will Give You More Depth
Review: This informative little 55 page paperback book gives summary comparisons of business practices in China versus the United States. The authors' presentation is made in a two column style throughout the book. The left-hand column is for United States normal business practices, protocols, and social customs; whereas, the right-hand column presents the complementary practices, protocols, and social customs in China. The book is designed as a quick reference pocket book. Chapter headings are: 1. Welcome to Business China 2. The Global Marketplace 3. Doing Business in a Global Marketplace 4. The Chinese Culture 5. Chinese Business Etiquette 6. Chinese Gestures 7. Communication Interferences 8. Succeeding in International Business 9. Quick Tips: China 10. Common Phrases

Rating:
Summary: An informative two-column quick reference guide.
Review: This informative little 55 page paperback book gives summary comparisons of business practices in China versus the United States. The authors' presentation is made in a two column style throughout the book. The left-hand column is for United States normal business practices, protocols, and social customs; whereas, the right-hand column presents the complementary practices, protocols, and social customs in China. The book is designed as a quick reference pocket book. Chapter headings are: 1. Welcome to Business China 2. The Global Marketplace 3. Doing Business in a Global Marketplace 4. The Chinese Culture 5. Chinese Business Etiquette 6. Chinese Gestures 7. Communication Interferences 8. Succeeding in International Business 9. Quick Tips: China 10. Common Phrases