China Business Etiquette Paper - Chinese Culture and the Business Context

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Third, we can easily to run an event between international and Chinese student. For example, we can run MIXER event which is cancelled on first semester because we have Chinese union to help us contact Chinese student who want to participate in this event. In addition, Chinese union also help us to run others event, such as Halloween party, International Culture Festival, etc. because our department do not have enough people to run those big event. Chinese student help us to provide more members, they also help us to find participant and promote our event.

Kipnis (1997) identifies three components of guanxi, such as affect (ganqing), reciprocal favor (renqing), and face (mianzi). Affect (ganqing) refers to human feelings and it’s related to enduring and emotional commitments that are found in long-term and intimate social bonds (Yang 1994). Reciprocal favor (Renqing) applies when a personal relationship partner get into difficulties, the other partner should help and after the recipient has received the favor, he or she should return it as soon as the opportunity arises (Hwang 1987). Then, Face (or mianzi) refers to a person’s claimed sense of positive image in a relational context, and it is gained by performing one or more specific social roles that are well recognized by others (Bond 1991).

In this relationship between international union and Chinese union, Guanxi is a system of renqing (favors), in which obligation and indebtedness are manufactured, and in which there is no time limit to repayment (Gold, 7). The Chinese always try to return any renqing and expect the other party to do the same when a favor is given (Zinzius, 183). Chinese union always help us to make our event success. Therefore, we also help Chinese union to make their event success. What they need is similar to ours; international union need Chinese student. Conversely, Chinese union need international student to join their event. So, we help them to find participant and promote their event. One of the example, we help Chinese union to promote spring out event. This is not a compulsion but it comes from ourselves to repay what is already done by the Chinese union against us.

We not only build guanxi with Chinese union but we also build guanxi with HOPS. HOPS is a café in west campus which established last semester. When I knew there is a new café in school, office recommend me to negotiate with the owner to make the event there. I did not have that much confident to negotiate but I just tried my negotiation skill that I have studied from negotiation class. The result, I succeed negotiate with them. Why this negotiation run smoothly? First, the owner know that we are IBS student. Second, the owner are alumni from IBS and the important thing is connection. The owner know Lee Wen Bin who is one of director in IBS and Lee Wen Bin is the one who recommend us to work together with HOPS. So, there are connections and relationship behind all this negotiation. This guanxi relationship occurs among shuren- non-Family members with whom one shares a significant connection. Connection considered significant in the Chinese context include members of the same clubs or society, or friends of friends. (Schmid, Ruprecht, Guanxi and management, June 2002, p. 10)

What is our deals? First, we can use their place for every single event. In addition, they also help us to run our event. One of the example, we held beer pong competition last month. From our side, we find the participant and make an advertising about the event. Then, HOPS provided the place, prize and other stuffs for the event. We have used HOPS for several event, such as welcome party, Halloween, Christmas, and beer pong event. In addition, when HOPS have Food festival event last month, we helped them to find participant and promote their event to international student. We can concluded that Guanxi is based implicitly on mutual interests and benefits (Yang 1994).

Overall, we are not only build a relationship but we build trust for the long-term orientation. According to Ganesha (1994) trust is a necessary antecedent for long-term orientation because it shifts the focus to future conditions. In addition, "Long Term Orientation stands for the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular perseverance and thrift. It’s opposite pole, Short Term Orientation, stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of ‘face’ and fulfilling social obligations.”(Hofstede, 2001, Culture’s Consequences, 2nd ed., p 359).

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https://geert-hofstede.com/china.html

Based on Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, China have the highest score for long term orientation, which means that China is a very pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. Chinese people show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving result.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from my personal encounter, I learned that Guanxi is not only about relationship but guanxi also build trust with other party for long-term relationship as Hofstede Cultural Dimensions mentioned that Chinese people have long term orientation. Guanxi is play an important role to connect you with Chinese people. By build a guanxi everything can be solved because as mentioned before, Guanxi is based implicitly on mutual interests and benefits (Yang 1994). Guanxi mingles instrumental components and affect; that is, it mixes business with affection. When conducting relationship with Chinese partners, it seems to be more effective to treat them as friends because friendship facilitates business deals. In addition, we are not from the same country, so I learned to understand and appreciate others culture and differences. By understanding others, we can build a strong relationship and achieve our goals.

We build guanxi not only for a short period union but we build guanxi for long-term relationship union. According to Confucius, study the past, if you would divine the future. I learned from my previous mistakes which is depend on myself and recognize to change direction by built guanxi relationship with local people. I hope, next union can learn from the previous union and maintain the relationship that has been built, then you can feel the strong power of guanxi.

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References

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