Effective Communication with Foreigners - business etiquette & taboos

Effective Communication with Foreigners- business etiquette & taboos WANG Guo-An (Andrew)王国安 Professor of International Trade Mobile: 136-00516079 E-mail: wangguoan@mail.zjgsu.edu.cn http://econet.zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang

1.Direct or indirect approach The Chinese, Japanese and Koreans dislike doing business with strangers; it’s helpful to be introduced properly by an intermediary known to both sides. But Americans like to adopt a direct approach.

1. Direct or indirect approach Alternatively, in any culture, if you make an independent initial approach, you should provide as much information as possible about your company and what you hope to accomplish. What information do you provide your prospective partners with ?

2. Greetings Chinese: Where are you going? Have you had a meal? Japanese: Konichiwa! Ouhayogozayimas! Americans: Hi, what’s up? Koreans: Aniang ha se yo!

3.Telephone conversation Could/Would…? Who are you?X Who is speaking? This is Andrew speaking. Do not hang up the receiver until your customer/superior has hung up.

4. Introduction and addressing By yourself: Institution (full name), department, rank or position and name • By someone else: • The youngto the old； • Man to woman； • Low position to high position; • Unmarried to married; • Close relation to distant relation

4. Introduction and addressing Name cards: Simplified/traditional Chinese characters, English, with not more than two ranks or positions, different name cards on different occasions, no home phone number, no scratching.

4. Introduction and addressing How to get name cards? By offering your name card, by saying; “can I exchange my name card with you” or “how can I get in touch with you?” Examine others’ name cards carefully to show respect. Offer your name cards with two hands to others. Privacy: Usually do not ask questions regarding one’s income, age, marital status, health/constitution, personal experience, religious belief and voting intention, etc. if you are not close friends yet.

Collectivism or individualism The Chinese often view themselves as interdependent or collectivism-oriented, ie, emphasis on society rather than on individual. (Tian, 2007,56) Chinese addresses begin from bigger places to small places while western addresses are just the opposite. Family names come first.

Hierarchy and equality How to address people? Administrative title: President, Dean, Chairman Professional/academic title: Professor, Dr. Mr., Miss, Ms. WANG Guo-An/王国安Andrew Wang LIM Dong Won Gary Johnson Mary Johnson Intimate/informal address: given/first name, eg. Andrew/Andy, James/Jim, Robert/Rob

5. Gifts Functions: To show esteem or gratitude , as souvenirs, promotion of one’s culture, enterprise’s image and national features, marking occasions. Friendship or bribe? Taboos: religion, cultures, not too expensive Wrap the gift, open and examine the gift with appreciation before the guest, give or receive gifts with both hands.

6. Meals or banquets For East Asians, business decisions are sometimes made by eating, drinking at the table or singing karaoke rather than at the desk in the office. Five Ms: money, menu, medium, music and manners Money: Who pays the bill? Go Dutch or your treat?

6. Meals or banquets Menu:What do you dislike to eat? Do you have any food restrictions? Religious taboos should be respected. Dog meat, paws of chickens and pigs, and internal organs of animals are unpopular food for Westerners. No beef for Indians. No pork of Islamic people.

6. Meals or banquets Medium: environment Music: guest’s national music, no rock or disco music Manners: no smoking; no spitting or expectorating; no noise; offering, but no urging, no making up before others, no offering food with the chopsticks you have used.

6. Meals or banquets Japanese do not pour wine for themselves. Chinese pour wine for themselves and guests. Westerners help themselves to food. Chinese, Koreans and Japanese eat with chopsticks and spoons. Westerners eat with spoons, forks and knives. Some Islamic/Muslim people eat with hands. It is OK for Chinese and Japanese to make noise when eating noodles and drinking soup.

Table manners in the UK Drink soup with a round spoon outward, never with a bowl; Cut meat with the right hand and with the index finger pressing the knife; Do not put elbows on the table, put the elbows downward; The small knife is for butter and the big knife is for main course/food;

Table manners in the UK The small fork is for dessert and the big fork is for main course; Do not fold napkins after using them; Offer a tip to the waitress, amounting to 10-15% of the meal. In these more informal days you will find many variations in England. Things are more international now. Table manners in Korea/China/Japan/USA?

Queen Victoria at table • There is a lovely story about Queen Victoria at table. In her day she had "finger bowls" on the table so that diners could dip their sticky fingers into the water in the bowl to clean them. On one occasion a Foreign Dignitary picked up his bowl to drink the water, not knowing the etiquette. Many diners were shocked!!! So Queen Victoria picked up her bowl and drank from it!!! History does not relate what the other diners did!

7. Bad manners offensive to Westerners Belching打嗝 . Expectorating and throwing garbage on the street. Smoking cigarettes indiscriminately/at the table. Making noise when eating. Picking your tooth at the table before others.

7. Bad manners offensive to Westerners Staring at foreigners. Urging the guest to drink or to sing songs. Intruding into their privacy by asking private questions, standing too close, looking at the files on their desks without permission. Late reply or acknowledgement of the receipt. No standing in a queue.

8. Working with interpreters Communicate with the interpreter before your meeting. A good interpreter can help you immeasurably in a foreign culture. When talking through an interpreter, pause frequently and avoid slang and colloquialisms.

8. Working with interpreters Always talk to the host, never directly to the interpreter. “Hayi’ in Japanese is not equal to “yes”. Japanese and Chinese usually do not say “No” to guests. Restate what was accomplished at the close of a meeting to guard against misunderstanding. Ask for a contact person for further dealings.

9. Appointment and schedule Westerners make appointments and schedules or agendas WELL in advance while Chinese like to do something with foreigners within VERY short notice, which Westerners are not used to.

10. Invitation • Official letter head/host with all the contact information, including a logo • The invited: legal name, passport/ID number, rank/position, date of birth • Visit schedule/ agenda: firm dates and programs • Who covers the expenses

11. Online communication • Conspicuous/specific/personal title when sending an e-mail message • Acknowledge the receipt of emails and reply promptly • Clear, courteous, concise and personal • Leaving all your contact information • Check and proofread before sending • Use your e-mail account at your institution/company/university

12. Guanxi and hospitality The concept of guanxi (personal connections) is not unique to China, but it is vital to get important things accomplished in East Asia. Local and foreign companies spend heavily to establish and maintain relationships with influential people. The payoff may be personal or organizational.

12. Guanxi and hospitality Guanxi is reciprocal, contextual, personal and, intangible, utilitarian and long-term.Individually- embedded guanxi can be extended to the organization’s connections. The Chinese dislike doing business with strangers and it’s helpful to be introduced properly by an intermediary.

12. Guanxi and hospitality It is through continuous, long-term associations and interactions that the guanxi relationship is being developed and strengthened. For example…. One reason for the pervasiveness of the guanxi system on the Mainland China is the relative lack of a reliable legal system. But it is also important in areas outside China, where the legal system is more developed.

12. Guanxi and hospitality Good guanxi is a renewable resource and can be reestablished even after much time has passed. But it may also be an exhaustible resource if the ledger between two people does not remain in approximate balance.

12. Guanxi and hospitality Chinese prefer to do business with, and even to hire, those with whom they have guanxi, It is contrasted to an aversion to doing this among Westerners. They believe it diminishes the danger of problem, and makes solving them much easier when they do arise.

12. Guanxi and hospitality East Asians/ Orientals or Asians are more hospitable than Westerners. Foreigners/guests are better treated in Asia than in the West.

Any questions? • tradelaw@hzcnc.com • 136-0051-6079 • QQ:11484 21804 • Skype:wangguoan2006 • MSN:wangguoanhz@hotmail.com • http://econet.zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang/ 王国安教授

Thank you

Effective Communication with Foreigners - business etiquette & taboos