Monday, February 27, 2017
Week 4 Posts and Comments due March 3
Hey everybody, great job on the posts so far. In future posts, consider linking some of what you're reading to what you already know about business, culture, history, etc. from some of your other courses or traveling experiences. Also, I'm still missing some posts or comments from some of you, so try not to get any further behind. Not only will late posts and comments only receive partial credit, but when you post late, others will most likely not read what you had to share since you posted after they have completed that blog section. Posts that are beyond two weeks late will not receive credit at all. Happy reading this week, and enjoy a break from blogging over the spring holiday!
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During my reading this week of “The Chinese Way to Business” the chapter gave a brief overview of the history of Chinese business and then led into China’s new hybrid ethics. I found it really interesting to read about how Chinese resent Westerners who come to China and attempt to force them to follow Western ethics in their business relationships. I believe that this will be very important for us to remember as we are conversing with people in China at the different businesses.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if they were to ask us for advice on a problem they may have, we have to understand that they may not be receptive towards our Western ideas and may not accept our advice. I have even experienced this during my classes when working on class projects where everyone has a different way of solving the problem and no one wants to diverge from their beliefs.
The book also talked about how sometimes the Western way will be better than the Chinese way as well as the Chinese way sometimes being better than the Western way. It spoke about how the Chinese way typically gives profit precedence over the interests of employees and consumers. I found this very interesting because in other countries I have visited, such as Bermuda, they seem to put a higher precedence on the satisfaction of employees and consumers as opposed to making a profit because their focus is on things other than money.
I am excited to travel to China this summer and attempt to detect this practice in Chinese culture of putting a higher significance of selling goods than satisfying the customer.
Very interesting! I am excited to travel as well. Let me know how the detection process comes!
DeleteThe myth I read about this week was that China is westernizing. From just surface level observations it may seem that that way but the author argues that the underlying culture and traditions are very much alive.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting part of the chapter I read was his explanation of having "face." In short, he explained the concept of "face" as being about "one's self-respect and prestige and, crucially, about one's standing in the group." As I read about this concept my personal explanation would be interpreted would be your public persona. There is a very clear traditional view of authority but also mutual respect. There is a lot that can be shared and understood about this concept and definitely don't know enough to explain it well right now.
With that said, one of the most interesting aspect of this concept to me was the idea that you are required to have face, to spend money on certain aspects of life even if you don't have a lot of money to spend and from the book's description even if you don't have it to spend. It was more important to have "face." In my mind I equated this with how western culture treats weddings at times. I've heard of many weddings that families had to borrow huge sums of money in order to hold a certain time of event.
Another aspect of "face" is you can't refuse a request, such as an invitation to a party or dinner. If such an invitation is given you much go. The example was used if you are invited to 5 different new year parties you are obligated to accept and attend each event.
It will be interesting to see this concept in person.
Reading your post reminded me of my reading and how it is constantly talking about the Chinese culture being vastly different from the Western culture. Although there are some similarities there are large differences as well with how we conduct business and relate to one another.
DeleteI also found it very interesting how you talked about the concept of face relating to the Western wedding culture. Certain cultures more than others highly value participation and I guess that the Chinese culture highly values this and everyone in a way has this appearance and prestige that they must uphold.
I think it is very interesting to hear about China not "westernizing". For me, this concept is so interesting because I've always thought as China as one of the leaders of releasing products and technology that influences western cultures. It is so true that in this culture that we live in that we've become fixated on materials. Also, I think it was interesting to hear about the invitation to events. I wonder on what premise could you decline? Perhaps that's my "western" thinking...I'm interested to see what else your book has to say about the Chinese culture vs. Our culture.
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DeleteMy book also talked about how on the surface, especially in the cities, it appears the culture is westernizing, but underneath the cosmetics there is a strong distinct Chinese culture. I am really looking forward to seeing how much the book lines up with our experience.
DeleteEarlier this week in "Business Leadership in China" I was also reading about the value "face" and trust in China. As you mentioned, face is incredibly important to Chinese people, so much so that it can actually be detrimental to timely, truthful information getting to management. Chinese employees will withhold information from managers in order to save face for the manager.
DeleteI would disagree with the author of your book Ryan. At least if he/she is generalizing. Although it is true that Chinese culture is alive and well, there is no doubt that China is embracing some of the things that we westerners have traditionally embraced. Free speech is one of these. While the government certainly isn't encouraging open protest against the public officials, it is true that the people themselves are eager to embrace this. And although China does have the Great Firewall, as it is called, most of my friends in China have a VPN which allows access to the same stuff you and I access here in the US. VPNs are illegal but the government has made no effort to crack down on these, and they only cost two or three dollars a month. Capitalism is another tradition that has not been practiced in China since 1949, at least not openly. But within the last two decades or so the Chinese government is very much opening up markets and releasing control of production. So while it might make for a good thesis, to be contrarian, I don't necessarily agree that the Chinese are not westernizing.... unless of course by "westernizing" we mean that every element of our culture is adopted and every element of their native culture is forgotten, in which case of course that isn't happening. Not happening anywhere, there are even differences between England and the US. But it does give one pause for thought.
DeleteThis week while reading my book "China Fortunes: A Tale of Business in the New World" the book still relies on the heavy narrative of Jack's attempts at maintaining profitable businesses in China while adapting to the culture.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "Killing Two Birds with One Stone" Jack learns of the inherent readiness of CHinese businessmen to latch onto Westernized business. Which sounds like an unusual action considering the pure size of China's business world. In this chapter, he meets two Chinese men that work for Merritt Partners in China. These men do not care or worry about their current employment with their firm because they are completely willing to work with the white man from America at any cost. Why? It's not very clear, but the chapter seems to say that they would see Westerners as more fortunate in the common business world since the possibility of profitable business regardless of culture sounds delightful.
I'm excited to understand how Chinese people operate business, whether it be on account of old ideas or more Westernized ideas, it will be enlightening to know.
That's very interesting to see. When I lived in Thailand it was the very same thought process. That everyone was so amazed that I was from America and that it was like some eden. I'll be interested in seeing what else comes from your book.
DeleteJesse, it will be interesting to see how the story pans out as you learn more about it. It's nice to have a book option that uses narrative illustrations to help make sense of the minute aspects of Chinese/Western business practices by making them more concrete.
DeleteThis week for my reading I focused on the chapter titled: "Conduct Reconnaissance into the Future." Reconnaissance into the future was described as the process of surveying a complex and volatile environment and forming a mental map of the upcoming situation to better anticipate emerging threats and opportunities. It argued that each entrepreneur should act in each situation he/she finds themselves as to rely on the mental map previously stated, rather than relying on preconceived ideas and plans.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter it further explain this theory in terms of the history of Ting Hsin, a major player in the leading food group in the greater China area. It followed the path of Ting Hsin from its beginnings to its time of today, and even its position in the noodle markets.
This week, I didn't make as much progress as I would've liked to seeing how midterms dominated my time. However, the little that I did read was interesting. It mainly focused on his time in transition between primary to middle school when he was in his late teens. Initially, he wasn't accepted into the primary school because he was too old, but then the head master saw how determined he was to get an education and he admitted him into the school. From there, he went to a larger city and was accepted into a "middle" school. I think this was interesting because Mao eventually became one of the most prominent leaders in Chinese history, but he had little in formal education. I wonder if this had an impact in the way he adopted his ideology? I guess the book will clarify it in further chapters.
ReplyDeleteAdeline, thank you for doing your best to keep up despite the stress of midterms. I hope that all of you are enjoying your much-deserved time away from school this week!
DeleteThis sounds interesting. It seems to show the struggle every person goes through before potentially reaching a successful point.
DeleteThe story of Mao would be a very interesting one to read. Like Rebecca said, it seems that everyone has to go through some sort of troubling time that shapes how they view the world, and think and form things that eventually shape the way they act upon or do not act upon those thoughts. I am interested in reading more of your posts.
DeleteI apologize for the extremely short post. Most of what I mentioned before continues on in the following chapters, about the background of Chinese adoption and such. The book is striking a chord with me and it's a lot to handle sometimes. I'm not simply reading about life in china I'm reading about what could have potentially been my situation before I got adopted so it's a little hard to take in. I learned that children born illegally, or without the government process of being pronounced a citizen are called "heihaizi". After reading I have been pondering the idea of my birth being secretive. It's a very strong subject and although sometimes it's a little too much, I have enjoyed learning about everything that I've read so far.
ReplyDeleteWow I am in shock reading your comment and how you relate what you have read to your life. You seem to be handling it well and very brave to mention that. Please keep writing more so that I can learn more about this hard situation that happens to many Chinese children.
DeleteAllie, there is a Chinese film you should watch. It is called "The Ticket." It is about a journalist in Beijing who is adopted and she sets out to find her biological parents, traipsing across the rural mountains into forgotten villages in faraway China. Very moving film.
DeleteI always look forward to your posts because the issue your book talks about is so intense. It makes me think a lot about the children who were abandoned or given away from adoption and how that has affected their lives. You mentioned your connection with this book and I really look up to that because it seems like a challenge I might not be able to go through. I hope to see more of your writing on this subject.
DeleteThis week my reading was on the university system of China. The author of the book was mentioning how upset he was that students cheat left and right on their exams. These college students literally buy the answers and the one's that can afford to are more likely to pass. While if students come from a more humble home would not have the same advantage. Bribery is a real thing that happens in top universities in China. Students do not care about college as much as their two main childhood tests and it's a joke. Professors tend to not care much at all. This chapter describes how China has the highest number and percentage of students who enter college and also graduate compared to Western world where they have a much lower percentage of students who enter college and actually graduate.
ReplyDeleteAm I understanding correctly, that China has a higher graduate rate than western countries but that it might be tied to a system where bribery in education common? Interesting.
DeleteWow, that is really interesting. I think that it is strange that they put so much pressure on the student for their other entry tests, but once they get to college the Professor just don't care. I wonder if that is why a lot of Chinese students come to the U.S. for college rather than staying in China? I also wonder if the colleges in the U.S. are better than those in China? It will be interesting to hear what else to learn as you continue reading.
DeleteA lot of students come to the US for university because the competition for placement in China is quite fierce with so many students being pressured to get a university education. Also, remember that parents have only one child in most cases, which means that all their hopes for posterity are pinned on that single individual. That's a lot of pressure, and it has resulted in some students cheating in order to avoid disappointing parents and saving face. It has also resulted in many parents sending their students to the US for an education that they see as more prestigious, especially if it is in a top, ivy-league institution.
DeleteI think you may mean that a higher percentage of students who start college finish, is that correct? Meaning the attrition rate is lower in China. I think even without bribery and corruption this would likely be true. The Chinese student knows full well the opportunity they have to be in college, and in many cases families have chosen to send their brightest child (if more than one child) to college. In some cases entire villages rally around a village kid who shows promise. So it is probably true that the average student who enters China is probably both more motivated and more intelligent than the average western student. For no other reason than the constraints of economy. When you create an economy and a culture, like here in the US, where college is accessible to a much larger percentage of the population then you will naturally have some that decide, a year in, that they just don't want to finish. Some of these are only going because they don't know what else to do. In China, if you don't know what else to do, you work. College is a luxury. That said, bribery is a serious problem and the current president has said he is committed to catching all of the tigers and flies, the big government officials and the small village officials, if they are corrupt.
DeleteUnfortunately, I've experienced the same experience at Southern as well. During my Organic Chem class, people of the same race would cheat off of each other whereas those who did not fall into the same category worked alone. Being one of the people that worked alone, it's very discouraging to witness people gaining such an advantage at the dismay of others.
DeleteAlso, I've made friends with an international student while on a mission trip, teaching me the value of Western education in comparison to that in Japan specifically. Given how much smarter most of these students tend to be, it is not surprising to see them take advantage of learning English and moving into our school system.
This week as I continued reading, "The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom," I have been submerged in the history of trade between China, India, the U.S. and England.
ReplyDeleteThe trade industry began early on, however in the 1800s the world richest business man, Wu Bingjian or better known as Howqua, had $26 million dollars, equivalent to tens of billions today by trading. I think this is crazy because he never left his home, but because he was so smart he became very wealthy. Howqua began trading with the U.S. in 1804, when John Perkins Cushing arrived.
John Cushing was a teen and served as a clerk for the Perkins & Company in Boston, founded by his uncle. Howqua took Cushing under his wing and made him the most successful traders.
Trading tea was the was good, but drug trafficking was what Cushing moved to, by using Howqua's loans. The business was good until one of Cushing's ships was caught and the opium was burned. After that the U.S. was put on heavy watch and China became skeptical of all the trade that they did.
This is where the saying that, "Chinese did not welcome foreign trade" came from. This was not true though, on July 3, 1844 Cushing settled a treaty allowing equal access to China's market, later called the "Open Door."
Although we are not going to China to trade we are going their to learn. I have been to other countries and have seen their culture, history, and the way they do business, but it will be interesting how China compares. I am very excited to see what adventure this trip will bring as we learn about more about China and the way it works.
This week my reading of Business Leadership in China covered Human resource trends, trust and the concept of "face". The Chinese place a high value on honesty, however they will lie to save face, even to save face for another individual. As a westerner, the idea of saving face isn't alien, but routinely sacrificing honesty to save face is a bit different then in the west. I appreciate blunt honesty in most of my interaction, it is quick and efficient. The concept of lying in order to save face would be a frustrating adjustment.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting to me how our ideas of honesty and sacrifice are different culturally. Personally, I am a terrible liar and even the thought of lying to save face makes me uncomfortable.
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ReplyDeleteThis week while continuing reading "What Everyone Needs to Know About China's Economy" I discovered how China rose to the top of the export economy and how it will evolve over the next ten years. Prior to the 1980s China was behind in the manufacturing and export economies compared to the rest of the world. Luckily the timing was perfect and with the help of good neighbors and Hong Kong China was able to rise to the top again. While reading this I reflected over the difference of America's economy and how we rose compared to China's economy.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds very intriguing! It is always very interesting to see how a country who was once behind the rest of the world is able to overcome their struggles and end up rising to the top. I look forward to hearing your presentation in class regarding this.
DeleteVanessa, I noticed you used the word "again" in describing China's rising to the top as an export economy. What prior time period were you referring to? Try to be a little more specific when you bring out points like this.
DeleteAs I continued to read "How To Do Business in China," this chapter focused on obtaining the right cultural information on the country one is visiting. Of course must of us understand that familiarizing oneself with the local conditions and ettiequte of the country you are visiting is quite important. The author of this book, however, recommends to go further than just that. He suggests that you have to dig deeper than the surface of China and do more research in their values, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs. It is important to observe not only the cultural differences but also the similarities between our culture and the culture you are expecting to perform business in. The author also says that one needs to be fluent in their own culture in order to fully understand the someone else's culture.
ReplyDeleteIn this part of Factory Girls, a character was a writing a letter to her mother. Before this it was clear that she felt a lot of pressure from her mother to come home from the factory to get married. This was common. In the letter, she stated that she wanted to study at a university, learn Cantonese and to absolutely not marry. It seems that this was out of the norm. In this culture, often young women needed to get married in order to support themselves. The book states "According to Chinese tradition, a son was expected to return to his parents' house with his wife after he married; a son would forever have a home in the village where he was born. Daughters, once grown, would never return home to live--until they married, they didn't belong anywhere. It seems that women go from being under their parents control, to a factories control, then under their husbands control. This is an example of the different political climates in China and America. Here, it's perfectly acceptable to stay single forever.
ReplyDeleteI read something similar in my book. It talks about how many Chinese women believe that marriage is the key to happiness; and that Chinese women often act like children with their boyfriends, trying to make the boyfriend feel that they need attention and protection. The Chinese culture seems to put a greater emphasis on marriage and family than the Western culture, which I think can be good in a way but can also keep people from achieving their dreams.
DeleteThis concept of control in interpersonal relationships is very interesting to me. To the Western mind, the concept or idea of women being 'controlled" to this level is not considered a good thing. In fact, many would go so far as to say that it is repressive. While there certainly can and is elements of mistreatment in all cultures and countries, it does not appear that Chinese women feel that they are greatly disadvantaged by their cultures expectations. I recently read an article that cited several studies which seemed to show that women in China were happier on average then women in the United States. Whether or not we can accurately gauge how happy people are or how culture plays into that i'm not sure, but nevertheless I continue to be fascinated by the differences of culture and our perceptions of one another.
DeleteChinese women are increasingly pressured to marry. This is not only due to cultural expectations, but because there are 40 million more men in China than women; this is a remnant of the One Child policy, in which parents wanted that one child to be a boy, not a girl. So girls really have no reason not to marry. But here's the problem... girls are often now the ones that end up taking care of the parents, financially. So they go off to the city to work and send money back home. They are sometimes married but their husband lives in another city and they always live apart. This oddity (to westerners) is deeply embedded into Chinese culture after a few decades, at least, of practice. The previous president of Hong Kong Adventist College was a seminary professor at Andrews University prior to moving back to HK, where his wife had lived for years. Both of them are Chinese. When he did move back to HK his wife continued to live in the city and there was initially some discussion of his living on the HKAC campus while his wife continued to live in the city, not more than 40 minutes away by subway/bus. I don't know what they ultimately did but this is an example of the different practices within marriage and attitudes toward marriage in Chinese society.
DeleteIn my short readings for the past week I learned more about the history of China's one child policy. One thing was about how China was not the only nation in the world that was dealing with over population. All around the world after W.W.II countries saw a large growth in population and they started campaigns to encourage families from only having about 2 children. China was the only one that had the authoritarian force and culture and society that allowed for such a controlled and drastic push on population control.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to post earlier due to spring break, but I read quite a bit this week to finish up the first section of the book. Two of the things that I found most interesting were the section on promises and on drinking.
ReplyDeleteIn China, promises used to be very important. People would honor a promise no matter what. But nowadays, with dishonest businesses and dishonest government officials, many people don't think that it's important to keep their promises anymore. Many people make promises only to save face for themselves or for the other person, or because the promise is a traditional form of respect. For example, when you meet someone or run into an old acquaintance, you are supposed to ask them to come visit you. This is traditional, and many people still do this, but no one is expected to take you seriously.
Drinking in China is something most people don't like to do, but it is a big part in business deals. Making toasts (although people who never drink are allowed to substitute a non-alcoholic drink) and drinking at dinner parties is crucial in getting a good job; so much so that college students practice drinking. In general, Chinese drink a lot, especially in the north and west. Bosses believe that they can tell a lot about a person's work ethic from his drinking behavior. For example, if a person drinks to the point of harming his own health to show their loyalty, the boss may believe that that person will be an employee he can count on.
The part about drinking is actually very interesting because here in the United States, drinking is seen as very social. Even though drinking is probably very big in the business world here, it does not solely have to do with the business world. Even now it is probably seen as more of a way to relax than as a place to show professional skill. I enjoy reading about things that show the contrasts of American and Chinese culture.
DeleteI would say the drinking comments are very true. But mostly with men. Men actually do like to drink, or that has been my observation anyway... and in this they are not really all that different than any other men. Women don't like to drink, as a general rule. Perhaps a glass of wine here and there but you often hear a woman make an excuse and say that she is allergic to alcohol. Not so with the men.
DeleteBetter late than never? Well maybe so. Over spring break I did have a chance to do some reading (on the beach) in my book. The third stratagem in my book ( The 36 Ancient Chinese Strategies for Modern Business) is Kill with a Borrowed Knife.
ReplyDeleteLong ago in the Warring States period (476-221 B.C.) King Zu had a prime minister named Nang and three assistants. One of the assistants, Fei, was jealous of his coworker Buo, because Buo was the kings favorite assistant. So one day Fei told the minsters that Buo had invited him to a feast at his house. He then told Buo that the prime minister wanted to dine with Buo at his house. Buo felt honored by this and began to prepare the party. Buo was able to get everything in order expect for one thing, a gift for the prime minister. Buo asked Fei to help him find a good gift because he figured that minister Nang had everything he wanted. Fei told Buo that the minister would really like weapons as a gift. So he had Buo stock pile all sorts of weapons at his gate as a gift. Once this was done, Fei sent word to Nang and told him that Buo planned to kill him. Nang sent spies and sure enough, there were weapons stashed at the gate. So Nang sent his army to capture Buo. When Buo realized what had happened and what would happen, he killed himself. Thus, Fei used Nang (the borrowed knife) to kill his enemy.
Modern Applications can be seen in lots of companies that bring in outside individuals to do the dirty work that needs to be done. And excellent example who Jack Ma guided Alibaba through the dot-com crash. Prior to 2000, Alibaba had over extended itself to the point where it was bleeding cash at a rate of 2 million per month. Ma knew that he needed to take drastic action to rescue the company. So he hired Savio Kwan to turn things around. Kwan implemented massive layoffs, new strategies, and many other things to turn things around. Ma used the borrowed knife (Kwan) to do the things that needed to be done.
Along with a few others I was unaware this was due. Regardless I did find some really interesting points in the chapter I am reading in my book. this is the 4th out of 6 main points in the authors argument and it gives a history of women's rights in China in three major time blocs. First the author talks about gender equality in the Song Dynasty, then the Communist Revolution and women under Mao, then she goes in the the rise of gender inequality in the post-Mao era. For this post I wanted to focus on the Song Dynasty.
ReplyDeleteSomething really interesting that I found is that during this time women received increased property rights. A large focus of this book is on property rights for women, and I never realized how much it really affected the social disparities between gender. During this time men were dying off at earlier ages than women, thus leaving parents without an heir to their estates after they died. During the Song Dynasty it became acceptable to actually pass the estate to the daughter of the family if there was no heir. Despite other social constricts of foot binding (which originated in the Song Dynasty) and Confucian teachings about the obedience that women should have, this showed one area of progress that was happening during this time. Unfortunately, after the Song Dynasty women were again pushed back and property was now funnelled through nephews if there were no sons.
One of the interesting things I saw was the impact that this nephew policy had. In 2012 a woman was interviewed about how her parents had no desire to help her or her other sisters pay for a house because they gave all their money to the nephew in the family. Even more surprising is that the woman did not see this as injustice, but just of social custom.
this week i read a chapter in my book titled, "Foreign Technology in The Development of China's Automotive Sector." this chapter talks about the impact that other automotive companies from other countries has had on chinas automotive industry. the chapter also briefly talks about the hindered development of automobiles due to central government polices. The Chinese also caused a famine by going against the advice received from the soviet union. they advised the chinese to take advantage of economies of scale with mass production. instead the chinese tried to produce a small scale industrialization of chinese rural areas which ultimately caused a famine. in 1970, the production of chinese automobiles was at a standstill. they eventually incorporated foreign exchange into their own automotive industry with some restrictions and started to grow their automotive industry again.
ReplyDeleteDuring my short reading this week in "China Business Culture," I go more in depth with the struggle the people of China had with accepting business in general and going international. Something shocking I discovered was that Confucian culture use to have a low regard for business. Actually in Chinese tradition the four social classes were broken up into intellectuals, peasants, workers, and businessmen at the bottom of society. They believed the businessmen as unscrupulous people who focused only on profits or interest, which gave regards to selfishness as the root of all evil in Confucianism. Because of this belief the people of China upheld the integrity of "being satisfied with things as they are," discouraging competition in China. It wasn't until there was a turning point that the people of China began catching "business fever" in which they chose business as their best opportunity to make money. It was the beginning of the end of their cultural tradition and the start of change. Now there was a new emphasis on equal opportunities rather than equal results. It is now argues that business is an "efficient, equitable, and realistic use of physical and human resources, and in this respect it is acceptable expression of 'community'". The people of China finally understood that competition lead to wealth and opportunity for the nation as a whole, not as an individual greed. It's crazy how China was so rooted in their Confucian beliefs for 3000s years that it held them back in a way for years before becoming the great trading nation it is today.
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