Managers' Forum ~ Book Reviews
Business Culture in China
Reviewed by: Ui-Jun Suk
As China is the largest market in the world with 1.2 billion people,
many
businessmen are attracted by exciting and profitable commercial
opportunities. However, when we challenge the Chinese market, we should
keep
in mind that China has developed its economy with its own distinctive
flavor, rather than copying other economic systems. Therefore, when
penetrating the Chinese market, we should examine the distinctive and
complex business culture from the viewpoint of its tradition, living
style
and changing culture. The book, "Business Culture in China", addresses
the
question of how to successfully enter the Chinese market for every
foreign
businessman and manager presently interested in China from that viewpoint.
The book was written by three authors; Yuan Wang, a lecturer, project
manager, and consultant, who specializes in the Chinese market, Xin
Sheng
Zhang, a professor who researched and applied the theory of "Public
Relations" to both the Chinese academic and business fields, and Rob
Goodfellow, an Australian-based author, researcher and consultant who
has
experience in Indonesian and Chinese business culture. Because those
three
authors have been exposed to both Western and Eastern cultures, the
book
provides readers with deep insight into Chinese business culture from
insider and outsider perspectives of China, which makes it more valuable.
The book is divided by 9 chapters. In chapter 1 and 2, the authors deal
with
traditional Chinese values, explaining the cultural history of Chinese
business, especially the role of Confucianism in Chinese society. In
Chapter3, we can see modern Chinese business values changed after the
economic reform of 'Open Door Policy' by Deng Xiao Ping. Chapter 4
explains
the topic of Chinese negotiation characteristics, the role of the banquet
and the place of tactics in Chinese business. Chapter 5 introduces
the
characteristics of modern Chinese corporations and relates them to
the point
of how to successfully make joint venture agreement with Chinese
businessmen. Chapter 6 demonstrates the role of Chinese government
in
commerce and ways of effectively establishing business relationships
with
government officials. Chapter 7 deals with the psychology of Chinese
consumers and trends of its market. Chapter 8 teaches us about promotion
in
the Chinese market by branding, packaging, and advertising through
Chinese
media and the condition and system of distribution in China. Lastly,
in
chapter 9, the authors point out 6 P's as essential elements
for a
businessman to have for the methods of business success in China.
The 6 P's
are patience, power, predisposition, personnel, protection and perspective.
The book provides a practical and comprehensive understanding of the
skills
and strategies required for doing business well in China. Also, a lot
of
real cases, business stories and systematical information in Chinese
business are very helpful to understand the book more easily. Therefore,
I
would highly recommend this book to those people who are currently
involved
or interested in Chinese business, as I was deeply impressed with the
book.
Reference: Yuan Wang, Xin S. Zhang, and Rob Goodfellow, Business Culture
in
China, BH Asia, Singapore, 1999 ISBN 9810089775
