China’straditionalbusinessculture
ConfucianthoughthashadaprofoundinfluenceonthewayChinesepeopledobusiness.Forexample,“etiquette,”thebasicelementofConfucianism,originatedfromtheritualworshipof,andsacrificeto,theancestors.Lateritdevelopedintoasetofmoralrulesbasedonkinshipandhierarchy,andhasbeenweavedintofiveinterpersonalrelations:thosebetweenrulerandsubject,fatherandson,husbandandwife,brothersandfriends.Notonlydiditplayaroleinsolidifyingpatriarchal-feudalrelationship,butitisdeeplyrootedinthelivinghabitsandcustomsoftodayandhasbecomeaforcewhichregulatessocialinteractionsandbehaviors.Sinceancienttimes,theprinciplethat“aneventemperbringswealth”hasbeenanessentialpartofConfucianism.AccordingtotheAnalectsofConfucius,“Wealthandrankattainedthroughimmoralmeansareasemptytomeasfloatingclouds.”Inotherwords,peopleshouldtakeintoaccountbothmonetarygainsandethicalguidelinesatthesametime,andthatagoodeconomicordercanonlybemaintainedbymoralrules.ThesearethefundamentalvaluesforChina’straditionalbusinessculture.
TherenownedChinesehistorianSimaQian(145-86B.C.)oncesaid,“Jostlingandjoyous,thewholeworldcomesforprofit.”Thereisnoreasontoblamepeopleforearningmoney;however,suchmoneyshouldbeearnedinaproper,reasonableandlegalway.Therefore,itcanbeconcludedthattraditionalbusinessculturemeans“workinghardandpersevering;showingrespecttoConfucianism;emphasizingdailypractices;makingmoneyinalegalandhonestmanner;andbeingsociallyresponsible.”
Chinesepeoplehavealonghistoryofdoingbusiness,andthereisalonglistofbusinessexperts,including:Zigong,FanLi,andBaiGui,allofwhomwereprestigiousbusinessmenduringpre-QinDynasty(before221B.C.);ZhangZhidongandZhangJian,pioneeringtradersinmodemtimes;andLiKa-shing,oneofthecontemporaryoutstandingmerchantswhohaveshapedanddevelopedthecountry’snewbusinessculture.Throughtheireffortsandactivities,therewasgraduallybornaChinese-stylebusinessstrategy.Thekeyelementsofthisstrategyare:
•Choosingtherightlocation;
•Buyingandsellinggoodsattherighttime;
•Makingsmallbutquickprofits;
•Earningmoneywithintegrity;
•Recognizingthewholethroughtheobser-vationofparts;
•Usingunexpectedplansandstrategies;
•Treatingatalentedpersonwithrespectandtrust;
•Thinkingaboutthefutureandlong-termbenefits;and
•Makingnewandmorefriends.
ThisbusinessphilosophyhasbecomethemainstreambusinesscultureofChina.Today,entrepreneursarestilllearningbusinesslessonsfromtheirancestors.
China’smodernbusinessculture
Generallyspeaking,China’smodernbusinessculturecanbesummarizedasfollows:quality-based,focusingonintegrityandtrust,operatinginalawfulwayandpursuingwin-winscenarios.Itscorevalueslieindedication,integrity,friendlinessandothermoralcodesofbusiness.
China’sbusinesscultureincludes:internationalbusinessconcepts,advancedbusinessequipment,effectivemanagementandmarketingstrategies,thepursuitofindividualfreedomandapeople-orientedapproachsoastoaddressconsumers’physicalandspiritualneeds.Peopleareencouragedtofollowbusinessprinciplesandfostertheirownmoralvalues.Meanwhile,amodernChinesebusinesscultureisbeingestablishedandenhanced;corporatebehaviorsarebeingregulatedandstandardized;localenterprisesareacceptinginternationaleconomicrulesandstandards.
Businessisnotonlyameanstoprofit,butawindowtoshowcaseimprovementsinsocietyandachannelthroughwhichtospreadcivilization.Therefore,doingbusinesswithintegrityandmutualtrustisthesymbolofacivilizedsocietyandamustforfuturesuccess.EffortsarebeingmadetoenhancethestrengthofChina’straditionalbusinessculture,breakdownthebarriersthathamperthemarketeconomyandworkefficiency,buildanadvancedbusinessculturesysteminordertoestablishagoodbusinessenvironmentforpeopleathomeandabroadtocarryoutbusinessactivities.
AneditedexcerptfromWheninChina:AGuidetoChineseBusinessCulturepublishedbySinolinguaCo.Ltd.