International Business Etiquette, Essay Example

China is now the second largest economy in the world, only behind the U.S. and it is only a matter of time before China surpasses the U.S. to become the largest economy. More and more American companies are doing business in China which has many industries still in infancy as compared to the U.S. where growth opportunities have declined to a great extent. Thus, it is important to learn about Chinese letter etiquette to ensure productive communication and desirable response from the Chinese counterparts.

As far as letters and memos are concerned, they serve almost the same purpose in China that they do in the U.S. including requesting information, making a complaint, and proposing a sale. It is important to provide fax number on the letterhead if it is not already printed because faxing is an important source of communication in China. Unlike the U.S., it is not necessary to write the address of the addressee and just the organization name and the person’s name and appropriate title suffice. Chinese write surname first even in letters, thus, addressee’s surname should be written before the first name. As far as dates are concerned, Chinese first write year and then month and day in respective order as opposed to Americans who write month first and then day and year, respectively (Cimasko).

All official communication in China is governed by gongwen which covers three kind of relationships: superior to subordinate, equal to equal, and subordinate to superior. Depending upon the type of relationship between the sender and the receiver, one should choose appropriate words. Similarly, official communication should always include family names and not merely first names (Cimasko).

A conversation with a Chinese friend also revealed important clues into the letter etiquette in China. First of all, power distance is high in China s formal language and respect should always be ensured, especially in dealing with superiors. It is also important not to use personal tone in formal written communication no matter how close the two individuals involved in the communication process may be. It is also important to never write anything in red ink in China (Millet).

My friend told me that just like oral communication, it is also important to save face and protect dignity in written communication. Instead of directly saying no, subtle hints should be sent in written communication that it may be difficult or may only be probable and the Chinese people get the hint that the answer is no or something like it. Similarly, when Chinese communicate with us through letters or other forms of writing, they also tend us to be indirect and provide hints rather than saying ‘no’. In addition, two topics should be avoided in written communication as well which are religion and politics. Even if Chinese government’s policies may be wrong, Chinese are sensitive to the criticism of their government. They have a huge national pride, both in their ancient and modern history.

It is apparent that Chinese and American cultures are not only different but there are huge differences in communication styles as well. In contract to low-context American culture, China has high-context culture which also shapes the verbal and written communication style. There is also emphasis on hierarchy and individual dignity which is why business written communication tends to be formal and indirect.

References

Cimasko, Tony. Writing for a Chinese Business Audience. 25 October 2011. 3 May 2013 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/676/01/>.

Millet, Joyce. Chinese Etiquette & Protocol. 3 May 2013 <http://www.protocolprofessionals.com/articles_china_print.htm>.