The Three Types Of Westerners in China
December 10th, 2007
An interesting podcast here by Christine Lu of the Chinese Business Network with Greg Bissky of Treasure Mountain Consulting, The Three Types of Westerners in China.
A very good podcast. Self-explanatory. Check it out.
Which type of Westerner are you now, which do you think you will be in China, and which one do you think you will be when you return home? Be honest in your self assessment. I am not asking you to engage in wishful thinking, but realistic and honest thinking and self-assessment.
You can also pick up some good pointers for your future business career (e.g., what types of things should you be aware of as you manage, motivate and lead Chinese employees in your organization) and trips to Asia from this CBN podcast, The Role of Face in Chinese Business Culture.
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, China
2 Comments Add your own
1. Thalia van Tonder | December 25th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I think a person shows many faces when living and working in China. The notion of “Keeping Face” is extremely important.
I have been living in Shanghai for five months and everyday life can be challenging. Doing the simplist things here can be tough.
Mr. Ugly is mentioned above. Sometimes American’s get this feeling of being “untouchable” here. It is true, animosity grows as you try to adapt to the culture. There is not an equal standard of “importance” of certain taskes. Many Westerner’s including myself struggle with negotiation even on the most mundane things such as buying oranges on the street. There is a dual pricing system. Westerner’s know this and this brings out Mr. Ugly real quick.
2. Chris Carr | December 26th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Thalia,
Thanks for checking in. Good points.
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