From: "Saved by Internet Explorer 11" Subject: Cultural caveats: On wining and dining Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:54:16 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01CF9D0F.9A943C30" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01CF9D0F.9A943C30 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.globalsources.com/NEWS/SIC-cultural-caveats-on-wining-and-dining.HTM =EF=BB=BF
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Path: Sourcing News & = Advice=20 >> Import from=20 China Advice >> Cultural caveats: On = wining and=20 dining
by John Niggl
Have you ever been in the position of a guest who tries graciously = to=20 refuse a lavish gift or over-generous act of kindness from a host? How = about the=20 sometimes awkward task of declining an invitation?
If you=E2=80=99ve been there, you know how uncomfortable =
these types of=20
situations can be. It can be difficult to refuse the kind favors of an =
insistent=20
host. Different peoples of various cultures have developed their own =
accepted=20
etiquette regarding the host-guest dynamic, and if you travel to China, =
you=E2=80=99re=20
bound to find yourself acting as guest on more than one occasion =
=E2=80=93 sometimes=20
without even realizing! That=E2=80=99s why Quality Wars saw fit to =
address this from the=20
perspective of a foreigner working with Chinese suppliers in this =
week=E2=80=99s feature=20
of Cultural Caveats.
You may have been told repeatedly about the importance of building = and=20 maintaining strong relationships with factory staff and management. = Maybe you=E2=80=99ve=20 also heard of the tendency for factory staff and management to treat = their=20 clients to dinner, drinking, karaoke or the works.
That=E2=80=99s all true.
But=20
something you may not be aware of is that all this =E2=80=9Cwining and =
dining=E2=80=9D night=20
after night that someone on an extended stay in China might be subject =
to is not=20
necessary. If you=E2=80=99re going to be with your supplier during both =
lunch and=20
dinnertime, don=E2=80=99t feel as though you have to accept both =
invitations, unless you=20
actually enjoy doing so. In fact, what you might think is a required =
part of=20
doing business in China is actually an obligation felt on the part of =
Chinese=20
who are assuming the role of host. If they=E2=80=99re treating you to =
lavish dinners and=20
nightly entertainment while you=E2=80=99re visiting, it=E2=80=99s =
because that behavior defines=20
a proper host in Chinese culture and not doing so would be considered =
rude.
The reason China is a nation of hospitable people is because they = place such=20 a great importance on making friends and building relationships. = That=E2=80=99s perhaps=20 no more apparent than in their treatment of foreign guests. Take it from = Chinese=20 teacher and philosopher Confucius (551=E2=80=93479 BC) who famously = said, =E2=80=9CHow happy to=20 have friends from far away.=E2=80=9D Chances are you=E2=80=99re a = foreigner of China if you=E2=80=99re=20 reading this blog with little or no difficulty. And if you=E2=80=99re = planning your=20 first trip to the Middle Kingdom anytime soon, you may find yourself in = the=20 aforementioned circumstances.
If you plan to visit a Chinese supplier over a number of days, = it=E2=80=99s=20 recommended that you pick one night for dining and entertainment. Let = the=20 supplier know that you=E2=80=99re reserving that night to party with = them. It=E2=80=99s totally=20 acceptable to say that you have =E2=80=9Csomething else to do=E2=80=9D = other nights. Giving a=20 vague kind of excuse like this is actually favorable to outright = rejection=20 since, as we discussed in the last=20 edition of Cultural Caveats, Chinese have a difficult time saying = =E2=80=9Cno=E2=80=9D and=20 declining an offer or proposal. You won=E2=80=99t need to worry about = the host grilling=20 you for an explanation of what that =E2=80=9Csomething else=E2=80=9D = is.
Most of us have had to decline a generous offer at one time or = another. In=20 China, generosity is tantamount to a proper host and gentleman. A visit = to a=20 Chinese supplier can entail a great deal of generous offers of dinner at = a nice=20 restaurant, drinks at an expensive bar, or other makings of a = =E2=80=9Cnight on the=20 town=E2=80=9D. But when one night becomes several, and you=E2=80=99re = struggling to decline=20 without offending your host, know that all it takes is a simple excuse = and, if=20 you have the benefit of foresight, some scheduling beforehand. Your = supplier=20 won=E2=80=99t take offense, and you=E2=80=99ll be able to spend your = evening satisfying your=20 hunger for more great posts from Quality Wars!
John = Niggl is=20 a Client Manager at InTouch=20 Manufacturing Services, a QC firm that performs product inspections = and=20 factory audits in China for US and EU clients. John also writes for the=20 QC-related blog, Quality=20 Wars.
Read more Sourcing=20 News & Advice
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