China and the United States have very distinct cultures and therefore attach higher significance to different values. Their histories have created the ideological divide that separates them; however, globalization has been bringing the two together in ways that few could have expected in the millennia leading up to the opening of China to the rest of the world. By visiting businesses in China and speaking with a wide variety of citizens we learned much about how things are changing there, though the culture remains deeply Chinese. It is unlikely that a couple of centuries of exposure to the West and other cultures will have a profound effect on many traditions and customs in China. Though it is changing rapidly to reflect new cultures, the richness of Chinese history will ensure that they remain distinct even in the twenty-first century and beyond. Certainly as a people they have experienced an influx of culture that has ushered in irrevocable modifications both good and bad; as engineering and business students, understanding these transformations will be crucial to understanding our careers and the markets we will serve.
Because of the large number of misattributions that are made between different cultures, I think that one of the most important things that we can do as Christians in global business is to understand both cultures as well as possible in order to let the two interact smoothly. As an engineer, knowing what each culture values in good design, I can be in a position to offer solutions that are acceptable to both cultures, or design a product for a specific culture based on their different assignment of importance. For example, over and over again in the company meetings we heard that price and utility trump the highest quality in almost all situations. Is quality important to the Chinese? Of course it is, however the most important thing is that the job gets done as cheaply as possible. In the United States, there is a focus on providing features that the customer may not have asked for, in anticipation of a higher quality product that will go above expectations. This adds to the value of the product by trying to envision future problems that the customer may not have considered. In China, the thinking is that if the job is done today cheaply, the task has been taken care of and when another problem does come up it can be dealt with quickly and cheaply using another resolution. Solutions do not need to take into account the long term situation, because that may not be in the budget. Understanding differences like this will be important as companies try to serve both markets simultaneously. One of the keys to teasing out differences such as these is to either visit China and interview many multinational companies like we did, or to more simply look at differences and similarities between the people themselves in order to find where value is placed.
One of the largest cultural differences between Americans and Chinese people are they way that they conceive of themselves. This likely stems from the way the two nations developed and grew. China began from tribal groups all originating in the same area of land. These groups grew to become kingdoms, which warred between each other and eventually became larger kingdoms and dynasties, containing great numbers of people. There were separations when kingdoms split or were defeated, but they were mostly from the same ethnic group and individual families stayed united despite such divisions. Because the people were always part of a well-defined group, the culture that propagated was a very collective one, where worth was placed in one's contribution to the greater group. The whole in Chinese groups is greater than the sum of each individual contribution. Individual success is considered such only if it is in cooperation of the group, and it is looked at modestly because it is so much less important than shared success. The history of the United States is much different and logically leads to the individualism we see prominently in its culture today. From its very conception, America incorporated many different people groups, from the Pilgrims who arrived for religious reasons to the English merchants who came for economic opportunities. Each group came for different reasons and had no cause to consort with the others except for possible trade. Because the groups did not work together to achieve greater success and were splintered into their separate factions, the value of group unity and collectivism was never established. The American culture was developed on self-reliance: you have to do it for yourself, because everyone else is busy doing their own thing. Even from the beginning it was this way; the Pilgrims could not have helped the Virginia colonies succeed because they were fighting for their own lives. It went both ways and was probably one of the reasons that individual state sovereignty was valued by the Founding Fathers rather than a stronger central government like those found in China. This would later be exaggerated by the large numbers of immigrants from many different nations; most associating with members of their own culture.
Another difference between Chinese and American people is the way they view social structure and relationships. In China the social situation is based more hierarchically, with individuals knowing where they stand with respect to those around them. This affects how they relate with or do not relate with certain people. There are well defined rules for interaction with those higher in the hierarchy as well as those beneath. It is expected that these customs be followed, which is how the hierarchy is maintained. The United States holds a very informal, egalitarian view of social relationships. Everyone is supposed to be equal to everyone else. In practice it does not work this way, as family and work related connections mostly based financially tend to drive interaction. The rich naturally fall at the top of the social hierarchy. Politically it is thought that a person in any position can achieve any level of success based on their own ability; this depends largely on the resources and connections they have, which is again related to hierarchy. We are not as different as one might think.
Despite these differences, there were a variety of similarities to be noticed between the two people. Chinese and Americans both have a strong national identity. The Chinese people that I met were very proud to be Chinese, and openly acknowledged that there have been changes to their culture. They are confident in the ability of their country to succeed, by taking advantage of the incredible growth they are experiencing there. At English Corner in the Renmin Park in Shanghai, I had several questions about the difference in the ways that the Chinese and Americans have weathered the financial crisis. Most would point out that even in the face of the downturn the Chinese have exhibited massive growth. They were proud of this, and I conceded that their growth was impressive and healthier than America's which was actually a small decline. I naturally had to point out that growth does not necessarily indicate maturity, but progress, though I added that I do not think it will take much time for the Chinese economy to mature. Our discussion shows how much of each person is tied to their nationality, a characteristic that crosses cultures and can provide necessary unity in unfortunate circumstances.
Additionally, both Americans and Chinese put great worth in their children, specifically in ensuring that they have the most opportunity to succeed. Again at English Corner, some parents coaxed their child to come up and talk to me in English to develop his skills, even at such an early age. They wanted him to be able to succeed at English speaking to maximize his opportunities for working and living later. Likewise, while we were sitting on a bench at Dr. Sun Yat Sen's mausoleum steps, a little boy came up to us and said his A, B, C's to us and counted for us in English. His parents were proud of him and wanted him to become better at English as well. Chinese people want the best for their children which was evident to me in both of the situations I experienced, and this was before either of the children was even in school; they were both very young, probably less than four years old. Like American parents they also try to find the best schools for their children to prepare them for adult life. Unsurprisingly, the intangible things like patriotism and wanting the best for the children, who will be their future, are what stay the same across cultures.
It was through the similarities and differences that God showed me what it means to be a foreigner or an outsider in general. I think that God is asking me to be less judgmental in general, but especially in the context of interactions with other cultures. I have realized that there is the tendency in me to misattribute actions; this is something that I can really work at. I also feel God telling me to develop some of my cross cultural acquaintances into friendships and to perhaps do this by more intentionally engaging other cultures. Being in China, talking to the people and living as an outsider for a short period of time has been good practice and preparation for more purposeful interactions. One of the things I enjoyed most about the Chinese people was the way the people handled cross-cultural interactions. Most all of the Chinese I met were genuinely interested in learning about the American culture and way of speaking. There were many occasions where I was stopped on the street and had conversations with people, students usually, some of which I have continued since we have been back in the States. They worked around making misattributions by asking questions instead of just assuming things. Many of the questions struck at how much of the world sees Americans, but I was able to offer my perspective to them and hopefully change some of their stereotypes of us. My favorite part of being in China was having these interactions with the people because we both had a chance to just communicate and put aside the things we did not know about each other, and find answers directly. I also appreciated the hospitality that we were shown from the Chinese. In our business meetings the company representatives went out of their ways to make us comfortable; many companies served us meals, even when we were almost an hour late. Our special treatment was likely due to our status as Americans, and in places where few Americans travel they were probably trying to make a good impression. I think we can learn from their hospitality and in general be better hosts to those who come to us from both near and far away.
Churches were another place where we received remarkable hospitality. I think this is a way that God is working around the world among Christians. The first two churches were in Chinese and they provided translation for English speakers, members of the congregation went out of their way to ensure that our headsets were working properly and that we had Bibles and hymnals. Personally I felt like we were truly brothers and sisters despite the obvious barriers, which is something only God can accomplish. The third worship service, an international one, was also a wonderful example of God bringing unity to his church, because though we came from all over the world, we were able to worship God together as one voice. The church in China is strong, invites the stranger and shares the faith intentionally; they support us and as members of our family deserve our support as well. God is truly doing amazing things through his church around the world.
