Blog Post #3: Gaining Cultural Competency

     After having the opportunity to study abroad in China this summer (which, if you've never looked at studying abroad, go here) and experiencing Chinese friendships and the business culture, I became interested in learning more about the Chinese culture. Therefore, I decided to research the Chinese culture for my cultural reporter project. Having spent a month in China, I thought that this would make for an easy cultural reporter project, but I ended up learning a lot more than I expected.

     China has a population of over 1.3 billion people, and its economy is eventually expected to pass that of the U.S. As a business student who is interested in working internationally, I know that doing business with China will be an inevitable part of my future. For my first blog I researched common customs in doing business with the Chinese, and for my second blog I researched Chinese history and Chinese business in relation to the dialectical approach to communication. However, knowing that you (the class) are not business majors, I made the decision to shift my focus to verbal and nonverbal communication and code switching in friendships, and how friendships impact business relationships with the concept of guanxi.

     As quoted from Gates (1987) in our textbook, Intercultural Communication in Contexts, '"The meaning of friendship itself differs from the American version. Chinese make few casual, short-term acquaintanceships as Americans learn to do so readily in school, at work, or while out amusing themselves. Once made, however, Chinese friendships are expected to last and to give each party very strong claims on the other's resources, time, and loyalty"' (Martin & Nakayama, 2010, p. 393). I was able to interview my friend Fiona, who described the concepts Gates mentioned, as a part of her life (personal communication, November 30, 2011). She first talks about where her friendships are formed, and in the second video explains the duration of friendships in the Chinese culture:

     I also wanted to know how my friends Fiona and David (personal communication, November 30, 2011) communicated with their American and Chinese friends verbally and nonverbally, and if they thought they engaged in any code switching communicating with the two different groups.

Fiona and David also mentioned differences (code switching) in using an indirect style of communication with their Chinese friends vs. a more direct style of communication with their American friends. David and Fiona said that instead of asking their Chinese friends "Do you want to eat?" they will use a more indirect style of communication by saying something like "I am hungry," communicating their desire to eat. However, David said that when he told one of his American friends how hungry he was (suggesting he wanted them to go have a meal together), his friend's response was "Then why don't you go get something to eat!" David's communication with his friend would have been more effective had the two recognized their cultural differences causing the miscommunication. Another communication difference that Fiona mentioned, was how her Chinese and American friends reacted to her when she was hurt. When her Chinese and American friends asked her if she needed anything, she told them she was fine. While the American students took this to mean that she didn't need any help and that she truly was fine, her Chinese friends still came to visit and check on her.  

         A final important concept with relation to friendships in the Chinese culture is the concept of guanxi. Guanxi, as defined by Smart (1999) in Intercultural Communication in Contexts, is '"relationships of social connection built on shared identities such as native places, kinship or attending the same school"' (Martin & Nakayama, 2010, p. 393). While not the same as friendship, I have seen the concept of guanxi most demonstrated through the Chinese business culture and Chinese students at UNL. Not only are friendships important for personal relationships, but they are important for business relationships as well. As David (personal communication, November 30, 2011) mentioned,in the Chinese culture, relationships and money are on the same level, whereas he sees money being more important than relationships in the American culture. He said that people will most often do business with people they are friends with; not only do they know they can trust this person, but this person may be able to give them a deal, and that person knows they will do business together again in the future. It is hard to gain the trust of a Chinese person, but once you do you will have a strong, lasting relationship; if that trust is ever broken, it may be almost impossible to regain. The Chinese student community is very closely knit, with many of the students seeming to know each other even though they are a large group. This relationship has come out of their shared identity of being Chinese and attending UNL, in combination with seeking to find familiarity in a place so far away from their homes. The beginning of the following video summarizes the concept of guanxi in the Chinese business culture:

     The Chinese culture is very complex, but throughout the course of the semester, has provided a great opportunity for my personal growth and learning. Not only have I learned more about Chinese business, which will help me in the future, but I have also learned to communicate more effectively with my Chinese friends. Learning about the cultural differences in communication has been important for me, because with this knowledge, I can move forward to create more memories that will last a lifetime.

Ctmultimedia. (2008, January 27).  Doing Business in China [Video file]. Retrieved from

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijpbhile6aY

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2010). Intercultural communication in contexts. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.