The Business Culture Is Deferent Between Westerners And Asians

By Author: Willsimith
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Businessmen are also given advice about how to show "face" to someone of higher rank. Richard Tallboy, CEO of the World Coal Organization, who has had extensive experience in Asia, tells foreigners not to forget the "Chairman's 1/2 percent for the chairman's own pocket". He says that this means they should always start negotiating at a higher price with Asians. In the first round negotiations foreigners Links Of London Frendship Bracelets should allow themselves to come down in price 10 percent. In the second round of negotiations they should at last come down another five percent. Then finally when everyone is ready to sign the contract, the Westerner should allow the chairman to negotiate another 1/2 percent off. This way the chairman can say he was able to achieve more than his staff was able to. Thus he gains great "face". Tallboy concludes that this way everyone is happy and the Westerner is assured that his product will be well taken care of.

Fate: Westerners are told that many Asians strongly believe that fate influences life that certain ...
... events are destined, and that people have lived many lives and will live many more after death. Because of this philosophy, Asians are more willing than most Westerners to accept things they cannot change. Many Westerners may call these beliefs superstitious. However, they are warned to keep these thoughts to themselves and are told to learn about local customs and beliefs in Asia and to respect them.

Favors: Westerners are told that "Always repay a favor" is a common saying among Asians. A favor or debt should never be forgotten. If a Western businessman gets a favor from an Asian, he should expect to repay this favor, no matter how much time passes. Asians are thus serious about the saying, "If you'll scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.In other words, Asian societies are reciprocal societies. The former deputy mayor of New York City, Kenneth Lipper, tells the following story. When he was in Japan for six months in the early 1960s, he suggested the name of a Japanese acquaintance for a possible scholarship. One day, 27 years later in New York City, he received a call from this man who was making his first trip to the United States with his family. Now a top executive in a major Japanese company, he and his family wanted to pay their respects to the man who had done him a favor so long ago.

Friends: If Westerners have no relatives in Asia, they are told that the next best thing to have when doing business in Asia is to have gone to school with someone from there. Asians want to deal with people that they know well, or with people to whom they have been introduced by people they know well. One successful American business executive working in Asia tells people that he spent most of his time developing and maintaining GUANXI, which he explains as a Chinese word meaning ties, relationships, or connections. The Japanese equivalent is KONE. How can Western businessmen make the right connections in Asian countries? Hiring a consultant is one way, but the best way is to make friendships and to keep them. How can a Westerner do this? The answer for those people working in Links Of London Bracelets Korea, Thailand and Japan is "golf". Successful businessmen agree that it's the best way to get to know important people in society, the way to meet royalty, top government officials and corporate chiefs. A lifetime golf membership in Tokyo can cost an incredible one million dollars, but some Western businessmen or their corporations have been willing to pay this because of the connections it will bring.

So, these are the five "Fs": family, face, fate, favors, and friends. These are the priorities for Westerners when they are doing business in Asia.