Chinese Business Culture: Life in China

In Chinese business culture, drinking plays a prominent role with many Chinese companies hiring what amount to professional drinkers, giving them professional job titles. Many Chinese people in professional jobs that I met, i.e. in accountancy and management positions, often have to accept the drinking culture in order to be accepted and to progress in their company, hence it is often necessary to put the drinking culture ahead of the direct needs of family sometimes.

Chinese people are very family orientated people and they care very much about their families. It is more a case that most companies expect their employees to conform to the company culture and to do well in a company, it is important to fit in with these ideologies. Many of my students spoke of the way in which it was necessary to entertain business clients with a good evening of drinking and a visit to a singing room in order to get a deal done. This use of alcohol in business seems to be changing gradually with several Chinese business people telling me that they are now tiring of the heavy drinking culture, and choosing instead to entertain clients out on the golf course. As someone who enjoys social drinking, I kind of like the idea of having a few drinks with clients at the companies expense and it is perhaps true that it is a great opportunity to learn about the real character of the client/s when they are drunk. The problem for many people though, seems to be the high amount of alcohol drank during these meetings and the difficulty of saying NO if you do not feel like drinking.

In Finland I found that people drank vodka so fast that it was as though their lives depended on it and that the girls drink as much as the guys. Winters in Finland are long and cold and drinking is almost considered a pastime to get through the harsh winter. As a result of this you will not be surprised to hear that alcoholism is a big problem in Finland. Finland incidentally, was the first country in the world to allow all females to vote (New Zealand would have been first but excluded the Maori women), and these days the Finnish women account for over 40% of women in the parliament. Finnish women can handle drink almost on a par with the men. In Ireland, even the girls have beer bellies, not just the guys. Take a walk around the capital city Dublin, on a Friday or Saturday night, and you will see plenty of girls drinking Guinness by the pint. Drinking eight or ten pints of beer on a good night was normal and I have to say, there were some good nights out in Dublin. Drinking is an integral part of the Irish culture and Guinness, one of the Irish beers, is now popular worldwide.

The passion for alcohol is also noticeable in Chinese business culture and a source of pride to many. When visiting drinking places in Beijing on Friday nights, it was common to see groups of co-workers including the women, drinking rounds of shots. The co-workers often play drinking games and seemed to drink copious amounts of alcohol. Many businessmen and businesswomen have turned up at my morning classes still suffering from a hangover from four or five before. In many cases they make it clear that they did not want to go drinking, but they had to for the sake of their job and future promotions. Conformity in many ways I am told, dictates that one should not leave the drinking session before their senior (higher manager) leaves. Drinking in China though, is limited to an extent in some situations. Drinking alcohol for example does not tend to occur very much in the home; Universities tend not to have bars directly on campus; and places such as singing rooms are mostly alcohol free. There is no denying though, that both food and alcohol are a definite part of the vibrant Chinese culture.

Chinese business & travel culture - China
Travel photos of China

Psychotherapy in China
I have been living and working in China for the last three years. During that time I have been teaching Chinese University students, psychology and in particular taking the therapy courses. Here the students learn about the different forms of therapy over an 18 week period followed by a further 18 weeks of training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ...

China Wholesale - Buy China Wholesale Direct Products
You can use a wholesale company or wholesale dropshipper for your own personal website that you sell products on or you can use them for your auction business. Studies have shown that when people purchase from an auction site that they are not really looking at where the product comes from as much as they are looking at the price. Use this china ...

Fashion In China - Of Qi Pao’s and Cow’s Breasts
They were back after a long, one-month holiday. Through the month they neither spoke any English nor, perhaps, read a word of it.So, when they came to class they were like the time when I first saw them - shy Indian brides. Their heads were hanging low and there was nothing to show their enthusiasm or interest, if they felt any, that is.'How was yo...

The Benefits of Intercultural Training
Intercultural training has become of increasing importance in the past 10 years. Companies and organizations that are working on the international stage are starting to realise that working in or with foreign countries is not like working at home. Intercultural differences are causing obstacles to smooth, successful business relationships, dealings...

The History of Sunglasses
It may shock you to learn that sunglasses werent always used to protect peoples eyes from the sun. The history of sunglasses dates back to ancient China and Rome. It has been reported that the Roman emperor Nero enjoyed watching gladiator fights through polished gems. In China, sunglasses were used in the twelfth century or even earlier. Sunglasses...

How to Build Your eBay Inventory Risk-Free
Are you running low on inventory? If that's the case, you may need to get some more things to sell in your eBay store. One popular way to find this inventory is to go to yard sales, but in the winter months, there aren't a lot of these sales, so you might not be able to pick up an excellent find that will make you a lot of money. If you're really...

Chinese Medicine Cures Back Pain More Often Than You Think
Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on the kidneys as the source of the majority of peoples back pain. Many of the Chinese back pain therapies are focused on the kidney area of the body. One of the most widely used forms of Chinese medicine for back pain is acupuncture.Acupuncture relies on small thin stainless steel needles being inserted into ...