REVIEWS OF CHINESE BUSINESS ETIQUETTE AND CULTURE

"5 STARS Invaluable!! If you ever need to do business in China then don't start anything until you've read this book. It will save you time, money and your sanity! After reading this book we took advice from it and saved a valuable business deal by using some of the knowledge Kevin Bucknall has compiled from his time spent there. This is a seriously good book even if you just want to travel in China as it tells you all you need to know to get the best from your time there." (Sheila Waterman, Australia) === "4 Stars. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. It is a must read for anyone planning to do business in China." (Brian N. Cox, Canada) === "5 Stars. This is an excellent book for those who want to do business with China, whether buying, selling or investing there. It is full of practical advice and I thought was well worth the money - it will pay for itself over and over again." (Charles Brennan, London) === "An excellent book of the same calibre as Scott D. Seligman's, and with 30% devoted to negotiations, its inclusion here rather than under the Lucky Eight is purely a reflection of my greater familiarity with the latter, published several years earlier, when trying to choose between them." (Andrew Williamson, Chinese Business Puzzle, How-To Books, 2003, p. 223) === "5 Stars. When West meets East - -Two cents from a Chinese Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture is a most persuasive book on Chinese culture and society I've ever read. Mr. Bucknall is really an expert on China! Just as proclaimed in the preface, '...how to improve your behaviour to achieve greater success is explained in the context of Chinese culture. The information is practical and provided in a simple and direct way.' In this book, you can find many practical and interesting examples of cultural shocks westerners would expect in China. For example, in China, "man in a green hat " is a metaphor that his wife or lover has an affair with another guy. Amusingly, I personally happen to have read a true story elsewhere: " Several years ago, a Washington state agricultural delegate used green hats as presents in China*. No recipient bothered to put on it." Another example is about Guanxi -- a network of personal relationships with Chinese characteristic, which I bet will be of immense interest to business men. I absolutely agree with the author that Guanxi is the secret of being successful in China. Many business tactics are taught, which deeply impressed me, an individual born and raised in China. One instance is negotiating skills covered in depth. You may also be interested in learning about Chinese business law from this book. Although the good news is that Chinese people are more and more understanding towards foreign cultures because of globalization, there is one thing that I can't refrain from not telling: the bloody history between China and Japan in the war from 1937 till 1945. The Nanjing Massacre is a typical example. The most exasperating thing to us Chinese is that until today the Japanese has never formally apologized for their atrocity in the war . A Canadian liquor trader's experience* in Shanghai is a good lesson to those ignorant of that history. He told Chinese reporters that he was confident in the marketing prospect of his products in China because they were very popular in culturally similar Japan. His liquor never sold well. However, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the large number of details, a very small part of which are even minor to us Chinese. One such example is Not to Ask about the Weather. In my opinion, this is a small drawback of this book. Highly recommend!".. (Jiang Fu, Japan) === "Rating: 4 stars Comment: Highly Recommended A book titled Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture may seem daunting at first, even boring, but author Kevin Barry Bucknall manages to make the text not only essential but interesting as well. That's not to say that it resembles reading the comics. It is, after all, a type of textbook that contains a lot of information acting to inform general. At times, this book borders on stereotyping, such as "The bossy, interfering, middle-aged woman." Although the author does acknowledge this in a preface. Bucknall's writing has an endearing quality, reminiscent of The Accidental Tourist making his way through China as best as possible. China is a fascinating country, and one, as Bucknall explains, that is shrouded in mystery, "a secretive society." He offers advice, some that is common sense and some that is not. For example, he says to avoid the phrase "I hope you are well," and not to ask if it is going to rain. Much of his advice may seem trivial to non-Chinese, but they can be major blunders when doing business in China, such as not understanding that laughter serves as a defense mechanism or that spitting is common. He covers behavior, the business process, meetings, negotiating, and living and working in China. Abbreviations and charts are also provided to break down their customs and culture as well as an appendix to explain China's history, politics and economics. While the book isn't for everyone, those who want to do business in China may find they cannot succeed without it. The information does get a little repetitive, with 218 pages it is easy to see why, but the pay off should be worth it.  (Reviewed by: Rebecca Stow, BookReviewClub.com) === China-Britain Business Council http://www.cbbc.org/ezine/bookreviews.html The path to the door of Chinese business is littered with potential cultural pitfalls, which is one reason why many are discouraged. For those who press ahead, should you go about business in the way you have always done? Or go overboard to make sure you don't fall foul of local customs and practices? This debate about how to deal with Chinese counterparts has raged for thousands of years. Hence, Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture, which attempts a comprehensive guide of the dos and don'ts. The individual points are well made (don't try to negotiate on your first day, while you are still under the effects of jetlag; always have your material translated into Chinese; speak clearly and avoid acronyms, which may be difficult to translate; keep good records of meetings; and many others), but the cumulative effect of all these recommendations is almost overpowering. It is perhaps for this reason that the author has made liberal use of sub-heads and bullet points. The book can therefore more easily be used as a reference and a reminder. Better still, the book is available as an downloadable 'e-book'.  HK (United Kingdom) === Lipser Accountancy Corporation (This company provides services in the areas of tax, accountancy and business based in the People's Republic of China) On an earlier version of this book "....this is my favorite of the 'culture' books." And on this edition "I highly recommend that if you are interested in being less culturally offensive than most non-Chinese, then you place this book high on your reading list!" === Journal of Transnational Management Development, Vol. 5(2) 2000 Doing business in China is often said to be fraught with difficulties and bureaucratic delays. Numerous books have been written to try and demystify China and the Chinese. According to Bucknall, author of Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture, such books fall into two categories, one written from practical insights and experience and the other from a management perspective. The former is aimed primarily at those who wish to trade with China while the latter is 'academic and designed for use in courses such as a Masters of Business Administration' (p. 5). The author claims that his book is different in that it is written from the context of Chinese culture. I would add that the book provides a useful link between practical aspects of doing business and understanding cross-cultural influences in business dealings. The book is nicely written and is capable to appeal to anyone with an interest in China. In particular, the book would be useful to any aspiring businessman or woman as well as academics seeking to add to the literature on the importance of cross-cultural influences in international trade. On the surface, it is an interesting and enlightening reading and will provide those interested in travelling to China with a practical list of do's and don'ts. Tips range from the mundane of how to cope with fatigue and jet lag to more sophisticated issues of safe topics of conversation and correct business protocols. Bucknall begins by examining the intricacies of Chinese behavior. Chinese culture is steeped in Confucianism. To understand the society one first has to understand its centrifugal force, the family. The concept of 'insider' and 'outsider' that is attached to the family is extended to the business organizations in China. In business decision making, one has to be able to think of "the Chinese person as being part of his or her family and group, rather than as a single individual...                     and business decisions are generally made on a consensus basis, within the framework, dictated by the top person, be it a highly placed politician or public servant, the owner of the firm, or the chief executive officer" (p. 12) The importance attached to age and rank means progress up the business ladder is chronological rather than through individual talents or strengths. Likewise, because family members are expected to look after each other, hiring and firing staff are not as straight forward as they may be in the west. The author warns that firms may have to keep a non-profitable staff member if firing him or her could offend a relative in a position of power and influence. Failure to observe such protocols may mean that unexplained problems may dog the firm. China, perhaps more than the other Asia Pacific countries, has kept its culture relatively free of western influences. This aspect is an important consideration for firms intending to expand into the region. A major strength of the book is the deliberation on business processes and negotiating tactics that are set against such a cultural background. Bucknall argues, 'the attitude of foreigners and Chinese to the negotiation, approval, implementation and enforcement of contracts is different' (p. 95). It echoes the warnings of other management writers Davies, Leuk, Lu and Wong (1992, cited in Leong et al., 1996 p 55) suggest that a "key difference between Chinese and Western business practices lies in the relative importance of personal relationships {guanxi} in the former, as opposed to the specification and enforcement of contracts in the latter." Bucknall considers that rather than appealing to contracts, one should adopt the Chinese style of building up a network of personal contacts. For without guanxi, little if anything can be achieved whereas with guanxi even the toughest obstacles can be overcome. The importance of networking is now an accepted fact in management literature. The Chinese version of networks or guanxi pervades the whole society. Guanxi gives one the right to be privy to important information as an 'insider.' Having someone with guanxi in your camp can be a huge advantage in negotiations. Thus the author suggest, "where you are able, you should do small favors for people and develop the relationship between you. Partly this gives face, but more importantly, favors must be repaid; everyone works in a network of favors owed and owing in both business life and their ordinary existence ... "(p. 123) Guanxi builds goodwill and can act as a catalyst to the smooth functioning of a business. Historically, in China, businesses with the most guanxi display the best strategic advantage. Closely related to guanxi is the idea of face saving. The_ author cautions against taking anyone at face value, as often it is difficult to identify the leader of a business delegation. Causing the leader to lose face may result in the end of negotiations. Indeed, "although face is a personal thing, it can spill over into the group. Each person has a place in the group with a particular role to play so that if you cause someone to lose face, it can mean that everyone in the group feels bad about it. Each group member would then find it harder to respond to you positively," (p. 108) Accordingly, the author goes on to give two lists, one on how not to cause anyone loss of face and the other on how to give face. The author emphasizes that negotiations can take a long time and the western delegation may feel that they are being deliberately exhausted This has sometimes been attributed to the bureaucratic inefficiencies. In addition, Bucknall suggests another reason: "Traditionally China sees keeping an opponent active and allowing no rest as a valuable part of warfare ... If the Chinese with whom you are negotiating see the talks in an adversarial way, then they might try to wear you down. Sudden switches from going slow to going fast, then suddenly finding a reason for delays, are a familiar story in Chinese history, (p. 122) Keeping a database on the strengths and weaknesses of one's business adversary is an important business strategy. The long process of negotiations provides a useful environment in which to observe one's potential partner. Western business delegations need to be aware of ancient Chinese business tactics which can include the elements of surprise, resourcefulness and flexibility (Jiang, 1994)." Although some ideas may overlap in parts, this book is unique in that it serves various purposes. Using commonsense and practical insights, the author guides the potential entrepreneur through the complexities of doing business in China. Managers will find the book invaluable as a practical manual when looking towards China. Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture reveals the deep influence of history and culture on Chinese business strategies in a sensitive and simple way. The idea that cross-cultural influences are important in international dealings is not new. What is innovative is the author's ability to link the social and economic worlds of the Chinese in an unpretentious yet convincing way." (Ee Kheng ANG, New Zealand)