Ranked #1 in the World
Many foreigners who come to China on business read about the culture and think they understand, but they misapply key concepts such as Confucianism, guanxi and face. “They misunderstand what they read because they look at it through their own cultural lens, rather than trying to see it through a Chinese cultural lens,” said Frank Neville, Vice President of Global Communications and Public Affairs at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Neville, a 15-year veteran of the U.S. State Department and former spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, speaks Mandarin and continues to visit China on a regular basis. He shared insights on Confucianism, guanxi and face during new student orientation Jan. 17, 2012, in Glendale, Arizona.
Confucianism: Order from chaos
Neville said Westerners in China first need to understand the origins and application of Confucianism. “China’s past conditions its present, and one of the critical components is Confucianism,” Neville said.
Although many people present Confucianism as a religion, Neville said the teachings of the ancient philosopher function more as a way of ordering Chinese society. “China was torn by warfare in Confucius’ era,” Neville said. “What he was trying to do was create a social structure, a social order, to provide some stability in society.”
Building upon the thoughts of others, Confucius codified the proper relationships between the ruler and the ruled, the father and son, the husband and wife, the elder and younger brother, and the teacher and student.
“All have roles and responsibilities in a Confucian system, and they are not equal,” Neville said. This can be a difficult concept for Americans who grow up in a society shaped by the Declaration of Independence.
In many respects, Confucianism substitutes for an independent judiciary that has never really existed in China. “It provides a structure for moderating disputes and deciding who gets what,” Neville said. “That is very different from a Western or an American judicial system, in the sense that its premise is that not everybody is equal. In fact, people are inherently unequal under Confucianism.”
Guanxi: Relationships of Trust
Neville said a basic understanding of Confucianism helps put guanxi into context. This refers to the Chinese emphasis on relationships.
“This is the glue that holds society together,” Neville said. “If you’ve got these unequal relationships, if you have a weak judiciary, it’s the guanxi — your relationships with people — that allows you to function, that provide you protection, that give you an opportunity to advance in your career.”
Neville said guanxi also requires people to understand their own responsibilities in any relationship. “Coming from the outside, you need to develop relationships with people so you can work effectively with them,” he said. “You need to invest in building trust because trust does not exist through the legal structure and your ability to arbitrate a dispute in court.”
Face: Respecting Roles
Guanxi is closely tied to the Chinese concept of face, which involves acknowledging a person’s role in any relationship.
Neville said Chinese managers who understand the importance of face are careful to use people’s titles when addressing them. “You need to show that person that you recognize that role, and you’re going to interact with him based upon that role that he has,” Neville said.
Face also requires people to respect the value of close relationships and to show special courtesy to people within the inner circle of trust. “You owe a relative a lot more than you owe a stranger on the street,” Neville said. “There’s an asymmetry.”
Video: Understanding Confucianism (3:32)
Video: Understanding Guanxi (3:47)
Video: Understanding Face (4:04)
Podcast: Frank Neville on Understanding Chinese Culture (36:08)
February 13th, 2012 at 9:10 am
Frank,
You have a depth of perspective that is rare. Thank you for continuing to share with the Thunderbird community.
Mary
February 29th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Thank you for sharing this. Reminds me of my RBE in Beijing with Roe Goddard. Great times!
Christian
April 5th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
I am currently living and working in Shanghai and what Frank says is 100% true. It’s also just the tip of the complex iceberg surrounding these three elements of the Chinese culture. I have experienced examples of how these factors weave their way through both work and personal situations and there is no substitute for being here to help understand how it all fits together!
April 7th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
I have never forgotten an experience I had in 1996, my second year in China (I’m still here!). Having read that, no matter what I should never touch my food, I was wrestling with what was essentially a chicken leg with my chopsticks. Since then my skills have improved – I can pick up three peanuts without touching the one in the middle! Ok, so I am wrestling with this piece of chicken and a 20-something across the table shyly says to me, ‘It’s easier if you just use your fingers.’. How fast was I running in the wrong direction?
The Chinese youth do not want to wait 20-30 years until their relatives, village-mates, class-mates and/or millitary-mates have ascended to powerful positions where relationships really pay off. I never say ‘all’ in China – I don’t know that much. But many youth are seeking, if not finding, other ways to connect and get things done.
Persons with more knowledge than me may be better able to dissect the culture but I find it at least useful to consider the ‘decade’ in which a person was born. 1960s – guanxi is absolute. 1970s – guanxi is ‘mei you banfa’ or not so well liked but there is no other way. 1980s – realizes there is more than one way to skin a cat and isn’t totally dependent on those born in the 1960s. 1990s – quite mobile and likely not even living in the same town as relatives, classmates, et al. A fair percentage have experience with multinational companies. 2000s – who knows?!!
April 9th, 2012 at 8:36 am
This is a great dialogue. Having just moved back from Shanghai, I can attest to the fact that all of the above is true. These 3 items do play a strong role in your interactions. And the younger generation is seeking to change the rules a bit…they aren’t interested in waiting for decades for their relationships to pan out into something material – they are seeking to accelerate their opportunities. So understanding all of that in the workplace is critical to success. What a wonderfully dynamic place to be!
November 17th, 2012 at 1:59 am
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I’m getting tired of Wordpress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
February 9th, 2013 at 5:43 am
If you’re still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you’ll know which is right for you.
April 5th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
The Chinese youth do not want to wait 20-30 years until their relatives, village-mates, class-mates and/or millitary-mates have ascended to powerful positions where relationships really pay off. I never say ‘all’ in China – I don’t know that much. But many youth are seeking, if not finding, other ways to connect and get things done.
April 5th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
I’m getting tired of Wordpress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
April 7th, 2013 at 10:04 am
Reminds me of my RBE in Beijing with Roe Goddard what a wonderful times back then!
April 7th, 2013 at 10:05 am
good times good times
April 7th, 2013 at 10:06 am
the younger generation is seeking to change the rules a bit…they aren’t interested in waiting for decades
April 24th, 2013 at 3:41 am
Neville said Westerners in China first need to understand the origins and application of Confucianism. “China’s past conditions its present, and one of the critical components is Confucianism,” Neville said.
Although many people present Confucianism as a religion, Neville said the teachings of the ancient philosopher function more as a way of ordering Chinese society. “China was torn by warfare in Confucius’ era,” Neville said. “What he was trying to do was create a social structure, a social order, to provide some stability in society.”
dụng cụ tập cơ bụng
bếp điện từ
máy tập thể dục đa năng
May 3rd, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Thank you for a wonderful article. Many college students to try, and used to meet!
May 3rd, 2013 at 6:42 pm
Very Enjoyable! I hope you write more on this subject!
May 3rd, 2013 at 6:42 pm
Pretty good post. I found your website perfect for my needs. Thanks for sharing the great ideas.
May 3rd, 2013 at 6:43 pm
Great post about this. I am sure many visitors will find this very useful.
May 4th, 2013 at 8:28 pm
I actually wanted to compose a quick note in order to express gratitude to you for all of the magnificent strategies you are writing on this website. My incredibly long internet investigation has finally been compensated with reasonable concept to write about with my relatives. I ‘d assert that we
May 13th, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Building upon the thoughts of others, Confucius codified the proper relationships between the ruler and the ruled, the father and son, the husband and wife, the elder and younger brother, and the teacher and student.
May lam kem
May lam kem tuoi
May lam kem gia dinh
May 13th, 2013 at 9:43 pm
Although many people present Confucianism as a religion, Neville said the teachings of the ancient philosopher function more as a way of ordering Chinese society. “China was torn by warfare in Confucius’ era,” Neville said. “What he was trying to do was create a social structure, a social order, to provide some stability in society.”
Quat cong nghiep
Quat phun suong
May lam sua chua
May 13th, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I’m getting tired of Wordpress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Bep hong ngoai
Cay lau nha
Cay nuoc nong lanh
May 13th, 2013 at 9:45 pm
If you’re still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you’ll know which is right for you.
Happy call
Noi com dien
Tranh theu chu thap
May 13th, 2013 at 9:47 pm
I’m getting tired of Wordpress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Bep dien
May trong rau mam
May 16th, 2013 at 7:58 am
In many respects, Confucianism substitutes for an independent judiciary that has never really existed in China. “It provides a structure for moderating disputes and deciding who gets what,”
May lam kem
May lam kem tuoi
May lam kem gia dinh
May 17th, 2013 at 1:46 am
So luck to come across your excellent blog. Your blog brings me a great deal of fun.. Good luck with the site. kinh bao ho
kính bảo hộ
mu bao ho
May 22nd, 2013 at 5:41 am
You are a very talented writer! Thanks for sharing this great and interesting stuff. I would like to see more posts like this!!