15 first steps to Asian countries 

1.     Junzi – the ideal of Confucian life

     There are many characteristics of Junzi. Junzi does more and speaks less. A Junzi is loyal, obedient and knowledgeable. Junzi disciplines himself. Junzi can live with poverty.

The Junzi is able to moderate his desires. So, a business leader would rather respond as: “Where? Where?” to the high praise regarding his achievements (but not like: “Thank You very much”).

     The ideal of Confucian life is a Junzi.

2.      “Karoshi” – death by overwork 

     In Japan the emphasis on the hard work is a good value, usually people have long working hours: they start working very early in the morning and are not leaving until the boss leaves.

     “Karoshi” – death by overwork - is caused by long hours, high work demands, demands on perfection in the outcomes of Your work.

     In Japan “Karoshi” is an occupational sudden death. The major medical causes of “Karoshi” deaths are heart attack and stroke due to stress and a starvation diet. 

3.     No tissue paper relationships 

     It is important in many Eastern countries, especially in Japan, to build strong group relationships, not such as when people only ask You: “How are You?”, but they do not really want to know it.

     Situation: Chinese company invited its fellow from Australia to the restaurant before the deal. While all of them were waiting for their meals, the Australian fellow pulled out a contract and started to discuss the contract. All the Chinese colleagues were immediately disengaging with the process: this person wanted to get to the points, to explain the details of the relationship he was proposing, but Chinese people were waiting to order their meals, as they wanted to, first of all, form a human relationship before starting to talk about a relationship that was enshrined in a written contract.

So, that business relationship has not been built...

     And that is one of the important things that You need to understand in doing business in Asia: the relationships, the people are more important than the actual words that are written on the page.

4.     Just Japanese 

     The Japanese organization looks towards the long-term success. Toyota Motor company, for instance, has a 50-year plan. Not a 5-year planning cycle, as in the most of the European companies. 

5.     Professional promotion in Japan 

     Earlier people were promoted according to their age: the older You become, the higher position You have (and!!! it did not depend on Your results). Today promotion is based on Your merits, performance. 

6.     No bribery in Indonesia 

     You should share what You have earned with Your community, and the most important is that property should not be acquired by bribery. Anyway, if You do acquire it, the right way is more important than being wealthy in itself: this is one of the main principles of Islam (the large majority of the country are Muslims). 

7.     “The women hold up half the sky” 

     This saying (by Mao Zedong) means the change in the attitude towards women. But this was not entirely successful and there is still their discrimination in China.

     Traditionally, in Asia women were discriminated. And there is the emphasis on the authority of the husband over the wife in Confucianism – so, some people have taken that fact and applied it to the general society.

     But in some societies of Asia there has been a maternalistic style of leadership: for example, there is a matriarchal society in Sumatra in Indonesia called the Minangkabau, where inheritance etc. is down through the mother’s rather than the farther’s line.

The Philippines is often regarded as a matriarchal society: in general women tend to hold the finances of the family there. 

   By the way, Liu Yandong is the second vice premier of the People’s Republic of China and she is the highest ranking politician in China today. 

8.     “Kumasta ka” – “Mabuti”! 

     “How are You” – “I am fine” (in the Philippines)…

     If You are going to spend some time in Asia and do business there, it is wise to try to learn the language, but in many cases English speakers don’t make the effort.

But we cannot rely on English when doing international business all the time. Learning a few words of another language can help break the ice.

     However, the first language of many people in Asia is not the national language. So, for example, in Indonesia You’ll find that many people learn their own local dialect before they learn Bahasa Indonesia.

     In Malaysia, many people are not very fluent in Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Melayu, because their origin may be Chinese, and they may learn Cantonese, or Hokkien as their first language.

     By the way, the country with the highest number of English learners in the world is China. The USA is the country with the most number of English speakers, followed by India and Pakistan.

9.     High context – low context 

     In many Western countries the words have more impact than the context. We can compare it on the business card exchange example: in Japan, for instance, what You DO (not just comment) with the card is very important and is the way of showing Your respect. When You receive the card, You should receive it with two hands, look at it, perhaps make some comments, don’t put the card into Your back pocket and sit on it. If You realize that the person is of a higher status than You, You may bow the second time and do it a little lower. 

10.     The importance of space 

     There is a famous story in Saudi Arabia, of how the US embassy held there a party: so, as the Saudi diplomat would talk to American, the American would take one step back. The Saudi diplomat would take one step forward, until finally, the American diplomat hit the wall.

     So, when someone entered the room for this party, they found that all of the diplomats, the American diplomats, were lined up around the walls.

     In Saudi Arabia personal space is quite small, and people are very comfortable talking quite close to you face to face, and vice versa: Americans tend to have much wider personal space. 

11.     “Giri” – a strong sense of indeptedness in Japan 

     “When once I helped someone at the bus stop who just needed money to get to the bus one day, I found on my letter box the next day a box of biscuits…” 

12.     Guanxi – a relationship 

     This is the special way of relationship founding, when You trust others completely. It is difficult, but effective way of business development.

And that is one of the important things that You need to understand in doing business in Asia: the relationships, the people are more important than the actual words that are written on the page. People from Asia are more interested in building long-term relationships, to know You as a WHOLE person.

   

13.     Golf 

     Golf has been becoming more important in Asia during the recent years, it is also assumed as an important part of doing business in Asia. 

     It is especially important in Japan, less so – in Malaysia, Korea and China.

     It is a good way to relax (together) and make (business) relationships. Many companies pay for their employees to be members of golf clubs, believing that it gives access to high-level executives.

     It is an opportunity to give and receive the face: if You are a hot-shot golfer, You might not play Your best ability if You are playing with someone who in fact wants to make a business deal with You. 

14.     “Genbei” – dry cup! 

     To drink the whole cup until it’s dry? But what happens if you are drunk and want to stop drinking? One technique is to pretend to be asleep and to be gone. Then people won’t necessarily bother you.

     In fact, this system of drinking applies more to the older generation. You’ll find that some people who are intellectuals or managers or people in the high tech industries might not necessarily drink so much.

    If you are a woman – you don’t necessarily feel the same pressure as your drinking male colleagues.

     “Strategic drinking” – to take You contacts out for a drink to turn them into potential customers and friends. It can help people to relax, to feel more comfortable with another person. It is not just a one off event, it is something that usually takes place over a few nights, meetings and becomes a regular activity. Drinking helps to build the sense of togetherness, the sense of being one.

     Drinking helps to pick up information from the people that you are drinking with, so many of the Chinese business partners must believe that drinking reveals the true self.

     It is but not easy to give the answer to the question of what to do if you are allergic to drink or your religious beliefs dictate you that you cannot drink. However, it is important to participate in the process, if possible.

     Drinking is often accompanied by food (full meal, not just peanuts etc.).

“If you don’t eat something of each of the dishes, you will insult the people who have cooked the food for you”. It is important that you try everything if you can. Of course, there may be some dietary restrictions and you may have to explain why you can’t take certain food.

     When a drinking party you should not sit and drink by yourself: you should wait for a host to fill your glass (the level of filling will be the same for everyone), then that person will propose a toast, at the end of the toast there will be “Gan bei” – and all drink together.

     Three levels of drunkenness:

     “Han” – being slightly tipsy, still being in control of your thoughts and movements;

     “Mi” – a little bit intoxicated, starting to get a bit fuzzy, but still in control of your motor functions;

     “Zui” – when a person is really drunk. 

     Normally, during business drinking parties you must at least be leaving with a sense of han. 

15.     Smoking? 

     In Asia people tend to smoke a lot more than in many countries. In China and Indonesia you may find a little bit hard to cope with the amount of smoke in the room, if you are not used to it.

     The same kind of rules that apply in the West with regards to asking people not to smoke will not necessarily apply in the Asian context.