Cross-Cultural Communication in Business: A Case Study of China and Australia

This essay focuses on potential cross-cultural communication using Hofstede model. It provides recommendations to make a favourable first impression when visiting China for business purposes.

Running head: COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
Communication in Business
Student’s name:
Name of the university:
Author’s note:

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Introduction
In recent time, global business is related to find the ability to communicate efficiently and
multi-culturally. According to Bargiela-Chiappini and Nickerson (2014), changes and
advancement in the political system, economic relationship and technological options have been
breaking the cultural barriers and businesses are transforming from individual capitalism to
global capitalism. Mary owns The Aroma Shop along with a small factory in Wagga Wagga and
she wants to expand the business in China as she thinks her products; chilli sauces, chutneys,
pastes and jams. Mary wishes to go to China in order to meet Mr Lau. Therefore, the aim of the
essay is to focus on potential cross-cultural communication using Hofstede model. This essay
strives to provide a recommendation to Mary to make a favourable first impression when she
would visit China to meet Mr Lau.
Business etiquette in China
Conducting the business and initiation in a business meeting in China is a daunting task.
It is very important to follow the business etiquette in China to start the conversation during the
meeting for business purposes. First impression and appearance are important in Chinese
business culture; therefore, the people must wear high-quality clothes conservatively to indicate
the modesty and status. When meetings are arranged for the business purposes, the people should
not wear the fashionable clothes and the clothes should be simple, conservative, modest clothing
that would be suitable for this meeting. During the business meeting in China, people enter the
meeting place in the order of seniority and the people must demonstrate the great respect to the
business leader in Chinese delegation. The highest rank holder of the meeting always introduces
the rest of the member before starting the meeting (Weller 2018). In the Western culture, the
handshake is done in a firm manner, whereas, in China; the handshake is not firm and the people
are expected the handshake will be short and soft. The eye-contact during the handshake will be
brief whereas the strong eye contact can be taken as a challenge in China. During the
introduction, Chinese people may greet the people with applause, it is expected that all the
people should applaud in return. As pointed out by Liu and Almor (2016), meeting always
begins on time in China; therefore, foreign people must be tremendously punctual in this
scenario as being late will be considered as rude.
If the person visits China for the business purposes from foreign countries, it is needed
that this person should carry the business card both in English and in the Mandarin language.
The business card must be shared in two hands with Chinese side up. During the meeting, the
persons must take the business card in two hands with respect also as the business cards are
treated as the extension of the individual (Van Hoorn 2017). The faces of the members during
the meeting must be firm and smiling as gaining or losing the face is significant in Chinese
concept. The face is associated with the honour and during the meeting; the members must avoid
the sarcasm and self-depreciation. It is needed that the people in business must show the
competence and the emotions must be kept under control. After the meeting, the people can
exchange the modest gifts with two hands and gifts must be given to all who are present at the
meetings. In addition, during the meetings, the people must use professional titles and last name
when it is needed (Bell and Riol 2017). Interrupting the silence should not be done as the people
should allow the host to speak the first word.

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The people during the business meeting should not point the finger at anyone as it is
considered as rude. The people must not point with an open hand; instead, they can make eye
contact to get the attention without utilising the hand. As stated by So and Walker (2013),
Chinese people like to take lengthy meeting instead of small meeting to build trust before
entering into a business relationship. Most of the business signing meetings does not even
continue the business in the boardrooms as these types of business can even expect to go on with
dinner. Finally, doing business in China is to be true to the person as China is the place to be
highly authentic and loyal to the business. Chinese people have a low tolerance for the pretention
and if the people respectful, genuine and observant; the foreign people will definitely to be
endeared. Lastly, foreign people may not expect the easy negotiation after the meeting.
Cross-cultural miscommunication
Cross-cultural miscommunication mainly occurs for four variables, face and face-saving,
fate and personal responsibility, time and space and nonverbal communication. In the Western
countries, time is observed in quantitative manner, whereas in the Eastern countries, time means
unlimited continuity (Usunier et al. 2017). Fate and personal responsibility refer to the feeling
that each of the people must make themselves master of lives. Each of the cultures has a different
set of behaviour, values, ethics and etiquette of the business meetings. In addition, expression
during the introduction and language are some other perspectives of the communication;
therefore not knowing of the cultural aspect of the different people can land the individuals with
cultural communication. As stated by Thomas and Peterson (2017), language barriers come when
the people during the conversation speak in the different language and most of the time foreign
languages seem to be unknown to the people. Communication must be effective in order to make
the business venture successful. Effective communication can solve the confused cross-cultural
issue and it is also associated with the nonverbal communication also. Individualism and
communitarianism start with the face and people need to control the situation in order to achieve
the goal. According to Triandis (2018), nonverbal behaviour arises from cultural common sense
and different aspects of understanding posture, gestures, silence and special relations, touch,
physical appearance and emotional expression.
Hofstede cultural model (400)
Culture is the collective programming of the members’ mind distinguishing of one group
or category of people from others.
Power distance dimension shows that all people in societies are not same and it expresses
the culture and attitude to the inequalities among us. Australia in this dimension scores low as it
shows that Australian organisation established a hierarchy for convenience and seniors within the
organisation are always accessible. Less powerful members of the organisations expect that the
power is given away unequally. In Australia, both managers and staffs expect the information
must be shared frequently. China score 80 in this dimension, therefore, this country believes that
inequalities among the people are acceptable.
Individualism expects the issue to be addressed the interdependence within the society as
it maintains among the members within the organisation. In the collectivists’ society, the people
belong to ‘in groups’ and Australia scores almost 90 in this section. It shows that Australia has
highly individualist culture. In Australia, employees are expected to be self-reliant, whereas

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China deals with a highly collectivist culture where the employees act in interest and not for
them.
Masculinity is the dimension that indicates the society is driven by the competition,
success and achievement (Moshiri and Cardon 2014). Success can be defined by the winner in
the field. China scores 66 in Masculinity dimension and it shows that the employees are driven
and success oriented. Chinese people can sacrifice the family for the purpose of work. Moreover,
Australia scores 61 in this dimension and it is considered as masculinity society.
Uncertainty avoidance deals with fact that the future can be known and the people cannot
control the future (Bakir et al. 2015). The members of the culture can feel threatened in the
situation where organisations can try to avoid. Australia scores 51 where China scores only 30.
Therefore China adheres to laws and truth in the society is relative. The Chinese language is full
of ambiguous meaning and Western people feel difficult to follow.
Long-term orientation explains about a society where it is hard to maintain the challenges
for present and future. China scores 87 in this dimension and Chinese people are pragmatic in
culture whereas, Australia scores only 21 as it follows normative culture.
In addition, indulgence, people try to maintain their impulses and desires. Australia
scores 71 and it is indulgent country and China scores only 24 as it is restrained society.
Recommendations
Mary should not be late as she needs to be present for the meeting on time. Mary should
shake the hands with Mr Lau in a sophisticated way with soft and easy manner. Mary needs not
to overdress as meeting with Chinese people leads to wear a conservative dress. Mary can take
moderate business gifts and it should be given to the people who would be present at the
meetings. Mary can take interpreter as she cannot speak in the Mandarin language as Mary
cannot speak in Mandarin. Mary can take the business cards and the business cards must print in
both Mandarin and in the English language. Mary can pay attention to the style of writing as
simplified writing is a preference for Chinese people.
Conclusion
It has been noted that Australia and China both are highly different in culture and
communication wise. Culture is the set of beliefs, behaviours and customs that the people are
expected to learn the cultural norms when the people visit other countries for the business
purposes. Australians are mainly indulgent in culture wise where the Chinese are mainly
restrained and conservative. Common culture elements will help Mary to communicate with Mr
Lau. Chinese communication is ambiguous, indirect and contextual; therefore, business venture
must identify the cross-cultural business etiquette.

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