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China has a very rigid hierarchy, it is not surprising to find this same system in most companies.

Young foreign employees from western companies are known to experience a lot of challenges while

working, especially whenever they try to voice their ideas at their workplaces. Most Chinese companies

consider junior and especially foreign employees not knowledge enough to express their views.

At least initially…

Prepare For The Culture Shock

It’s inevitable for all foreigners who move to China. Remember that the differences between East and

West is a pretty big gap. Even in the large cities prepare to be surprised. At the workplace it will be

the same thing.

Understand “Face”

Losing face, which is only feeling embarrassed in front of others is a big issue with the Chinese, especially in a

professional setup. For example, when talking to employees in the company who are lower in the

organization hierarchy ranks, note when they quickly say “Ok” or “No Problem” to your instructions because

such remarks can’t always mean that they have understood. Rather than “lose face” and admit that

they don’t understand, they will pretend that they do and consult their Chinese colleagues to figure out what

you were implying or requesting.

Instead of openly criticizing them, just point out how something has been done wrong and how it

should be done right the next time. Do this privately with the person and never in front of the other employees. In the event you see a colleague laughing or smiling when you are criticizing them,

don’t take it for disrespect but rather an embarrassment and that is simply their way of

making the moment lighter.

What is “guanxi”?

Guanxi is simply a system of certain relationships whereby one person performs a favor for another

expecting the favor to be returned at another time in the future. It is considered bad manners not to pay

back a favor, and it doesn’t matter if you are a foreigner or not. In the workplace, this Guanxi can be

a bit frustrating for foreigners unfamiliar with it

It is not unusual to see persons within the company promoted beyond their qualifications just because they have established favorable relationships with

their heads of department. In this case, there is nothing you can do but continue doing your best.

The After- Work Drinking Spree

After being in the Chinese company for a while, you will receive invites for drinks with your colleagues. Chinese

people drink more than their western counterparts, and the drinking is focused on getting drunk. For many Chinese people, getting drunk and getting others drunk is a sign of

showing that they are dealing and working with a trustworthy person who will make a great partner at work. You can always pretend that you are drunker than you are

and if you don’t drink you can politely refuse to drink.

Final Advice

Working in Chinese company is not all that bad, the above are simply the extreme case scenarios, and you might not. You will be lucky if you find a boss who has

been western-schooled. Even so with the changing office culture and attitude, the above scenarios have no

doubt started decreasing. Chinese companies have begun appreciating foreign employees because they

have realized how great an asset such employees are to the companies.

BonusClick on the link below to read the full blog post!

https://blog.laowaicareer.com/hierarchy-chinese-companies

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