Chinese Characteristics

Introduction

In this paper we are going to review the “Chinese Characteristics” written by Arthur Henderson Smith.

Chinese Characteristics Review

Dan, over at the very good China regulation Blog, has asked me to commentary on a consideration they are having there.  The general inquiry is: Is there a Chinese mindset, and so what if there is? This is an extension of a former CLB mail which described a converse by businesswoman Janet Carmosky, who attempted to characterise a "Chinese mindset."  All of this is centralised on the kinds of communal and heritage dissimilarities businesspeople from the US might meet when they do enterprise in China.  Carmosky's general idea, as summarized by Dan, is that the Chinese "mindset" looks something like this:

Americans believe the Chinese lie and steal.

China's ethics is not the same as ours.  Ours is based on Judeo-Christian values.  China's is not.

Key to dealing with ceramic is to get into a network.  genuine Guanxi.

Chinese mindset is the following:

Tomorrow not ever comes.  When it does, you can start all over anyway.

Never tell anyone what you are doing except you know what will be finished with that information.

Take the opening, even if that means shattering a contract.

Nobody operates independently.   Survival depends on a network.

Do not believe any person and respect only those in your mesh.

Teamwork and transparency are a drain on the system.

 I am always a bit leery of generalizations at this level.  When we talk about "the Chinese," we are always going to miss the variety and diversity of "Chinese" experience.  But let me focus on a couple of points here.  First, we need to keep in mind that these ideas are arising from a context of doing business in China (though I recognize that Ms. Carmosky's know-how in ceramic extends after the enterprise world.)  These remarks are directed in the direction of an assembly of businesspeople and, by and large emerge from enterprise experience.  We should, at the outset, recognize, that enterprise in only one part of China, and a very recent part at that.  When looking at Chinese enterprise demeanour shouldn't we expect, especially granted the incredible competitiveness in all parts of Chinese humanity, that believe might be betrayed at times and agreements broken? How long has entrepreneurial behavior been endured much less practiced? And what is the legal and political context of that new behavior? I would generally arrive down with Dan on this: context matters.  We should not come to for over-generalizations about morality and heritage, which could suggest profoundly ingrained mental orientations, when more direct political and lawful contextual forces are most expected primary.  I suspect that persons from distinct heritage backgrounds, when placed in the direct context of contemporary ceramic, might well act in ways alike to the "Chinese mindset".    therefore, invocations of the West's "Judeo-Christian" tradition make little sense to me.  To be dependable, I have never contacted a "Judeo-Christian."  Indeed, it wasn't that long before that the Christians were fiercely beating up on the Judeos.  In any happening, two points here.      First, there is ...