Comparison Between the Business Culture of China and the United States

Individual Project- National Cultures
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Introduction
Culture is a broad term that encompasses the characteristics, ideals, and distinct features of particular people, groups, or nations. It entails aspects such as religion, language, socialization habits, dressing, cuisine, art, and music (Xu et al., 2019). Culture largely impacts business and human resource (H.R.) practices in several ways. One is through the recruitment policy, where different countries and companies assume their specific recruitment policy to hire employees (Jose, 2023). Another way in which culture impacts businesses and H.R. practices is through the development and training policies. Training and development are vital for employees. However, cultural standings could affect how they are done in a company, which may simplify or challenge H.R. practices. Other ways culture impacts businesses and H.R. practices include employee motivation, compensation policies, and performance appraisals (Jose, 2023). The paper aims to discuss Chinese (China) culture and compare it with the United States (U.S.) culture.
China- Overview
China is located in Asia. It neighbors fourteen states. China has a diverse terrain that includes deserts, mountains, and plains. Its government entails a communist state, with the head of government as the premier and the chief of state as the president. According to FinlandChinaGo (2020), the country's government structure plays a significant role in creating a common culture and enforcing unity by bringing all regions together. With a population of approximately 1.44 billion people, China is the most populated country globally (FinlandChinaGo, 2020). By territory, it stands as the third biggest country in the world. China is diverse in terms of its culture and geography.
Fifty-six ethnic groups in China are officially recognized. The most popular ethnic group is the Han Chinese, who are significantly more than the minority groups in all provinces, excluding Tibet and Xinjiang (Heberer, 2017). Therefore, the dominant Chinese culture and traditions describe the Han. In terms of its economy, China has rapidly grown in the past forty decades and has achieved to become the second largest economy in the world, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 17.73 trillion dollars after the U.S., which leads with a GDP of 23.32 trillion dollars (Worlddata.info, 2021). A country’s traditions and cultural practices form its national identity. Chinese culture is tremendously diverse and famous. It is boldly rich in art, sculpture and pottery making, painting, and science. Traditional architectural designs from China were known and highly regarded worldwide. The country's literature and language, as well as its political state and philosophy, still have a robust influence. China's most common cultural aspects include its ethnic groups, religion, food, language, art, marriages, festivals, and unique writing and calligraphy.
Cultural Layers
Chinese culture can be divided into three layers: the surface, the visible layer, the hidden layer, and the invisible layer. The visible/surface layer includes food, religion, clothing, transportation methods, language, music, rituals, and ceremonies (ResearchGate, 2018). The hidden layer includes behavior and customs, while the invisible layer includes values, beliefs, and preferences, which largely influence the visible layer or what people can see about the culture. Therefore, as much as the invisible layer cannot be seen, it cannot be ignored.
The Chinese surface/visible cultural layer is seen in various attributes. First, Chinese foods are one essential element of their culture. In China, people love and enjoy eating, which is seen to be a social activity. Their foods largely contain natural ingredients, including various herbs and spices. Some staple dishes include rice, tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, and noodles (ResearchGate, 2018). They use large plates or bowls and chopsticks instead of forks and knives during mealtimes. Religion is the second element of the Chinese surface culture. China boasts five official religions: Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Taoism. Ancient Chinese society was stuck to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Taoism can be dated to more than 1700 years back as being native to China (Heberer, 2017). Confucianism was a way of life for the ancient Chinese, and it continues to influence today's culture significantly. Art is another element of the visible/surface Chinese culture. China has a long outstanding history of mystical and spiritual energy influencing its art. It can be seen in the numerous paintings and sculptures that demonstrate Buddhism spiritual figures. In terms of music, several instruments are strongly linked to Chinese culture, including the guqin and the xun, in the zither family. Other art forms in the culture include martial arts, which bore kung fu. Writing and philosophy also encapsulate Chinese cultural art, where ancient Chinese men and women are remembered as avid writers and historical philosophers.
The Chinese hidden and invisible layers can be seen in several attributes. One of these is their behavior and customs. In China, handshakes are a standard way of casual greeting. Formal greetings are expressed in a slight bow or a polite nod. When it comes to naming, most people follow distinct naming conventions. These conventions normally include a family name (which comes first) and a given name, which is thought of and derived at birth (Cultural Atlas, 2023). The Chinese people value basic etiquette, and respect is highly demanded. For instance, one is expected to give or receive something using two hands. Showing deference to older adults is key, and their opinion and advice are warmly taken and appreciated. The Chinese people have common core values: harmony, courtesy, loyalty, and honesty. They also value and treasure family unity, which gives them a strong sense of identity and social belonging (Cultural Atlas, 2023). The Chinese also value financial success, believing it brings a high social status. Some Chinese believe that one of the ways to show love is by providing money or gifts to loved ones.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions (HCDs)
Geert Hofstede developed the HCDs theory. It is an articulate framework to help people comprehend the cultural differences across countries. It is also used to inform business strategies and practices across different countries. Six dimensions define culture in this framework. One of these dimensions is the Power distance index, which focuses on the idea that everyone in society is unequal. Power distance is where people considered less powerful in society tolerate inequality. According to Hofstede Insights (2023), a high index tells that a particular culture accepts and tolerates inequality and differences in power, showing massive respect for those in authority. On the other hand, a low power distance index indicates that a particular culture does not tolerate inequality and emphasizes equal power distribution, decentralized decision-making, and a participative management style. China attained a power distance index of 80, which is a high score (Hofstede Insights, 2023). The major reason for this score is that in China, people highly respect those in authority and are seen as superior and advantaged to the rest. Due to this, the common Chinese person is highly likely to tolerate inequities and inequalities, including power abuse.
The second dimension is individualism vs. collectivism. It focuses on the extent to which a society maintains dependence on groups and their roles and responsibilities in those groups. It shows how people perceive themselves, i.e., their self-image. People could refer to themselves as "I" or "We." Individualist people/societies refer to themselves as "I" and are more focused on fulfilling their personal goals (Xu et al., 2019). On the other hand, Collectivist people/societies refer to themselves as “We” and are focused on the goals and well-being of their group. According to Hofstede Insights (2023), China’s score on this dimension was 20, which shows that it is a collectivist culture, where people place much energy on groups and not individual progress.
The third dimension is masculinity vs. femininity. It considers society's attitudes toward sexual equality, achievemen...