Chinese Business Etiquette

Chinese Business Etiquette From setting up a meeting to formal negotiations, knowing the right words to say is integral in conducting business. This is especially true if you are hosting or are guests of international business people. When planning or attending a Chinese business meeting, keep these tips on Chinese business etiquette in mind. Setting Up a Meeting When setting up a Chinese business meeting, it is important to send as much information to your Chinese counterparts in advance. This includes details about the topics to be discussed and background information on your company. Sharing this information ensures that the people you want to meet will actually attend the meeting. However, preparing in advance will not get you confirmation of the actual meeting’s day and time. It is not uncommon to wait anxiously until the last minute for confirmation. Chinese businessmen often prefer waiting until a few days before or even the day of the meeting to confirm the time and place. Arrival Etiquette Be on time. Arriving late is considered rude. If you do arrive late, apologizing for your tardiness is a must. If you are hosting the meeting, it is proper etiquette to send a representative to greet the meeting’s participants outside the building or in the lobby, and then personally escort them to the meeting room. The host should be waiting in the meeting room to greet all meeting attendants. The senior-most guest should enter the meeting room first. While entrance by rank is a must during high-level government meetings, it is becoming less formal for regular business meetings. Seating Arrangements at a Chinese Business Meeting After handshakes and exchanging business cards, guests will take their seats. The seating is typically arranged by rank. The host should escort the senior-most guest to his or her seat as well as any VIP guests. The place of honor is to the host’s right on a sofa or in chairs that are opposite the room’s doors. If the meeting is held around a large conference table, then the guest of honor is seated directly opposite the host. Other high-ranking guests sit in the same general area while the remainder of the guests can choose their seats from among the remaining chairs. If the meeting is held around a large conference table, all the Chinese delegation may opt to sit on one side of the table and foreigners on the other. This is especially true for formal meetings and negotiations. The principal delegates are seated in the meeting with lower ranking attendees placed at either end of the table. Discussing Business Meetings usually begin with small talk to help both sides feel more comfortable. After a few moments of small talk, there is a short welcoming speech from the host followed by a discussion of the meeting’s topic. During any conversation, Chinese counterparts will often nod their heads or make affirmative utterances. These are signals that they are listening to what is being said and understand what is being said. These are not agreements to what is being said. Do not interrupt during the meeting. Chinese meetings are highly structured and interjecting beyond a quick remark is considered rude. Also, don’t put anyone on the spot by asking them to provide information they seem unwilling to give or challenge a person directly. Doing so will lead them to become embarrassed and lose face.

Fire by Deepa Mehta essays

Fire by Deepa Mehta essays In Deepa Mehtas film, Fire, symbolism is used to show the struggle between tradition and new ideas. This struggle, which Radha defeats with her choice for lesbianism, is symbolical paralleled by the reoccurring scenes of her as a child. The film is a tale of two vital, beautiful women breaking their cultural obstacles and being reborn through the passion they express for each other. Their relationship is forbidden, but it is by giving into their feelings that they find the strength to defy their husbands and turn their backs on tradition. Tradition is one of the dominant themes in the film and is represented by Biji, the mother of the family. This is a good symbolic figure for tradition because her old age represents the ageing of the ideals her generation strictly lives by. With her age she has lost her voice and must ring a small bell in order to display anger or discomfort. This represents the dieing off of old customs and the strength of traditions voice fading out. This allows for a rise of new ideas because the old ways are losing their power and leavening room for a new voice. Sita, who becomes Radhas lover, represents this new voice through youth and resistance to oppression. She is symbolic of the fight against tradition because she openly opposes social issues which Radha has been taught to ignore. As Sita continues to question these traditions Radha finds herself questioning her lifestyle as well. Throughout the film, symbolism and foreshadowing play an important role in displaying the feelings of the characters and the overall message of the movie. Radhas inner struggle is revealed to the audience through clever flash backs and camera angles that imply hidden messages in the scenes. For example, Fire opens with a flashback or dream of a little girl and her parents sitting in a large field of flowers. The child is Radha, one of the main characters, when she was a little girl. This sc...

Does anonymity on the web give people too much freedom to torment Essay

Does anonymity on the web give people too much freedom to torment others - Essay Example Potential victims are also protected this way. Patients and parents, for instance, can talk about sensitive matters in open forums (Milner). Victims of discrimination and crimes can also speak out anonymously. Nowadays, there are uncountable chat rooms where people get to speak openly of how they feel about their jobs, spouses and even lifestyles. The debate on gender equality, for example, saw many women and men express themselves. Both uncivil and polite responses were accepted in the forum. This made it easy to reach quick decisions by hosts. As Milner claims, Anonymity can empower those who seek consolation and justice to speak out .Victims of rape, for example, can talk about their ordeal without the fear of rejection or shame. On the other hand, anonymous people can intimidate other web users or even go as far as stalking them. Bias motivated stalking and sexual invasion of privacy are a major menace that come with anonymity. The two interfere with other peoples employment and general lifestyle. People get a chance to be heard on the web through Anonymity. Before the invention of the internet, only influential people were fortunate enough to be listened to. Anonymity also ensures the protection of Democracy and civilian rights. Discussing political matters without anonymity would not be possible. This is because politicians are very influential people and therefore common individuals would not risk confrontation by expressing their views. People get to know what other people think concerning particular issues. On the other hand, people can take advantage and misuse their freedom of expression to hurt and threaten others on the web, an act called trolling. Trolling can be offensive, disturbing and at times shocking. Anonymity on the web only gives web users enough freedom to express themselves. Anonymity does not give people freedom to torment others. It is a privilege that needs not be interfered with. As