China can be a crazy person to work. We've compiled the 5 secrets you need to know to make working in China a success. You read the full blog post here. https://blog.laowaicareer.com/hierarchy-chinese-companies/

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

3. 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…

4. Prepare For The Culture Shock

5. 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.

6. Understand “Face”

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. What is “guanxi”?

10. 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

11. 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.

12. The After- Work Drinking Spree

13. 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.

14. Final Advice

15. 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.

16. Bonus
Click on the link below to read the full blog post!
https://blog.laowaicareer.com/hierarchy-chinese-
companies/

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