Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in China and their partners

Benefits of Attendance

This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working in China. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in China

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to help them to:

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Chinese context and culture
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand another mindset, different work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Training Approach

• A cross-cultural approach of International Mobility
• Country specific trainers
• Personalized and familiy focused action plan
• Access to the Nomad’ Network, an exclusive online tool for Akteos’ clients and experts:  find resources, exchange experiences, knowledge and insights

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Successful personal integration in China

1. Cross-cultural awareness : the key to a successful expatriation

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• Culture shock and the integration process
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Chinese culture :

• China in Asia, China’s place in the world
• A country 17 times bigger than France
• Ideograms: much more than just a writing system, the embodiment of beauty and thought
• A 5000-year old civilisation, strongly attached to its culture
• A highly bureaucratic county
• An economy enjoying exponential growth
• The educational system: rigorous and disciplined

3. Values and behaviour patterns

• The country’s Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist heritage 
• Cyclical time and collective space
• The importance of the family, the many faces of Chinese women
• Chinese thought: Harmony is the key
• Attitudes to risks and uncertainty

4. Practical day-to-day information

• Focus on the host town or city
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Social life, leisure activities
• Schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professional integration in China 

1. The corporate world

• State companies, the authorities, private companies
• The marketplace, employment, staff turnover, adaptability and innovation
• The dominant role of the Communist Party, of the authorities and the Union

2. Effective communication with the Chinese

• The working language, the important role played by the interpreter
• Forging relationships: the special characteristics of the guangxi 关系
• The hidden meaning of Yes and No.  Understanding the meaning of smiles
• Controlling emotions, avoiding confrontations

3. Working with Chinese teams

• Chinese management and corporate culture: deference and respect the superiors
• The difficulty of building loyalty among Chinese staff
• Training and knowledge transmission: ensuring that deadlines are met
• Conflict management: the need to "save face"

4. Successful meetings and negotiations

• Negotiation: an art not a science, strategy or opportunism
• Successful preparation, identifying decision-makers, understanding and appreciating timescales
• The signature of the contract: the start or end of negotiations?

5. Final handy tips

• Understanding rituals: gifts, business cards, invitations
• The context and characteristics of a Chinese banquet 
• Delicate subjects: politics, history, territory
• The notion of "face" in China: superstition in the business environment