Chinese Culture

Huibert de Man, Catherine Cai, Steven Xu

Open Universiteit/Maastricht School of Management

Timetable 时刻表

8:00-8:30 Introduction Huibert

8:30-8:45 Haier and Tao Steven

8:45-8:55 Discussion all

8:55-9:10 Guanxi and Confucius

Catherine

9:10-9:20 Discussion all

9:20-9:30 Wrap-up Huibert

Introduction

文化 Culture…

Inspiration…

Culture as an Onion

Culture as an Iceberg

Chinese Culture for Dummies

Vertical collectivism: High Power Distance Collectivist

Long term orientation

High Context

Shame Culture (vs. Guilt culture)

Low TrustWhat is ‘ Western’ about this view?

PD

Coll

China!

NL!

Hofstede’s

Dimensions

Chinese Culture: Confucian or Confusion?

Ancient Philosophical Systems from Imperial China Confucianism Daoism Buddhism

Western Influences Science, Technology and Education Socialism (and its Maoist and post-Maoist versions) Western (American) mass (consumption) culture

Confucius 孔子Virtue ethics: 仁者 , from small to great person ( 小人大人 )仁 , 礼 , 义 : humaneness, ritual and righteousnessDoctrine of the mean 中庸之道Sageliness within, kingliness without 内圣外王Five relationships 五伦 :

Five relationships 五伦

Father to Son 

Elder Brother to Younger Brother

Husband to Wife

Elder to Junior 

Ruler to Subject .

Daoism: Dao De Jing道德经

Daoism (Taoism)

道 Dao = the Way, the principle of the universe气 Energy阴阳 (陰陽 ) Yin-Yang balanceHealth Long life 寿 Chinese (holistic medicine) Control of Mind and Body Martial Arts, 太极拳 taijiquan Character Painting

Confucianism ( 儒家 rujia)

Daoism ( 道教 daojiao)

yang (light, masculine) yin (dark, feminine)

order and stability change and flexibility

culture nature

active intervention laissez faire

ritual strategic behaviour

collectivism individualism

doing business as a gentleman

doing business as a strategist (‘white face, black heart’)

Traditional Culture Still Matters (also in Business)

Ethics (morality): Person oriented not oriented to abstract rules; situational ethics (not

universalism) Concrete practices not abstract values Pragmatism: what works (for the group), is good

View of the person: part of the social fabric Not an abstract individual Self-control, not individual emancipation No clear border between private and public sphere

Learning: Confucian, not Socratic Listen before you criticize Teachers care for students, students accept

authority

What does this mean in practice?

Try to understand your own Western, Christian, humanist, Platonic etc. culture!

See Chinese practices as alternative solutions to general problems of being human.

Pay attention to the traditional roots of Chinese culture Daoism in business: example by Steven Xu Confucian business and networking: Catherine Cai.