Cultural Dimensions Of Expatriate Life In China

This volume of the "Cultural Dimensions of Expatriate Life" series is a bit different from the others. It is less of a narrative and more of a self-guided training manual. I've tried to maintain the conversational style that so many readers have said they enjoy in the other books in this series, but far more than any of the others this volume on China contains exercises to challenge the reader to think about what they are reading, self-tests for comprehension, and checklists that are designed to help the reader be sure that they have grasped the essentials of navigating as an expatriate or sojourner in this most ancient and complex of the world's cultures. This design is no accident, for almost all of the materials in this book have been adapted from training programs I designed in the period 1990-2005 for multi-cultural teams of people doing business in China. Additionally, some of the materials are taken from a training video I produced in 1996 entitled "International Straight Talk on China", which was co-produced by the Dallas International Small Business Development Center and its co-director, my good friend Elizabeth Harris. I have many people to thank for my grasp of the intricacies of Chinese culture, including all of the people who appeared in the original "International Straight Talk" video, as well as the Chinese and American members of the teams who I have trained over the years. As anyone who has done cross-cultural training will attest, the trainer often learns more from the trainees than vice versa. That is certainly the case here. I cannot close without a sincere expression of gratitude to my friend Madam Wei Hui, without whom I would still be very much in the dark regarding the depth and complexity of China, and the role that China has played on the world stage for all of the thousands of years she has existed. To all my friends and colleagues who have contributed to my understanding, such as it is, I am most grateful.