The primary difference between American and Chinese societies is attitude toward work. Americans are known to the world for the individualism and emphasis on personal achievement. Chinese, on the contrary, value teamwork and are focused on result rather than contribution of each member. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that American society is individual-based while Chinese community is more cooperative. Cultural differences between American and Chinese societies are significant. American people seek balance in their life trying to devote enough time to work, family, and recreation. A stranger to Chinese culture may think that Chinese people are focused on work only. Finally, American people value personal space and are willing to protect their opinion while Chinese are not concerned about personal distance and are more likely to compromise.
It is impossible to state whether American society is better than Chinese. However, the fact is that Chinese economy is rapidly developing and Chinese have already proved the whole world that they are able to become economic leaders. The current financial crisis affected both countries, but Chinese are more likely to survive it with minimal damage due to emphasis on teamwork and culturally-defined willingness to compromise.
I strongly believe that English language should be used in global business. English is learnt and spoken throughout the world. It is possible to meet an English-speaking person in any part of the globe. Most of the business documents are prepared in English language. Business conferences and international meetings are held in English language. There is no doubt that English is the most suitable language for business. Compared to Chinese, English language is much easier to learn. Finally, English language has already become a language of international business.
American society is characterized with success-driven culture. American people are hard-working and are rewarded for their personal achievements and contributions both in personal and professional life. For example, every person has equal opportunity to be promoted to upper management positions based on his professional qualities and experience only. There is no discrimination in American society and rights of all citizens are equality protected. Japanese culture also emphases the importance of hard and personal contribution; however, Japanese society is less culturally and ethnically diverse than America. Japanese people are known to the world for their strict hierarchy based on age and social position. The value of respect is of primary importance.
I think that Japanese society is more traditional than American one. In other words, the respect for elderly and social hierarchy are not common in American culture where rights of people are not attributed with consideration of age. Thus, there is evident disrespect of older people in American community. In terms of business culture, Japan and United States represent two opposite worlds. Both economies are developed and technically innovative; however, business communication practices are rather different. In particular, Japan will seek consensus on all contract points while Americans will strive to push forward their opinion.
Finally, I do believe that English is the only language that has a potential to become a global language of business. Companies working on international business market have no opportunity to sign contracts in different languages for two reasons:
- upper managers responsible for company-wide decisions are mostly English-speaking;
- there should be one language used in all documents.