Chinese management and communication principles - Intercultural competence as prerequisite for business success

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 2,0, University of applied sciences, Marl, language: English, abstract: 1. Introduction 1.1. Problem Globalization is an ongoing process by which regional economies have become integrated through a global network of communication and trade, which simultaneously induces 'globalization of culture'. In an attempt to explain culture more clearly, the 'Iceberg Model of Culture' can be used2 since culture is often compared to an iceberg which has both visible (on the surface) and invisible (below the surface) parts. Visible elements of culture - the 'percepta'- can be seen, such as food, clothing or laws. Those elements which are not as obvious -the 'concepta' - such as norms, values or beliefs are represented by the much larger portion of the iceberg underwater. In a course of increasing cross-cultural business encounters, the question arouses whether it is necessary to be acquainted with both the visible and the greater invisible part of the culture concerned - i.e. to possess intercultural competence - in order to gain international business success. 1.2. Objectives With reference to Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture, this seminar paper has the intention to verify the close correlation between intercultural competence and international business success. In this context, it makes an attempt to visualize the 'invisible' part of culture by the example of China, which gains a steadily increasing importance for the world economic growth shown by its gross domestic product real growth rate of 8.7 % est. in 20096, thus attracting more and more companies from all over the world to establish business in China.