How does language impact my ability to be effective in China?
Language is of major importance in China, not just as it relates to foreigners, but how it relates to the Chinese. Certain dialects and accents will reveal someone’s background and heritage. Some may ask, ‘if two people are speaking the same language what’s the difference?’ The moral foundations for Asians center around personal relationships. It begins with one’s relationships to the immediate family and spreads to other relations, friends, people from the same community, people in the same city, province, region, nation, etc. As with a pebble thrown into a pond there are ever widening circles emanating from the center. If the Chinese supplier is the center than you want to be dealing with someone on the closest circle possible. For the most part foreigners are lumped into one category: customers. Language barriers are solved by the Chinese middle men involved. You will not know what they are saying, you will not understand all that occurs. It certainly will impact one’s effectiveness
