East Meets West: Chinese Mainzi and Guanxi as Cultural Obstacles to U.S. - China Business Relations

Globalization is the name of the game and, for better or worse, the rules of engagement have been established by an international system that encompasses Western-based principles and practices (Marsh & Dreyer, 2003). China\u27s economic reform program is aimed at sustaining rapid economic growth in order to compete in the global economy (Hamrin, 2003. p. 28). China is accomplishing this endeavor primarily through foreign trade with the United States - but can this growth be sustained or will cultural differences pose obstacles that curtail China\u27s continued integration into the global economy? In order to answer this question it was necessary to explore the cultural aspects of mianzi (losing or saving of face) and guanxi (the building of relationships) and their impact on Sino-U.S. business relations. Therefore, the author conducted a survey completed by Chinese university students (in China) on the eve of their transition to the workplace to uncover those cultural values and beliefs that may negatively impact successful Sino-U.S. business relations. The findings support the hypothesis that the cultural aspects of mianzi and guanxi will pose obstacles in U.S.-Sino business relations