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Asian Business People - Masters in Networking In recent years, ‘networking’ has become a fad amongst western business operators. Business networks abound, all with the promise of that magic client linkage. Yet Australians are still newcomers to this ancient way of connecting with other businesses. The art of networking in Asia goes back many hundreds of years. While the Western world worships the cult of public relations, the East very successfully depends simply on people networks.
If you do a ‘google’ search, you will find 14,400,000 hits under ‘Business Networking - Asia’. There are numerous self-styled experts on each culture and yes, there are many differences between cultures. However, there are some aspects common to most Asian cultures and their private and professional networks.
In China, your business network is generally referred to as your ‘guanxi’. Guanxi is developed over many years, where it is the extension of your social and commercial network. Your partner may refer you to a cousin, neighbour or friend who can help you. By doing this, he gains kudos for making the referral and elevates his status with both parties. In turn, if the new relationship works out well, it develops each party’s guanxi yet again. This only works if all parties respect each other.
This approach goes by many names in different parts of Asia, but essentially works the same. You will know someone who can help your neighbour and so on. This is how business has been done for hundreds of years before television, radio or the internet. The personal relationship is respected and therefore so is the new contact.
 What is also important to remember is that this type of relationship, like all relationships, requires maintenance. The more ‘guanxi’ you have, the more obligations you have. By the same token, don’t rely on the networks of your local partner, but develop your own. If she/he leaves you, so does the network. This also means, don’t desert the person when they have served their purpose. Such networks are personal, not organisational and not easily transferable.
A very important concept in all parts of Asia is ‘face’. You can gain or save face, you can lose face, you can cause another to lose face and by doing so, you lose face yourself. Open anger, aggressive public criticism of your associate or partner and not performing as promised, are some actions which are frowned on in most cultures. Everyone’s reputation is hurt by losing face. If your relationship is strong, do everything you can to avoid causing your associate to lose face.
The West treats information and knowledge as something to possess. By contrast, in oriental cultures information and knowledge are regarded as ‘the capacity for effective action’.
Sharing information and knowledge is therefore not about giving or getting something in return. Accordingly, the reality of networking occurs when smart people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action.
For further reading, the following may be of interest:
‘Business Networks in Asia - Promises, Doubts and Perspectives’ by Frank-Jurgen Richter
David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication www.cic.sfu.ca
‘Masters of Networking’ by Ivan R. Misner PhD and Don Morgan MA by Jennifer McQueen, Managing Partner, Ausnindo-Asia/Pacific Jennifer McQueen is Managing Partner of Ausnindo-Asia/Pacific, Australia’s oldest International Business Consultancy and Government Lobbyist. Ausnindo works with business, industry and commerce to expand their operations internationally. For more information, contact Ausnindo on T: 03 8862 6363 or visit W:www.ausnindo.com source: http://www.womensnetwork.com.au
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