Business across cultures

Deference to Leaders
The Americans will not hesitate to challenge those in authority. In fact, in the modern American workplace, the atmosphere is collegiate and collaborative and the camaraderie is that of equals. However, in China, leaders are deeply respected and never challenged. The Chinese respect the decisions made by those above them and consider them final. There are also unspoken rules of deference to seniors and open respect.
Decision Making
Americans value expediency when making business decisions. Time is money in America, and so the faster you can close the deal, the better. In China, business decisions aren’t made that quickly. The Chinese tend to take their time discussing a business and deliberating on its pros and cons. They will also consult with many others that are higher than them on the hierarchy before they arrive at a decision. Putting them under pressure to make their decisions quicker will only lead to them shutting down and politely resisting you.
The Importance of the Personal Guarantee
Americans value the contract and the finality of the written word. They see all their business deals as legally binding contracts that will hold up in a court of law. The terms are clear and the penalties for breaching the contract are well defined.
The Chinese have a far more lax attitude on this matter. They mostly seal their deals with handshakes, rather than signatures, and put more value on trust and personal guarantees than anything else. While it might seem confusing at first, it makes sense if you remember that the Chinese value personal relationships more than anything else. In Chinese business settings, every party is bound by honor to do the right thing in the agreement. They also expect the other party to do the same and, because they already have a strong personal relationship, trust them to do so.
The Focus on Politeness
The Americans hardly ever back down from an argument. They aren’t afraid of disagreeing and will readily point out things they don’t like about the other person. A Chinese professional will rarely do this. They will do anything to maintain courtesy and politeness in their dealings, even if it means lying to your face just to avoid disagreeing with you. Sometimes their ‘yes’ might actually mean ‘no’ because they prefer to offer white lies to save face and prevent conflict.