QUESTION:

Is doing business in Asia really different from doing business in America or Europe? If so, briefly talk
about three aspects about business systems in Asia that each require a unique approach.

Is doing business in Asia really different from doing business in America or Europe?

INTRODUCTION:

From the moment we're born, we begin to develop our identities who are we, what should we care about
and how should we relate to all these people around us. As it turns out, the way each of us answers these
questions largely depends on the culture we grow up in.

BODY:

One major difference between cultures in the East and the West is how they view the individual in relation
to the group. Some cultures tend to place more importance on the individual

CONCLUSION:

Harmony is key.

Take the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. There is always a balance between opposing forces where
one cannot exist without the other.

“when people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created

when people see things as good, evil is created
being and non-being produce each other
difficult and easy complement to each other
long and short define each other
high and low oppose each other
for and aft follow each other”

All in all, each philosophy provides a mindset that is beneficial to the individual and the whole of society.
While it is important that each human being has individual personal rights and freedoms, we must
remember that we're all in this together.

In most situations, we need to harmonize opposing viewpoints and understand “conflict is just a part of
life” but there are plenty of occasions where empirical evidence can be used to find absolute truths.
In the end, all we need is balance and the wisdom to combine both East and the West, not just culturally
but philosophically as well.
INTRODUCTION:

For a business to be successful, it should to satisfy a need of a certain group of people.

To satisfy a need, it would require an understanding regarding these people.

To better understand these people, it could group the people as either easterners or westerners.

During the middle ages, many civilizations present in both Eastern and Western countries were similar in
some ways, but irreconcilably different in others.

These differences are more of a cultural division, rather than just geographical.

For an instance, from the moment we're born, we begin to develop our identities: who are we, what should
we care about and how should we relate to. But as it turns out, the way each of us answers these
questions largely depends on the culture we grow up in.

So if given with a question of “How to satisfy a need?” would result to a different answer from these two
groups.

That is the reason for different business systems; to provide different ways on addressing different needs
of different people.

BODY:

Three aspects about business systems in Asia that would require a different approach that the usual
business setting in the west would be social capital, the state and the economic system.

These three looked like independent from the cultural division between Asian and western countries, but
in actual, it is still linked there.

First is social capital. We can define social capital as how people are relating to one another. It is very
clear that westerners are more individualists and easterners are more collectivists. This affects how the
employees relate within our organization.

Next is the state or the government. Government system on western countries are more on the
democratic side, while most communist countries came from the east. Government system could dictate
how we should operate our business in their respective country.

Lastly is the economic system. Economically, the east and the west are different. This is due to the fact
that the westerners are usually the first-movers in innovation, and innovations could lead to economic
growth. Economic growth could dictate the sustainability of our business.

CONCLUSION:

All in all, both Easterners and Westerners, provides a mindset that is beneficial to the individual, the
organization and the whole of society.
In the end, all we need is balance and the wisdom to combine both the East and the West, not just
culturally but philosophically as well.