This volume focuses on a market that is one of the world=s economically most important and at the same time one of the most difficult to understand culturally - at least from a Western point of view. China is the world=s second largest economy in terms of nominal GDP and the largest in terms of purchasing power parity. At the same time, China has one of the world=s oldest cultures and was the cradle for extremely influential philosophical approaches that even today continue to have a tremendous impact on every sphere of Chinese society. As a result, business in China is - directly or indirectly - influenced by a distinct Chinese pragmatism, personalized networking (guanxi), the concept of 'saving face' and the idea of business as a battlefield. Familiarity with Chinese culture and negotiating practices is a key factor for promoting successful business transactions. In this book, the authors aim to close the gap between publications that are of purely academic interest, on the one hand, and general guidebooks on the other. Intercultural Competencies in China provides a comprehensive selection of topics that are crucial for understanding what lies behind cultural differences - making the book essential reading for business purposes and private contacts in China. Although the book is academically oriented, all of the essays are also accessible for the general reader.

Helena M. Lischka teaches marketing and marketing research and Prof. Peter Kürble teaches international marketing at the FOM University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.