Bridging cultural gaps: the impact of cultural differences on business negotiations and educational practices in Russia and China

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Justification. Samara State Technical University has resumed and expanded academic mobility, which existed at the university before the pandemic. Nowadays we have reached the pre-pandemic levels, and next year the number of academic internships will be even higher. The topic is extremely relevant for our university, as knowledge of cultural peculiarities is necessary for a successful exchange of experience, establishing long-term cooperation and increasing the competitiveness of graduates. And teachers and undergraduates who complete internships as guest teachers in China need to understand cultural differences in order to negotiate in order to conduct a comparative analysis of educational programs and academic internship conditions.

Aim. Identify cultural differences between Russia and China that affect educational and negotiation processes, and to develop practical recommendations for the adaptation of Russian students to studying and interacting in Chinese universities.

Methods. During the study, we conducted a content analysis of scientific literature and publications, a case study: development of practical cases and recommendations, qualitative interviews with participants in the exchange program, a survey of students from Samara State Technical University who completed an internship in China (25 people), and an observation method.

Results. After studying the scientific literature and existing classifications, we developed our own criteria for comparing the two cultures, for example, priority of rules or relationships, role of the individual and the group, style of expressing emotions, manner of communication. These criteria became the basis for the students’ questionnaire:

• 85 % of participants noted that Chinese students and teachers prioritize personal connections (the guanxi system) over formal norms.
• 80 % of respondents observed that Chinese students prioritize the interests of the group, especially when completing group assignments.
• 76 % of respondents rated Chinese students as reserved in expressing emotions. 80 % noted that this complicates communication.
• 84 % of respondents observed a high level of respect for elders, even when using traditional methods.
• 76 % of participants indicated that Chinese students maintain a greater distance in communication with teachers than is customary in Russia.
• 52 % of respondents believe that Chinese teachers structure their training with a focus on strategic results, rather than on current tasks.
• 76 % of respondents noted that Chinese teachers were rather indirect and less open in communication

Then step was to develop cases and recommendations based on the experience of our students to prepare for further internships in China.

Findings. There are significant differences that our students going on internships need to know about. Proper communication taking into account cultural differences will help us during the negotiation process to establish further connections and sign contracts with Chinese universities, and will also facilitate the process of communication with Chinese students for effective results of joint work. We plan to continue our work, accumulate experience and apply it for further internships in China, which will take place in September of this year.

About the authors

Author for correspondence.
Email: kopyrina.da@mail.ru

student, group 111, Institute of Engineering, Economics and Humanities Education

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