Cultural difference in business | Valerie Hoeks | TEDxHaarlem

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Published 2014-07-22
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. One of the elements of the cultural difference between Europe and China is the importance that is given to relationships. In the West you would assume the importance to be the same, but there is a significant distinction. In China connections with the right people help you to get things done, to survive and to succeed.

Whereas in the West content is predominant, in China the way people interact with each other strongly influences the working environment. 'Face' and long-term effects are taken into consideration.

Valérie Hoeks (1982) studied Sinology at the Leiden University and has been active in China for over a decade as a traveller, a student and later as an entrepreneur. As soon as she set foot on Chinese soil she knew she would come back many times.

In 2010 Valérie co-founded China Inroads in collaboration with with her Dutch and Chinese business partner. China Inroads provides a strong foothold for innovative companies that want to expand their business to the Chinese market.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
All Comments (21)
  • @nelsoninthenorth6499
    Let's be honest you weren't recommended this video, it was an assignment from your college class. But you left more appreciative of the various cultures that exist in this big blue ball, we call Earth. :) EDIT: Wow amazing the number of people who’ve come across this since I first watched it lol! Seems a classic business ethics/comms/cultural course vid! 👍🏼
  • @bethschaefer2482
    Yes, interesting presentation. But title is misleading. This is not about cultural differences in business.
  • @evanyangfan
    I have never known a thing that summarizes my people in just 12 mins. Thank you Valerie :')
  • @sharonlovering2024
    Without Valerie's travels to China, this TED talk would not have been created by her to share this information about the people of China and their culture. Thank you for your travels, sharing your experiences and insight into what you saw, how you lived and what you learned. I have always felt that the Chinese live in the moment, and deal with situations as they come. They are much more harmonized than we are in America. I am grateful to have the opportunity to listen to you talk about your experience and offer us encouragement to visit China ourselves. I would love to be among the people China someday to learn about their country, and their culture. Thank you, Valerie.
  • @nitrocool3
    This video greatly pleases the senses of me and the great leader, I will personally recommend plus 1000 social credit for this display Glory be to the Republic of China 愿我前进,破我所有敌人,以我有史以来最大文明,1989年广场无所有也。
  • @chao3521
    a wonderful speech, the speaker understands Chinese culture quite well! I hope that people under eastern and western cultural background can know more about each other and learn more from each other :)
  • @barniezhong6987
    i am a Chinese, i think the speaker know quite well about Chinese culture.
  • @saleskagri5335
    You peng zi yuan fang lai, bu yi le hu! : To have friends coming in from afar, how delightful!
  • @TheHollandHS
    What bothers me is that most people want to compare western culture to other cultures, but they rarely compare non-western cultures among themselves.
  • @cprippit4825
    I know 12 minutes is not very long, but this seems to have been more a short history of Valerie's travels rather than anything particularly meaningful about cultural differences in business. I would expect, perhaps wrongly, people to expect differences between the 'West' and China, and as a result to do research - it would have been more interesting to hear of Dutch-specific cultural norms which others in the West might not actually expect.
  • @brookmiller9860
    I think it is interesting how much the Chinese care about their reputation. I think it is a human nature tendency to care about what people think of us but the speaker said that making a mistake in public is one of the worse things that could happen to a Chinese person. This is fascinating to me.
  • @Cidxtyler
    While learning about one culture the Bible has been denounced. The Bible and the Word is very much still alive!😊
  • @xurumeng7929
    yes, I agree that relationship, actually I think sometimes also happen in Australia, to find a job or other help, while the traffic in Beijing is exactly what she said, but in many other cities like chengdu, its not the same as Beijing. and  I don't think Chinese people are lazy, cos everything is more efficient than foreign like installing internet and transporting online shopping, only take 1 day sometimes
  • @qiaoirene6163
    As a dedicated admirer of Ted, I appreciate her open-mindedness and her commitment to learning. She possesses a strong command of both Chinese and public speaking. However, I must point out a minor error in her expression. When she mentioned the phrase "You Peng Zi Yuan Fang Lai, Bu Hui Yue Hu," she made a spelling mistake, resulting in an unintended meaning. "Bu Hui Le Hu" implies that the Chinese do not welcome guests, but the correct expression should be "Bu Yi Yue Hu," which signifies that the Chinese do indeed welcome guests.
  • @Thecilla
    These things are present in every culture...
  • @ludwigtieck2376
    She affected a superior air. When she was stereotyping Chinese, meanwhile she was stereotyping "businessman" as a group, perhaps even TEDx – "X". There are so many "typical Chinese" in China like she described – as many as those "typical westerner" in this world. I believe our users can learn much more from "The Travels of Marco Polo" than from this "well-educated" red, blonde, white, precious Sinology student Ms. Hoeks. :)
  • @cristianvenegas8251
    The speaker has definitely showed me a new view on how to recognize culture on a business standpoint, I learned quite a bit from the video such as values of China are very important like the concept Guanxi and harmony. These factors apart of the societies values and everyday living, even though she presented more values I found these to be most important and spread around in many countries.