1 Introduction

With the acceleration of the process of economic globalization, cross-border and cross-cultural business activities between companies are more and more frequent. Different regions and cultures are often diverse, which affect the way of thinking and values, increasing the complexity of the activities of cross-cultural business communication.

International business activities are both economic activities and cultural activities. Culture is a concept familiar to most people. It is difficult, however, to specify what is meant by the concept. Culture can refer to shared, commonly-held body of general beliefs and values that define what is right for one group, or to socially elitist concepts, including refinement of mind, tastes and manners. The culture guides the behavior of people in society and affects the development of foreign-related business activities, too.

With the growth of the process of economy between China and America, both of them have become partners in important economic cooperation and trade. Cross-cultural communication in the business activities may generate collision and conflict at any time due to cultural gaps.

The objective existence of cultural differences is a main factor to affect international business contacts between China and America, while business people with cultural awareness has become the key to success and failure in the deals.

Negotiators understand and master the multicultural context of intercultural communication knowledge and skills to reduce or eliminate misunderstandings, frictions and conflicts caused by cultural differences between two countries. These play an increasingly important significance in international business activities for those people who are engaged in adjusting global business activities and progressing communication.

2. The Differences of Chinese and American Culture

2.1 The Differences of Chinese and American Culture in Values

Chinese attach importance to personal loyalty and collective responsibility. The group value is the core idea of ​​China as the representative of oriental culture. Concerning for and helping others is a virtue. China emphasizes the group value. The Confucianists are highly recommended by ordered and harmonious society to promote loyalty and responsibility of the individual groups. Because of the values of group, corporate culture tends to emphasize group interests more rather than personal interests in China. Corporate interests are subordinate to national interests. The personal achievements of career are created for the enterprise and the state public welfare, which emphasizes collective benefits in the relationship between individual and group is always more important than the individual. Personal honor and success are closely linked with collective. Personal values ​​and social responsibility are unified. But from another point of view, emphasizing on "collective" too much easily leads to be a neglect of individual rights, freedom, and influence the development on personal creativeness.

Americans advocate self-realization. United States is the representative of western culture, including trusting others, emphasizing personal privacy and so on. Westerners emphasize respect for personal privacy, that is, a person live alone without causing harms and interferences to others and, at the same time, cannot be controlled. For example, personal letters could not be purposefully opened. They also need to make a phone call to ask whether the owner is convenient, even it is a slight matter. In their daily learning, living and working life, Americans like to be unconventional and unique. They tend to go in their own way. Americans have a high self-centered and independent consciousness, respect for themselves, not allow others to violate their power, and place personal interest in the first place. They are only responsible for their own life and depend on their own abilities. But from another perspective, people focus on the “personality” too much is easy to be cold and indifferent, and it even will cause the problems of alcoholism and drug abuse to solve depression and loneliness.

2.2 The Differences of Chinese and American Culture in mode of thinking

The ways of thinking are quite different, actually, people live in certain area have their own way of thinking. It connects to various kinds of factors, such as geography, history, nation and so on. The ways of thinking are the important reason of cultural difference.

Chinese tend to focus on the thinking of image, while the Americans tend to focus on abstract thinking.

From the study of the structure of thinking, the application of imaginable thinking is based on people’s experience. The image of the thinking is composed with analogy, metaphor and symbol. Overall, Chinese cultural thinking has a strong imageability in ancient times. Chinese characters are hieroglyphic, which highlight the most prominent characteristics of the image thinking. Meanwhile, there are no morphological changes in Chinese.

Abstract thinking, also known as logical thinking, is based on the concept, judgment, and reasoning as a form of thought. After that, it becomes systematization and accuracy via research, synthesis, abstraction, generalization, classification to form the related system. English language presents the logical relationship by morphological changes. For Americans, they are more accustomed to the induction or strict language interpretation of the reasoning conclusion.

The mode of thinking of Chinese is convergent thinking, but that of Americans is divergent thinking.

Chinese people pursue the harmonious dialectic, namely coordination, complementarities and adjustment in order to achieve balance and stability of things.

Americans are accustomed to distinguishing between subjective ideas and objective facts, emphasize their own independence, advocate competition, and efforts.

2.3 The Differences of Chinese and American Culture in custom

In terms of social customs, there are also lots of cultural differences between China and America. All ethnic groups have its own unique feelings of the customs of the nation. They are proud of it or consecrated. They abide strictly by it, and do not allow others to profane it.

For example, many people like to eat dog meat in China. Dog meat is one of the delicious foods on the table. In addition, number 4 is a taboo for most Chinese because its pronunciation in Chinese is close to “death”. It’s a taboo for the Chinese to talk about death. So if foreign negotiators talk about “death” or some others have relationship with it at business activities, it would be lead to a bad consequence.

Americans think that dogs are the best friend in their daily life. This kind of attitude is also reflected in the common language, such as “You are a lucky dog”. It will be never found that dog is cooked into a dish in the United States. Christian culture taboos 13. Therefore, the party can not be arranged in thirteen people. If it coincides with another 13 on Friday, more Westerners consider that it is a “terrible day,” known as “Black”, because this day is the day of Jesus crucifixion. Americans will not attend the banquets. 

3. The impacts of cultural difference on international business communication

3.1 The impacts on International Business Negotiations

Negotiation is a common activity to sort out differences with other people, or to get what they want, and a process civilized people use to reach agreement. Its goal is not to win, but to succeed. The mechanism is collaboration, the work of a partnership rather than a means for kicking butt.

The different ways of thinking in fact are the reflection of cultural difference. People who live in different areas for a long time have different cultural characteristics; therefore, their ways of thinking are different. Because of it, negotiators from China and America have obvious differences in negotiations.

The mode of thinking is holistic in China. At the negotiating table, general principles should reach a basic consensus, and then develop specific solutions. In order to preserve the groups’ or someone’s faces, Chinese negotiators are often ambiguous or indirect to express different opinions. Chinese people always like having a good face. There is a saying that face work shows social hidden rules in China. In Chinese, the achievement of face depends on others’ participation. They can't put themselves in the position of separation with others. The public think that the Chinese expression of face is one kind of reputation or prestige, which is based on acceptance that society give to social status and reputation. They are not equivalent. They rarely reject or refute directly, but twist and turn to present their own opinion, or hesitate to describe different things. Decision-making process is slow and time-consuming via Chinese negotiators. A bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit. As an important means of negotiations, it lets the negotiators create a harmonious atmosphere. In the negotiating process, they try to avoid conflicts, and friendship first, of course, long-term cooperation is what they want to pursue.

Americans attach importance to the logical relations. Specific things are better than the entirety. At the beginning of the negotiations, Americans are willing to discuss articles in details. Americans take the way of export-oriented communication to express their ideas as far as possible. Negotiating style is direct, outgoing, confident and positive in America. They openly disagree and use aggressive persuasive tactics such as threats and warnings, and prefer speedy negotiations and get annoyed with too much socializing or postponement. It means that they are rarely ambiguous and vague.

In addition, Americans would like to argue. They think that argument deliver the power of personal opinion, and is beneficial to problem-solving rather than affect the interpersonal relationship. Americans tend to make concessions throughout the negotiations, settling one issue, then proceeding to the next. They are used to cutting deals just to save time. Decisions are based on the bottom line and on cold, hard facts. They do not like playing favorites. Economics and performance count, not people.

American negotiators are very individualistic (cowboy mentality), prefer informality immediately and try to be very friendly. Humor is used as much as possible. They are very direct from the beginning of the negotiation and then make offers and counter offers. Calculated risks are taken but will not overextend themselves. Proposals are considered on a monetary investment return basis rather than relationship basis. At the same time, they are very conscious of time and don’t like silence or lulls.

There are more challenges in an intercultural environment than in a mono-cultural setting. To the successful negotiations, the two sides must first understand the cultural differences. Many of the cultures are very complex and very different from our own. To be successful in international community then, we should learn to honor and respect our own cultures and also to develop an appreciation, tolerance, and respect for others’ cultures.

3.2 The impacts on International Business Etiquette

Business etiquette must be followed by the business personnel who are engaged in commercial activities. Business etiquette is complex, and involves various aspects of the business activities, including food, clothing, transportation, ceremonial gifts, etc. Different cultural backgrounds will inevitably lead to the different business etiquette. The three basic principles of communication are respect, expressivity and standard. Business communication is no exception. Therefore, they should pay attention to factors, including environment, atmosphere, history and culture in business etiquette, and so on.

Chinese negotiators tend to be more euphemistic and indirect in the initial business communication process. They think that negotiators from US are too explicit, lacking in conservation, and even rude. Chinese people are accustomed to using the language of the greeting. They are very hospitable when they encounter business partners. They like asking something. They can know more about the background, experience and personal preferences via conversation. The collections of these materials contribute to understand the partners and put forward the most suitable business cooperation programs. Meanwhile, it is a sign of respect that someone asks to exchange business cards in China.

The time sense of Chinese is cyclical, namely Chinese people think that work like a repeated circle. Chinese pay little attention to making an appointment. It means they arrange time at a random. Chinese negotiators focus on the relationship. They always establish a good working relationship via banquet, informal meeting, or other business activities. So trade cycle is long in China. 

In China, left is the honor. Honored guests are arranged on the left at a banquet, and then&, nbsp;followed by arrangement. They use a round table, which means unity. Simultaneously, it makes a polite and fun atmosphere. Delicious foods are centering, and people toast each other, which is consistent with the general mentality of wellbeing in China. Alcoholic drink is an essential thing on Chinese table. People always like to discuss business with drinking. It expresses respect and welcome for the guests. Folk has saying that food is the paramount necessity of the people. Therefore, diet is one of the root causes of the happy life in China. They give priority to the enjoyment of diet.

In the initial business communication etiquette, American negotiators are direct and frank. They have a headache to do business with Chinese. They believe that negotiators from China are keen on speculation and sensitivity. Meanwhile, people who ask to exchange business cards are rude in American culture.

Americans rarely use the language of the greeting. They do not care about that, on the contrary, they focus on work efficiency. They say hi, and clasp hands to do a brief introduction. After that, they would go directly to the theme. They think that time is money. Success is based on efficiency.

The time sense of Americans is linear, namely they are accustomed to doing one thing at a time. Americans pay special attention to the appointment. People have to make an appointment at least two weeks in advance for general business activities. If the business activities are very important, people have to make an appointment at least two months in advance. Americans do not like to stop talking or keep silence. They are used to concentrating on doing one thing, and always tend to discuss the topic straightly. Therefore, the period of American business activities is short.

In the United States, right is the honor. The seat of female guests is higher than males’. Man always pulls out a chair for the woman who beside him. At the same time, Americans do not advocate drinking recklessly.  On dress code, Americans pay special attention to the condition of one’s teeth, so you’d better arrange for a visit to your dentist for a clearing as part of your preparation. The core of America banquet is friendship. People care more about warmth, elegance, tasty and etiquette. To make friends is the purpose of conversation with someone who sits beside him.

Therefore, we should understand business etiquette from different culture backgrounds in advance as much as possible, particularly cooperators’. Adjusting ceremonial behaviors timely is beneficial for a pleasant business environment. 

3.3 The impacts on Enterprise Management

With the continuous expansion of the scale and scope of cross-border business activities, differences and conflicts in corporate culture become increasingly evident. It has dual impacts of cultural differences on multinational management. It is driving force and impedance for transnational management. The management of multinational corporations is a cross-cultural management, which is the core of the management of cultural differences. Business management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. It comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Enterprises should understand cultural differences and implement cross-cultural management correctly. At the same time, directors should establish corporate cultures, thereby creating international competitive advantage.

Ancient China has a number of successful management experiences, simultaneously, has rich and distinctive management thoughts. Such as the "benevolence" of Confucianism, it was the core of management thought, Management ideas of Taoism is the supreme principle of "inaction". Corporate culture pay more attention to group interests than individual interests in China, corporate interests are subordinate to national interests. Personal achievement is shared by enterprise and state. This is the value orientation of corporate culture, advocating the golden mean. 

Chinese enterprises tend to be a collective decision, but it mainly concentrates in the upper minority leadership. Most of basic-level staffs have few opportunities to participate in it. Subordinates must strictly enforce the decision. Generally speaking, the communication between the upper and the lower is the imperative communication. The upper levels make decisions, and they assume the responsibilities in Chinese enterprises. Actually, few people take them, because of the restraints of society, economy law and so on. In China, the office of general manager is located at the center of all offices, which set an interrelated network of collaboration, management and control of the activities.

The trend of management philosophy is people oriented in China. Chinese enterprise management focuses on the ethics education and training. They would like to think about friendship and face when dealing with the internal and external business.

American culture can be described as straightforward, clear and informal, also respect for individual rights. The pursuit of value is people-centered, emphasizing efforts to maximize the value of success and personality. Corporations focus on the laws and concept of contracts to infiltrate all aspects of business management. Western culture is the culture of the contract. They attach great importance to the accuracy and authority of the contract. Contracts enter into force, which will be strictly enforced. 

The process of decision-making is from top to down in America. According to the personal judgment, CEO makes decisions. After that, subordinates are to perform. Superiors have a clear position to make final decisions. At the same time, the major decisions are made, which have legal efficiency. This process can be sensitive to adapt to the changes of the external environment, and give full play to entrepreneurial talents. It is clear that American enterprises have full responsibilities for the decisions. Therefore, individual responsibility is very strong, but the collective sense of responsibility is relatively weak. In the United States, the office of CEO is located at the top-level of the business building. The level of other staffs is reflected through the distance with the office of CEO.

The mode of corporation stresses the realization of personal value, individualism of competition and adventure, and the restraints of rules and contracts. They praise highly hard management, simplify the organizational structure and emphasize the decentralization.

Chinese enterprises can absorb and learn the sense of innovation from American’s in order to improve and establish a new mode of management, find a suitable ways to strengthen the development and competitiveness of Chinese enterprise.

4. The Strategy of Business Activities in Cross-cultural Communication 

4.1 To improve Cross-cultural Awareness

Cross-cultural communication, as in many scholarly fields, is a combination of many other fields, looks at how people from different cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. These fields include anthropology, cultural studies, psychology and communication. The field has also moved both toward the treatment of interethnic relations, and toward the study of communication strategies used by co-cultural populations, i.e., communication strategies used to deal with majority or mainstream populations.

Cross-cultural communication brings together such relatively unrelated areas as cultural anthropology and established areas of communication. Its core is to establish and understand how people from different cultures communicate with each other. Its charge is to also produce some guidelines with which people from different cultures can better communicate with each other.

The purpose of cross-cultural communication is to become mutual understanding and learning. The correct attitude towards cross-cultural communication is modest and improperly belittles oneself.

The study of languages other than one’s own can not only serve to help us understand what we as human beings have in common, but also assist us in understanding the diversity which underlies not only our languages, but also our ways of constructing and organizing knowledge, and the many different realities in which we all live and interact. Such understanding has profound implications with respect to developing a critical awareness of social relationships. Understanding social relationships and the way other cultures work is the groundwork of successful globalization business efforts.

Ethnocentric people stand on the position of their own culture. The culture of them is superior to others, and their values and behavior norms are the ideal. It is difficult to mediate cultural conflicts. Therefore, in order to establish the concept of cultural equality and understanding of cultural characteristics, the most important factor to arouse cross-cultural awareness is ethnocentrism.

It is essential that people research the cultures and communication conventions of those whom they propose to meet. This will minimize the risk of making the elementary mistakes. It is also prudent to set a clear agenda so that everyone understands the nature and purpose of the interaction. When language skills are unequal, clarifying one's meaning in five ways will improve communication.

Negotiators should avoid using slang and idioms, choosing words that will convey only the most specific denotative meaning.

Second, they must listen carefully and, if in doubt, ask for confirmation of understanding (particularly important if local accents and pronunciation are a problem).

Then, people would recognize that accenting and intonation can cause meaning to vary significantly.

They should respect the local communication formalities and styles, and watch for any changes in body language.

Finally, they must investigate their culture's perception of your culture by reading literature about your culture through their eyes before entering into communication with them. This will allow you to prepare yourself for projected views of your culture you will be bearing as a visitor in their culture.

4.2 To Strengthen Communication

In international business activities, we must learn to respect others, be true to others, in order to achieve the objectives of cross-cultural communication. People in different cultural backgrounds have different views on the world around them. The purpose of respect for others is to reach a consensus in communication and business cooperation.

In fact, it is difficult for partners to achieve complete consensus because of cultural differences and standing for different interests. Because people know little about the knowledge of other cultures in the initial stages of business communication, that will generate culture shock. Culture shock is the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social environments. Therefore, the “consensus” does not require both partners completely converged in all opinions, views understanding and so on, but partners are required to seek common ground while accepting differences.

People should understand not only local cultures, but Americans’. There is a clear knowledge about advantages and disadvantages via evolution of cultures. The self-awareness of cultures let us know about the differences and similarities between China and America. To understand American cultures, we have to get rid of local cultures partly. In other words, people should abandon thinking set, which generates from culture shock.

On the contrary, there is no denying that differences and disputes are the essential way for both sides which will lead to a tacit agreement of cooperation and consensus. Namely, any one who engages in transnational businesses has to experience a cultural conflict and adapt to the process of the new cultures through the period of breaking-in.

The best way to overcome the exotic cultural differences, adapt to the local social characteristics, and eliminate the cultural shock is to strengthen cultural communication and exchange with international market. Through communication and exchange, cultures of China and America can influence and be learned by each other. Because cultural patterns are not static, they will evolve with the environment.

Seeking common grounds and accepting differences is the purpose of communication. To reach a consensus sometimes also need modified compromises and concessions from the cooperation of all sides, to hold various communication skills and take the appropriate one. International trade and business environment, cross-cultural communication is involved in many aspects, from the reservation, say hello, gifts to business negotiations, from management, marketing to advertising in all aspects. For each session, you should take the appropriate communication skills in order to achieve the best effects of cross-cultural communication.

5. Conclusion

Culture is like an iceberg. Only a small part of culture is visible. From the points mentioned above, we can know Chinese and American business cultures are different. While business culture means much more than the points mentioned above.

Cultural difference is an objective reality and formed in a long period. There is no need to evaluate whether it is advanced or backward. The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. Foreign enterprises which plan to come to China to carry out business activities should be localized, at the same time, the Chinese enterprises which are going to enter the global market need to be international, too. The impact of cultural differences on international business activities is obvious. Faced with a complex international environment, enterprises should use exotic cultures flexibly, and then obtain success. We need to form a new way of working in the business activities to adapt to different cultures. Finally, we can achieve a real sense of transnational business, to develop the strategies of investment successfully to the foreign markets. Through a great appreciation and understanding of others’ cultures, you will build stronger and longer business relationship.