Enter the translator. The skills required here are not just limited to those who cannot speak Mandarin Chinese. Proficient speakers of Singaporean Mandarin also find that Chinese Mandarin is more subtle, more complex and nuanced than they are accustomed to at home.
Recirculation is an endless cycle (excuse the pun) in China. I promise this will be the last note on this concept, which is so important for working effectively in China.
Westerners know they are working in a foreign environment, but so too are Singaporeans. Although there are remnants of Chinese behaviour in Singapore’s business circles, the reality is that, for many, working in China is like working in a vaguely familiar yet still foreign country. The practices do not always change, but the importance attached to certain aspects of behaviour does change.
