India, China, and the Philippines are currently on the top of the list when it comes to the choices for offshore destinations. They all happen to be Asian countries. As Asian countries, these three have some common grounds that made them famous in the field of outsourcing. For instance, the three countries all have a cheap cost of living compared to other neighboring countries, but at the same time has well-established IT infrastructures.
In terms of business communication styles, these three countries differ in many ways. The only similarity that they have so far is their inability to directly refuse an agreement or offer. They usually deal with it kindly like saying vague responses such as: ‘We’ll see,” “We’ll try,” and “Probably.” Most of the time, official documents are needed to really close an agreement.
India – A huge percentage of the Indian population are English-speakers that’s why it has been relatively easy for them to establish their country as an offshore destination. Indian people are highly family-oriented, that even in business set-ups it is still a major topic before they reach their actual agenda. They also have a rather delayed sense of time. They don’t work well under last-minute circumstances. A requirement or appointment should be given to them a month or more before the expected submission, to expect a timely output. Indians also see aggressiveness negatively. Everything should be done with utmost modesty. Another interesting trait of Indians is that they usually wait for the ladies to initiate the act of friendliness, like shaking hands. Doing otherwise can be disrespectful.
China – Chinese are known to be the wisest businessmen in the world, and consistently enough they are very stern in running their businesses. They put so much emphasis on hierarchy and bureaucracy, that it is very important to be extra polite to their superiors. Unlike Indians, Chinese put so much value on time. They value punctuality, at the same time demands it. They are good at meeting deadlines. When it comes to business, the Chinese can easily be triggered to be aggressive, but they still have their way of making it sound polite. Chinese, as well as Japanese and Korean are known to bow their heads each time they end a conversation. They are also not comfortable with eye contact and much more with physical contact especially with their casual acquaintances.
Philippines – Filipinos have been globally recognized for their hospitality and warmth when it comes to accommodating foreigners. But more than that, the English fluency of most Filipinos is one of their major assets as an Asian country. Filipinos are highly non-confrontational especially when it comes to strangers. Moreover, Filipinos are also very cheerful people; they tend to see the bright side of every problem. Even when they are confronted with an embarrassing, annoying, or any uncomfortable situation, they tend to save face by merely smiling or joking about it. In terms of time management, Filipinos are good at meeting deadlines but are not usually punctual when it comes to appointments.
