Christmas Meeting of Business Psychologists

This year's guest at the Christmas meetings of the master's programme 'Psychology in Business' was one of the most known Russian experts on the development of business relations with China, Professor Alexei Maslov. Professor Maslov is the head of the HSE School of Asian Studies. He holds the Doctor of Historical Sciences degree and is a writer and expert on unique traditions of Eastern Asia.

One of the trends of the modern world is its globalization. Therefore, erosion of the borders and ever-increasing mobility of the population contribute to the development of international business. At the same time, underestimation of cross-cultural features of the country can lead to disastrous consequences, both for the company as a whole and for the individual (individual entrepreneur, employee, etc.). In this regard, a business psychologist should understand the cultural specifics of the countries that are currently leading the development of the economy and business. So, it was only fitting that the programme invited Professor Maslov to speak at its Christmas meeting. 

Professor Maslov has spent many years in China, where he not only studied the culture and traditions of the country, but also lived in Buddhist and Taoist communities, studied in the Shaolin monastery, and went through the Buddhist initiation ritual.

The students received a unique opportunity to learn about conducting business with Chinese partners: what pitfalls you may encounter and which kind of philosophy forms the foundation of Chinese business relationships with partners. These and many other important pieces of information on China allow businessmen to better understand the people of this country and as a consequence to prepare for business interactions with Chinese colleagues.

In addition, the participants played a business game in which one group sold Tula gingerbread in one of the Chinese provinces, and other group proposed ways of its promotion at the Chinese market. Professor Maslov was both the participant of the game and an expert.