1. What role does cultural heritage play in China's vision of business? The Chinese view of business can be linked to its three general areas of religious beliefs: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. A brief description and relationship to business practices are discussed below. Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (Shubro). The core of humanism is the belief that human beings are “teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal effort, especially including self-cultivation and self-creation.” ("Confucianism") Confucianism emphasizes the importance of family, respect for elders, rituals, and the value of education. Chinese people who follow Confucianism tend to be very traditional and extremely well-known in society or the elite class. They focus more on education and show great respect towards family, friends and elders. The bond between its followers tends to be very strong because they believe in moving forward together. “Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao, which is the mechanism of all that exists. Taoist philosophy is deeply rooted in contemporary China and is an inevitable part of modern Chinese life” (Shubro). Taoism believes in that person who is an “ideal leader” who keeps a low profile, leading primarily by example and allowing followers to take over. Taoists also believe that their beliefs and attitudes differ greatly from those who believe or practice Confucianism. Taoists tend to be more aggressive and believe in ideal leadership. It is also very common for Taoists to choose their... middle of the paper... soft line, or to take that matter into account. “This will help more Chinese organizations believe that leadership can be taught and that leadership is not just an innate trait.” (Caren, 2004) References: Caren, Siehl. Leading across cultures: China, 2004. Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management, 2004. (accessed 14 January 2014) (Caren, 2004)"Confucianism". Religious facts. http://www.religionfacts.com/az-religion-index/confucianism.htm (accessed January 14, 2014). ("Confucianism", )Shubro, Barua. “Leading Across Cultures: China, 2004.” Scribd. http://www.scribd.com/doc/100138704/Leading-Across-Cultures-China (accessed January 14, 2014). (Shubro) Todd, Pittinsky. "CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC LEADERSHIP IN CHINA". Dspace. http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/55938/CPL_WP_05_07_PittinskyZhu.pdf?sequence=1 (accessed January 14, 2014). (Todd)