商务宴请中的餐桌排位礼仪

武汉工程科技学院

《商务礼仪》课程论文

商务宴请中的餐桌排位礼仪

姓名：叶如蝶

专业：英语

班级： 41401401

学号：4140140123

任课教师: 徐菁讲师

摘要

中国人自古以来就崇尚礼仪，礼仪是一种经久不衰的传统美德。而随着现代社会经济的发展，各个公司之间的商务交流越来越频繁，商务礼仪的重要性也就凸显出来。作为商务洽谈中必不可少的一部分—--宴请更是在其中发挥着重大作用。因此，商务宴请礼仪就显得尤为重要，特别是餐桌上的排位礼仪。中国向来有以右为尊的说法。在餐桌上，座次体现着一个公司对于客户重视的程度。如果排位不合理，也许会产生不必要的误会与不愉快，更有甚者使得洽谈终止。本文采用文献研究法，从中西方商务宴请中的排位以及不同宴会中的排位来归纳得出正确的宴请排位礼仪。恰当的商务宴请中的排位礼仪，不仅能体现人与人之间的相互尊重，更是体现个人的文化修养和道德水平。

关键词：商务宴请礼仪餐桌排位礼仪中西方不同宴会

ABSTRACT

The Chinese people advocates the etiquette since the ancient time; the etiquette is an enduring virtue. With the economy of the modern society developing, the business negotiations of companies become more and more frequent; the importance of the business etiquette is also prominent. As an indispensable part of the business negotiations, the entertainment plays an essential role in it. For this reason, the business fete etiquette is especially significant. Particularly, the etiquette of the order of seats. In conmen parlance, China has the statement that the right side is the most honorable side. In the dining table, the order of the seat reflects that a company has attached great importance to the degree of clients. If the order is unreasonable, there might cause unnecessary misunderstands and displeasure, More than that, the business negotiations ended. The article uses the literature research method, from the order of the seats in Chinese and western business dining as well as the order in different banquets to conclude the corrected order of seats in business dining table. The proper order of seats in business dining does not only reflect the mutual respect between people, but also reflects the cultural accomplishment and the moral level of a person. Key words: The etiquette of business dining the dining table the etiquette of seats? order Chinese and western different banquets

目录

1. 引言 (1)

2. 中国的排位礼仪 (3)

2.1.主坐上位 (3)

2.2.客坐上位 (4)

2.3.普通宴席的入座 (5)

3. 西方的排位礼仪 (7)

3.1.西方的一般座位顺序 (7)

3.2.女主人的座位 (7)

3.3.长者、男士、女士的座位安排 (8)

结束语 (9)

参考文献 (10)

CONTENTS

1.Introduction (1)

2.The Etiquette of Seats’ Order in China (3)

2.1.The Host Sits in The Main Seat (3)

2.2.The Respected Guest Sits in The Main Seat (4)

2.3.Taking One?s Seat at a Formal Dinner (5)

3.The Etiquette of Seats’ Order in The West (7)

3.1.The General Order of Seats in The West (7)

3.2.The Seating of Hostess (7)

3.3.Age-Group and Male And Female Seating Arrangements (8)

Conclusion (9)

Reference (10)

1.Introduction

Etiquette is a common system that shows respect for each other in social interpersonal communication. There are a variety of aspects of etiquette, such as accomplishment, morality, communication, and folk-custom and so on. In modern society, etiquette is the essential part in business negotiations, especially in dining tables. For one person, the etiquette reflects his external character; for one country, the etiquette reflects its social civilization. Good manners are an important thing to learn. Acting appropriate in a way that?s socially acceptable and respectful, display respect, care, and consideration for others.

Excellent manners can help you to have better relationships with people you know, and those you will meet. If you want to have good manners, then you have to master dining etiquette, as well as to learn basic etiquette, which includes being polite and holding doors for people. Good manners convey respect to those you interact with, and also commands respect from those you interact with. The importance of etiquette is obvious. As for the etiquette that in dining tables is also necessary, particularly the order of seats.

The etiquette of seats?order gives expression to respect between each other. Good etiquette will make a profound impression, in business dining, a better order of seats means one person owns more honor and respect. Details show more esteem. It?s very necessary that arrange a proper and corrected order of seats, but most of people don?t know how to take it out. If a seat of a main client is not proper, he or she might think that the company is very rude and feels a sense of mortification. In real life, not

only the order of seats in business banquet but also the informal entertainment between friends. Nobody could look down upon the importance of a seat? order.

This paper will show the international general etiquette of seats?order from different counties and areas. Places particular emphasis on the etiquette of China and west dining table seats? order.

From the analysis of the etiquette of seats? order, one can draw a conclusion that is about the proper seats? order and understand better of the business etiquette.

2.The Etiquette of Seats’ Order in China

The Chinese people always arranges tables?order and seats?order before the banquet begins or only arranges the seats? order of the main table but doesn?t arrange the rest tables. There are some rules in the business dining table seats? order: the right side is honorable; the center is honorable; the inner side is honorable; the nearest side is honorable and the furthest is unimportant.

Many traditional table manners are still observed today. It is best if the table used for a Chinese dinner is round. Once everyone is seated and the food is served the guests wait for the host to invite them to eat by saying “ qi kuai “(let us start to use the chopsticks). Some still practice calling the names of people dining with them as a form of courtesy.

The way Chinese people get seated is also an interesting part of the table manners. It is a typical seating arrangement is a sign of etiquettes in the Chinese culture. Therefore, it is ensured to leave the best place on the dining table for elders. If a group of people is having meal, the respectable members are given the place at the head of the table while the rest take their seats accordingly.

2.1.The Host Sits in The Main Seat

The guests are requested to sit on the assigned seats by the host when they reach the dinner place. In the Chinese tradition, the seating arrangement follows some strict rules and it?s complicated. The first thing that is required is to see who the guest is. Usually, the first place and importance is given to the oldest member of the family. I the American Wild West, the guest of honor is named as “Wild Bill Hickok Seat”.

The first seat that is given to the most respected person of the family gives the best view of the room. If in case there is not seat at the entrance of the room, then the “seat of honor” will be the one facing the eastward position of the room. In generally, the sponsor sits in the most honorable seat that faces the restaurant front door while the guests are sitting in the right side seats. If the hostess takes part in the banquet, the seats of the host and hostess are the center. If there are more than two sponsors attend the banquet, the sponsors and the guests could sit down as a cross arrangement and the nearer away from the sponsors, the more honorable seat you sit.

When the sponsor hosts many tables in dining, there are a response of the host should sit down in every table. The distance of every table away from the main table means that the guest is familiar with host or not. The most important in the more than one table dining is that every table should toward the main table.

2.2.The Respected Guest Sits in The Main Seat

The governors in the seating plan is linked with the …social ranking? of a person. This rule will be applied even if the dinner is of family get-together. They do it to maintain closeness between the family members and the host of the dinner. In the banquets, the seating arrangement is followed on the basis of religion. If the main guest is more worshipful than the host, the sponsor should invite the main guest to sit in the host?s seat for respect and sponsor sits in the seat for the main guest. If one?s ladyship followed with, she should sit as the same as her husband. If the main guest is a lady who owns a higher social status than her husband, such as the lady is a minister while her husband is a manager, then, the lady should sit the main seat and the rest

follow with her. That is to say, the person with the highest rank gets a closer seat to the …guest of honor?. However, there is no fixed ranking between the seats on the seats on the left side and right side. This provides a huge flexibility to the guests.

The first seat is given to the …guest of honor?. After that, the seats on the left side of the chief guest and numbered in even like two, four, and six. On the right side of the chief guest, the seats are numbered in odds like three, five, and seven. Hence, the most prestigious seats after the …guest of honor? will be number two and three.

In Chinese business dining, people is inclined to arrange the seats?order according to the functions of every people so that they can communicate with each other in the mealtime. If the officials? ladies attend the dinner, the host always invites these ladies to sit together in order to exchange their feelings. In that case, the main guest sits by the host behind his right hand and the lady sits by the hostess behind her right hand.

In a banquet function, the guests occupy several different tables. At this point, the …guest of honor? takes the center table. This way he is visible to everyone and he is becoming a center of attention. The tables that are on the right and left side of the chief guest are filled by the ordinary guest. Here, the ranks of guests are kept in the mind again. The one with highest rank point will get a closer table to the …guest of honor? and it goes on like this.

2.3.Taking One’s Seat at a Formal Dinner

The host of the banquet event will try to be in touch with every ranked guest so that a good environment will prevail. He will make sure that every guest is attended in

the best possible manner. The good thing about Chinese tradition is that etiquettes are being followed whole heatedly. This way, there are no chances of any accident or un-unusual events. This is the best example of the world?s most civilized nation. In a banquet, a gentleman should never take his seat before being invited to do so by his host. If there are no place to show he where the host wants he to sit, choose the seats he wish to occupy before being called to the table and stay close enough to them to be able to take them without finding himself playing musical chairs with other guests.

The gentleman should always help his lady escort be seated. If someone has never done this as a formal function practice with your escort before you go, if you can. Sometimes the waiters and servers will do it for you, but it is better that the gentleman himself help his escort. A gentleman is also expected to assist any unescorted lady sitting next to him to be seated. The easiest way to do this is to grasp the chair with one hand on either side of the chair back, about half way down with your thumbs away from you.

At the end of the meal, a gentleman lifts his chair back with his hands grasping the seat of his chair and then moves to stand directly behind his escort?s chair to be able to assist he stand. Taking the chair in exactly the same manner as he placed it beneath her for her to sit down, he waits for her to begin to rise and then pulls the chair back from underneath her. However, there are also ladies whose mother never told them how to rise when being helped with her chair by a gentleman.

3.The Etiquette of Seats’ Order in The West

The order of seats in the west is just like the China, it also depends on the tables to arrange the seats? order. In a general way, the western banquet is used to use the long tables, or is in line accordance with the number of people and the size of site to decide the table of dining.

3.1.The General Order of Seats in The West

As the same as the Chinese, the west thinks highly of the right side seats and the distance from the host means the guest who is respected most or not. If the host and hostess sit down the seats side by side, that the host sits down the left side and the hostess sits down the right side, as the seats side of the hostess and ladies the most respected seats. If the host sits upon one table and the hostess sits upon the another table, generally speaking, the table that the hostess sits seems the most honorable.

At most formal functions the seating is arranged so that each gentleman?s lady is seated to his left and if the seating is left to the guests? choice, a gentleman should follow normal procedure and always attempt to seat his lady escort to his left.

3.2.The Seating of Hostess

For a dinner or event where there is only one table, the host and hostess sit at opposite ends of the table if the table is square or rectangular. If the table is circular, the host and hostess should sit in the middle seats, facing one another. For a large event where there are several tables, it is acceptable for the hosts or hostesses to sit at separate table, or to assign co-hosts and co-hostesses to also sit at tables and ensure

the guests are enjoying themselves.

3.3.Age-Group and Male And Female Seating Arrangements

As much as tact and practicality allow, it?s appropriate to seat people of varying age groups together at one table, as long as a few people from each age group are present at the table to facilitate pleasant dinner conversation. For instance, teens will likely not want to sit at a table with middle-aged family members at a wedding or large family dinner. The Etiquette Scholar website also suggests that it?s best to seat parents of young children close to the little one to make for easy feeding.

For an events like a wedding reception of professional dinner where place cards are on the table, it is not proper etiquette for guests to move or switch the cards. If there are no place cards, but guests have been assigned a table number, it is improper for guest to sit at a table where he wasn?t assigned. In most cases, the individuals organizing the event have reasons for seating people in certain places, and altering this careful planning is a sign of uncouth disrespect.

As much as possible, males and females should sit alternately at the table. As a general rule, married couples can sit at the same table, but should not sit next to each other. Engaged couples, however, should be seated together as much as possible. The host and hostess should seat male and female guests according to which individuals would get along well and participate in enjoyable conversation with one another that will make the gathering a success.

Conclusion

Seating arrangements are very important to the dining table management in the business negotiations. Whether the seating arrangement is suitable means a lot. The way a host arranges the guests? seats largely depends on the rank of guests. Culture influences even the manner and the meaning in seating arrangement.

Major Findings

This thesis concentrates on the seats arrangement in China and western counties, the chief contents concerning the Chinese order of seats. In a general way, the Chinese is used to regard the right side seats as the most honorable ones the same as the western countries.

Limitations

The paper has not narrated the differences of setting arrangement in different western countries, such as America, Australia, French, England, German and so on. Etiquette instructs people on how to behave. This paper doesn?t pay more attention on the English dining table etiquette and is not particular.

Recommendation

Seating arrangement is a very important component of dining table etiquette, especially on business occasions. Seating is not as simple as the action itself, but it is a way to express show one?s power or status, or demonstrate different relationship in many countries. The thesis should make a proper arrangement or presentation in article development. Most important of all, the method should be clearer.

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