International Human Resource Management: Working in China

Solution Preview

QUESTION 1
As a consultant for a manufacturing company in Yemen, your client has indicated to you that the company is interested to send some of its employees for international assignment to China. You are required to prepare a proposal to provide a pre-departure training for the company's employees. The company does not have internal resources to conduct in-house-training. The proposal should include the following:

a) Description on some global challenges that the employees may face during their assignment in China.

China is a booming country and its being the second largest economy encourages other countries to tap into its growing market. However, the business culture in China is unique and different compared to other countries. Foreign companies and individuals need to learn about how the China does its business as well as how to adjust to its culture in order to succeed.

The following are a few of the challenges that may affect the employees assigned to work in China:
1. Unlike the West where everything is all digital, China retains the traditional procedures of having many paperwork that need to be processed by hand. Because of this, expect that applications of regulations and related processes will be lengthy. The company also needs to hire an administrative team to do this job so that the other employees can focus on their tasks.
2. Culture and communication are among the biggest challenges. Those who will work in China need to read and understand Chinese culture to help them adjust better to living in the country. Most of the Chinese people understand English and many of them can express themselves in the English language. However, there are only a few who are highly proficient who can communicate with the Westerns in the same page especially in business negotiations and office communications.
Misunderstandings due to language difficulty and culture often happen when you work in China.
3. Western employees need to understand that Chinese workers operate on a more hierarchical structure and they are efficient in their roles. They should not expect them to act like them who can work and take their own initiative. It may be good to work in teams with a leader in every group to oversee each other's performance and to encourage the Chinese staff to become more creative in doing their work.
4. While in China or in any other place, it is best to observe and adjust yourself to the business model and culture in the country you will be staying. Be flexible and learn from their culture so that you can make the most of your stay and work in the country.
5. Chinese people are known to develop close relationships before they trust others. If in the West a deal is closed in a meeting or two, don't expect this to happen in China. Foreign businessmen who want to do business with the Chinese need to spend more tea sessions and dinner banquets before they can get their commitment. Sales employees need to remember this and need to adjust their sales plans.

The following cultural differences should be included in the pre-departure training of Yemen employees who are going to live and work in China:
• It is normal for the Yemeni culture to welcome humour among the same gender but it is not appropriate for men to humour a Yemeni woman during the first few meetings. In Chinese culture, expect to shake hands upon meeting although the Chinese people mostly nod or bow. When you are introduced to the group, they will applause as this is their way to greet you. So, you have to applaud back and smile.
• Chinese and Arabs are similar in terms of respect and reverence to older people so the Yemenis just have to act the same way. However, they have to take note of greeting or introducing the most senior or oldest people first going down to the youngest.
• Yemenis may not have a strong sense of space and while it is natural for their men to be close and hold hands together as a sign of friendship, this is not true of the Chinese people. The Chinese dislike being touched by strangers and no hugging, locking of arms or back slap should be done to them.
• Chinese business relationship means business cards exchanged upon meeting. They must be dual-sided cards with one side printed in English and the other side in Chinese.
• Using family names and appropriate titles are both practiced in Yemen and China. However, Chinese introduce their guests using the full titles and company names so Yemen staff need to know this.
• It will help to learn the English and Chinese language when working in China. This also holds true to a few body language or acts that are not acceptable to them such as pointing with index finger (they point with an open hand), clicking fingers, whistling -- they consider this ...