Prof. Tony Liu: Cross-Culture Management
Jan 08-2014
AmCham China’s Business in Focus Series invited Tony Qian Liu, associate professor, director of International Programs, Beijing International MBA at Peking University, to discuss how to manage cross-cultural issues by exploring the fundamental aspects of Chinese culture.
Key Points
l Chinese culture is very different from that of the US in a variety of ways.
l Chinese and Western ways of thinking come from very different backgrounds.
l Many concepts that are inherent in Western culture simply did not exist in agrarian Chinese culture.
Synopsis
In an increasingly global world, it is imperative to develop professionals that are cognizant of cultural differences and are able to function in an international setting. Individuals must be able to negotiate the cultural delicacies and implications of their home culture in relation to the host culture and vice versa. China’s culture is fundamentally different from that of western countries; in some ways, these differences are obvious, while in others, the differences can be difficult to determine. For example, China is extremely particularistic, meaning that exceptions and special cases are emphasized; versus the US, which is focused on universal rules. China is a high-context culture with many social and body cues, while the US is a low-context culture where individuals state explicitly what they mean. China is a traditionally hierarchical culture, where respect for elders and superiors is emphasized. In the US, work relationships are often much less formal, and lower-ranked employees rarely hesitate in offering opinions to their managers. In traditional Chinese culture, concepts such as privacy, equality, and conflict of interest did not exist; from a western perspective, such attributes are obvious and necessary. An individual who is preparing to bridge the culture gap and work with both eastern and western employees must be conscious of these differences and behave accordingly.
This article first appeared in the January-February edition of AmCham China’s Business Now magazine. For this and other recent editions, go to www.amchamchina.org/businessnow
