Intercultural Management - example of the Intel companyin China

Résumé du document

A culture must have several characteristics: it must be adaptive, transgenerational, symbolic, shared, learned, and patterned. Culture influences relationships and interactions between people. Thus, each culture has specific habits and behaviors. In consequence, the interaction between two cultures generates some difficulties while adapting the communication patterns. This problem must be taken into account in business. Many companies deal with foreign clients but forgot to study the foreign culture and fail in that aspect. The most difficult characteristic in doing business with another culture is to understand the other culture and to adapt our attitudes so as to obtain the best communication. That's why companies must study foreign companies and keep an "open mind". A similar case in point is that of Intel in China. In this case, there is an intercultural management issue between Charles Tang and Yong Li. The first difficulty is to be perceived as a local in Beijing, who has imposed or adapted to his choices. The second difficulty of Charles Tang is to be perceived as an expatriate externally. We examine how Tang faced and overcame these hurdles on his road to achieve his goals.

Extraits

[...] Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions[3] Geert Hofstede is a Dutch psychologist born in 1928. He created the 5 Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions based on the definition given by the American anthropologist Kluckhohn. “Power Distance Index (PDI) that is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society's level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. [...]

[...] (s.d.). Biographie de Geert Hofstede. Consulté le 2009, sur www.biographie.tv: http://www.biographie.tv/Geert-Hofstede.htm eou.edu. (s.d.). Definition of culture. Consulté le 2009, sur eou.edu: http://www2.eou.edu/~kdahl/cultdef.html Hofstede. (s.d.). Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions. Consulté le 2009, sur www.geert-hofstede.com: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ Hofstede. (s.d.). Hofstede Dimensions: United States Vs. China. Consulté le 2009, sur www.geert-hofstede.com: http://www.geert- hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=94&culture2=18#compare Intercultur'l. [...]

[...] Issue with local influencers and clients Charles Tang has the same problem with customers and software companies' managers. Thus, Charles Tang is younger than other international managers and has an American culture. In consequence, in the beginning, he had difficulties to impose him on his clients. The most difficult was to do understand that it is him who takes decisions. Thus, Charles Tang has difficulties to be perceived as a local internally again. However, in this case, this difficulty is due to the gap between American culture and Chinese culture concerning decision makings. [...]

[...] Emotional The both countries are neutral, however American are more emotional than Chinese. Thus, the both do not like to show their emotions. They prefer to stay stoic. Specific VS. Diffuse Whereas Americans are more specific, Chinese are more diffuse. In fact, Americans have a larger public space than their private space while Chinese have a similar public and private space. Thus, at work, American have more private friend than Chinese. American can have a work colleague who is also a friend. It is rare in China. Achievement VS. [...]

[...] No cultural adaptations could change this prejudice. In consequence, the most difficult for Charles Tang is to adapt his communication according to his interlocutors. With his employees and Chinese influencers, he must be perceived as a local with Chinese culture. To resume, the intercultural issue is that Charles Tang is between two cultures: U.S. culture and Chinese culture. In consequence, he must adapt his communication according to the situations. Difference between Chinese culture and United State culture As we have seen, Charles Tang must adapt his communication according to the both culture. [...]