Culture can affect how employees view development opportunities
The famous Chinese book, The Art of War, is widely used in the most prestigious business schools around the world. In it, Sun Tzu advises: “Know your enemy and know yourself and you will win all battles.” Whether you are an HR professional dealing with Chinese employees or an executive heading to China, it is imperative to make an effort to educate yourself on the intricacies of Chinese culture and recognize how their own culture differs.
A director of human resources from an Ottawa company called one day in distress. She was concerned and confused as to why a Chinese employee in Toronto had rejected sympathy flowers. A parent of the employee had passed away and the director was unable to send the flowers to the funeral home in time. So, instead, she arranged to have the flowers delivered directly to the employee’s home.
Little did she know that China is a nation with many superstitions. In Chinese culture, those flowers are associated with death and viewed as a bad omen. They would have been lovely and much appreciated at the funeral home. However, to accept such flowers into one’s house would bring the association of death into the home.
Another important cultural reality is “we” always comes before “I” in many Asian countries, especially China. The interests of the nation, company or family as a group always come before those of an individual. Decisions can be made without an individual’s consent if they are perceived to be for the collective good.
For example, a few years ago, a Chinese automotive supplier changed an American customer’s product without asking permission. The customer was furious but the supplier did not understand why. “Not without my permission” is an important phrase in Western cultures because it shows respect for individual authority and individual choice. But in China, it is much more common for supervisors and others to make decisions that affect others, without consulting them, because they believe they are acting in the best interests of the group.
These examples illustrate how a lack of understanding between mainstream North American culture and Chinese culture can lead to a relationship rift in the workplace. It can also have a direct impact on employee productivity and career advancement.
China is a major source of immigrants and the Chinese represent one of the largest group of workers in both the United States and Canada. Tapping into their talent and maximizing their capabilities in the workplace has become imperative for companies. But without understanding their culture and, consequently, their behaviour, it is impossible to truly motivate and get the best out of Chinese workers.
When a management position opened up at a mid-sized Canadian company, a call for applications was sent through the internal e-mail system. Senior management had hoped a Chinese employee with the perfect experience and background would apply for the position. But that didn’t happen. Canadian employees without management experience applied.
So what happened? Employees of different cultural backgrounds perceive such opportunities through their own socio-cultural filters.
In this case, the Chinese employee was suspicious of the authenticity of the job opening. He believed if management really had wanted him to apply, they would have approached him directly. Had he perceived the job opening as legitimate, he would have embraced the opportunity.
Also, he believed if he were to jump at the chance, his co-workers might think he was too ambitious. He feared pursuing the new opportunity might jeopardize his relationship with his colleagues. The would-be candidate determined that applying for a different position could negatively affect the security of his current position, as his superior and co-workers might feel he wanted to “jump ship.”
The Chinese employee also weighed the chances of failing to earn the job after completing the application process. If senior management already had another internal candidate in mind, the Chinese employee might feel humiliated. It’s important not to “lose face” in Chinese culture. The would-be candidate determined the risk in applying for the job was simply too great.
If an employer is unaware of such cultural factors, he would not be in a position to encourage his Chinese employees and thus be unable to maximize their talent.
The urgency of understanding Chinese culture has never been more obvious. As China rises as the world’s new economic superpower, understanding the Chinese psyche becomes invaluable in negotiations of contracts, management of supplier relations and many other business situations. China is also one of the largest sources of immigrants for both the United States and Canada. Understanding Chinese employees allows employers to maximize the potential of the workforce to a huge competitive advantage.
Huiping Iler is the president of Wintranslation.com, an Ottawa-based language service that specializes in multilingual communication. For more information, visit www.wintranslation.com.
