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.
[...] In consequence, managers in United States must have long term project rather than short term project while it is contrary in China. Chinese prefer project with a near deadline than a long term project. To resume, Chinese prefer small and quick project while Americans prefer long term projects. Trompenaars' Cultural Dimensions The Trompenaars' Cultural Dimensions is one of the last intercultural model. This last one uses 7 dimensions to describe a culture. ← Universalism VS. Particularism United States are Universalist while China is Particularist. [...]
[...] Moreover, this culture must help 64,000 employees to advance in the same direction. In consequence, when Yong Lie refuses to abandon his project, he is in contradiction with the Intel culture because he does not help the company to advance in the same direction. Moreover, when he refuses to be helped, it is contrary to the Intel culture because he refuses to work in a dynamic and creative environment where people advance together. In fact, if Charles Tang wants to keep his American type of management, he must require a meeting with Yong Lie and explain him that he does not respect the Intel culture. [...]
[...] However to satisfy Yong Lie, he could postpone the date of change. Thus, Chinese think at short term, and the decision will be accepted if Charles plan today a change in some months for example. Another solution could be to give him a new project more ambitious but with less stakes for the company. With this solution, Charles Tang satisfies his short term orientation, and his challenge-taker. In addition, I think that Charles Tang should explain in a letter or via Chen that he must do some modifications and insisting on the fact that he is born in China. [...]
[...] (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. [...]
[...] In consequence, we can suppose that he is in the mean. If we compare Charles Tang with Yong Lie, we can say that Yong Lie is less individualist, he accepts more a high power distance, he takes more risks and likes uncertainly, and he thinks at short term contrary to Charles Tang. Moreover, Yong Lie is particularist, less emotional, diffuse, he is based on ascription, and he think that his environment is out- directed. Yong Lie accepts the hierarchy. Thus, I am not sure that Charles Tang must organize a meeting. [...]
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