Expatriate Managers in China: The Influence of Chinese Culture on Cross-Cultural Management

Abstract

This article deals with expatriate managers in the People's Republic of China and how their experiences are shaped by the cultural environment in which they work. It, therefore, combines an analysis of Chinese culture and its potential impact on business effectiveness with an account of fieldwork carried out with expatriate managers in the Suzhou Industrial Park, south of Shanghai. Using qualitative analysis we focused on six broad issues: culture shock; language barriers; miscommunication with local staff; staff turnover; empowerment and motivation; and teamwork.