Par Frank Mulligan

Quand une compagnie établit des opérations en Chine elles semblent être confrontées à deux choix distincts : gens du pays allants de `', ou imposant la culture dominante d'affaires de leur organisation.

Ce n'est pas un choix facile, et il n'y a aucune réponse définie quant à laquelle l'itinéraire t'apportera les meilleurs résultats. En l'absence d'une conclusion définie ce peut devenir une bataille des volontés pour voir quelle culture gagnera.

Choisissez la culture locale et vous serez en mesure pour motiver le personnel local plus efficacement, mais une grande partie des opérations des affaires deviendra opaque aux non-gens du pays. Les choses obtiendront faites mais pas nécessairement la manière les sièges sociaux les veut à. Ce que vous gagnez dans l'efficacité, comme défini localement, vous perdez dans la visibilité.

Beaucoup de compagnies, d'une part, adoptent l'approche qu'il y a une culture parfaitement bonne dans leur organisation, une qui les a servies bien pendant beaucoup d'années dans beaucoup de pays, et que la Chine n'est aucun différent. Ces compagnies essayent d'apporter tout le monde en conformité avec cette culture. Ils peuvent constater que le reportage de niveau extérieur va mieux, et les données qui elles obtiennent sont maintenant dans un format que le QG comprend, mais dans elles juste ne pourraient pas être les bonnes données.

Ou au moins les stéréotypes généralement tenus nous mènent à ces deux scénarios.

Dans le réel là existe une culture d'entreprise mélangée qui combine la subtilité de la culture locale avec l'orientation d'exécution de la compagnie multinationale plus traditionnelle. Finding that blend is an eternal quest, and nobody I know thinks that they have achieved it. Many of these people are aiming for the sun but getting to the moon is good enough.

Retail Research

Then along comes Dr Jos Gamble of Royal Holloway, University of London. He has just conducted research on the retail industry in China, in conjunction with the ERSA. His conclusions are not the usual bromides about thinking globally, and acting locally. There is a welcome depth, and a plain-speaking tone.

He essentially says that China is much like any other market, and that adjustments should really only be made for institutional features, like the labor market. Other than that it is business as usual. You operate as you do overseas, except when there is a specific reason why you can’t, like a law or a deeply ingrained practice.

It’s a bit of a relief when someone just says it out like that.

In the retail sector, this approach equates to replicating exactly the store procedures, employment relations and customer service standards of the parent company. Dr. Gamble studied both Japanese and UK firms and found that they used the same processes, and looked for the same outcomes, in almost all cases. But for some issues, like better customer service, they used a different approach to achieve the same outcome.

Japanese companies operating in China were more prescriptive and detailed in their way of dealing with customers than the UK-owned stores, which encouraged workers to adapt behaviour they used in everyday life. Either approach seems like a good idea to reduce staff turnover. Control over the working environment is a major motivating factor in China.

Dr. Gamble concludes that: “Most of the world’s major global retail firms are desperate to grab a slice of the largest and most rapidly growing emerging market. All the evidence suggests that, whilst it may be necessary to adapt to some extent to local conditions, time-tested management practices actually translate well across cultures.” 

His research was based on interviews with management and staff in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, as well as key players in the UK and Japan. He was interested in how global organisations transfer management practices and retail concepts to their overseas subsidiaries.

The retail environment is different from most others, for sure, but you could probably make the same conclusions for any industry in China. It may well be that Dr. Gamble’s advice is applicable only to stores and malls.

If it is not then it tells us that overseas companies operating in China should make all attempts to introduce their own culture to their operations here, except when there are specific barriers that cannot be overcome, such as law or a custom.

Now, that’s cleared things up a bit.

Frank Mulligan, Talent Software