フランクMulligan著

会社が中国の操作をセットアップしたときに2つの明瞭な選択に直面されるようである: `の行く支部」、または構成の支配的なビジネス文化を課す。

それは容易な選択ではないし、ルートが最もよい結果を持って来る明確な切口の答えがない。 明確な結論がない時それはどの文化が勝つか見る意志の戦いになることができる。

ローカル文化を選べばビジネスの操作のローカルスタッフにもっと効果的に動機を与える位置にあるが大いに非支部に不透明になる。 事はなされるが、必ずしも方法は本部それらがにほしいと思う。 有効性で得る何を、局部的に定義されるように、可視性で失う。

多くの会社は、一方では、こと彼らの構成内に完全によい文化があるアプローチを、多くの国の多くの年の間それらによく役立った、そしてこと中国は異なっていない1つ取る。 これらの会社はこの文化と一直線に皆を持って来るように試みる。 彼らは表面の水平なreportageがよくなる、得データがHQが理解するフォーマット、それにちょうどかもしれない右のデータではない今あることを分ってもいい。

または少なくとも一般に保持されたステレオタイプはこれら二つのシナリオに私達を導く。

実世界にそこに混ぜられた企業体質従来の多国籍会社の性能のオリエンテーションとローカル文化の機微を結合するある。 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