By Frank Mulligan由Frank mulligan

When a company sets up operations in China they appear to be faced with two distinct choices: ‘going local’, or imposing the dominant business culture of their organization. 當一家公司設立在中國的業務，他們似乎要面對兩種截然不同的選擇： '當地' ，或施加佔主導地位的企業文化，他們的組織。

It’s not an easy choice, and there are no clear cut answers as to which route will bring you the best results.這並不是一件容易的選擇，並且沒有明確的答案，至於哪個路線將帶給您最好的結果。 In the absence of a definite conclusion it can become a battle of wills to see which culture will win.在缺乏一個明確的結論，它可以成為一個戰鬥的意志，看看哪個文化將勝出。

Choose the local culture and you will be in a position to motivate local staff more effectively, but much of the operations of the business will become opaque to non-locals.選擇當地的文化，您將在一個位置，以激勵當地工作人員更有效，但大部分的運作業務將成為不透明的非本地人。 Things will get done but not necessarily the way the Headquarters wants them to.事情會得到這樣做，但不一定方式總部要讓他們。 What you gain in effectiveness, as defined locally, you lose in visibility.你在獲得成效，作為本地定義的，你失去了在能見度。

Many companies, on the other hand, take the approach that there is a perfectly good culture within their organization, one that has served them well for many years in many countries, and that China is no different.許多公司來說，在另一方面，採取的辦法是有一個完善的文化，他們的組織，一個服務，以及他們多年來在許多國家，和中國是沒有什麼不同。 These companies attempt to bring everybody in line with this culture.這些公司企圖使每一個人都符合這個文化。 They can find that surface level reportage gets better, and the data that they get is now in a format that the HQ understands, but it just might not be the right data.他們可以看到表面的水平得到更好的報告文學，和數據，他們得到的是正處在一個格式，該總部的理解，但它只是可能不正確的數據。

Or at least the commonly held stereotypes lead us to these two scenarios.或至少是共同持有的刻板印象，帶領我們這兩個情景。

In the real world there exists a blended corporate culture that combines the subtlety of the local culture with the performance orientation of the more traditional multinational company.在現實世界中存在著一種混合的企業文化相結合的微妙當地文化與績效的方向，較傳統的多國公司。 Finding that blend is an eternal quest, and nobody I know thinks that they have achieved it.發現共混物是一個永恆的追求，我知道沒有人認為他們取得的成就。 Many of these people are aiming for the sun but getting to the moon is good enough.許多這些人的目標是為太陽，但去月球是不夠好。

Retail Research零售研究

Then along comes Dr Jos Gamble of Royal Holloway, University of London.然後沿來博士喬斯賭博皇家霍洛威，倫敦大學。 He has just conducted research on the retail industry in China, in conjunction with the ERSA.他剛剛進行的一項研究對零售行業在中國，聯同艾沙。 His conclusions are not the usual bromides about thinking globally, and acting locally.他的結論是不是一般溴化物關於思想全球市場，並代理在當地。 There is a welcome depth, and a plain-speaking tone.有是一個值得歡迎的深入，一種樸素的為母語的語調。

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.他本質上說，中國是很多像任何其他市場，並調整應真的只作體制的功能，如勞動力市場。 Other than that it is business as usual.以外，這是照常營業。 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.你經營你做海外，除非有一個具體的原因，你不能一樣，某項法律或根深蒂固的做法。

It’sa bit of a relief when someone just says it out like that.這一點救濟，當有人剛剛說出來，這樣的。

In the retail sector, this approach equates to replicating exactly the store procedures, employment relations and customer service standards of the parent company.在零售界，這種做法等於複製正是存儲程序，僱傭關係和客戶服務標準，該公司的母公司。 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.寶潔博士研究日語和英國公司，並發現他們使用了同樣的過程，並期待為同一結果，在幾乎所有情況下。 But for some issues, like better customer service, they used a different approach to achieve the same outcome.但對於一些問題，例如更好的客戶服務，他們用不同的方法來達到同樣的結果。

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.日本公司在中國經營的更詳細的指令性和在其處理方法與客戶比英國的國有商店，鼓勵工人適應的行為，他們用在日常生活中。 Either approach seems like a good idea to reduce staff turnover.兩種方法好像一個好主意，以減少員工流動率。 Control over the working environment is a major motivating factor in China.控制權的工作環境，是一項重大的推動因素在中國。

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.寶潔博士的結論是： “世界上大多數主要的全球零售企業感到絕望搶到的份額最大和增長最迅速的新興市場。 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.”所有證據顯示，雖然可能有必要，以適應在一定程度上因地制宜，經過時間考驗的管理做法，其實翻譯，以及跨文化“ 。

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.他的研究是基於面談與管理人員和工作人員在8個中國城市，包括北京，上海和成都，以及關鍵球員在英國和日本。 He was interested in how global organisations transfer management practices and retail concepts to their overseas subsidiaries.他很感興趣，如何在全球機構轉讓的管理做法和零售的概念，他們的海外子公司。

The retail environment is different from most others, for sure, but you could probably make the same conclusions for any industry in China.零售環境是不同的其他大多數，肯定，但你可能作出同樣的結論，任何行業在中國。 It may well be that Dr. Gamble’s advice is applicable only to stores and malls.它可能是博士賭博的意見，只適用於商店和商場。

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.如果不是的話告訴我們，海外公司在中國經營的，應作出一切企圖引入自己的文化，他們的行動在這裡，除非有具體的障礙無法克服，例如法律或自訂的。

Now, that’s cleared things up a bit.現在，的東西清理了一個位。

Frank Mulligan,坦率mulligan ， Talent Software軟件人才