Lesson 10 of the Leadership in a Global Context course has provided a fair amount of insight into the effect culture has my Chinese counterparts; I have been struggling to understand the pace at which they make a decision. I work with team members from China and I have experienced some noticeable differences in the process they follow in making a decision. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions provide tools to see how my global team members think and what is driving their behaviors. Power distance and individualism seem to be two major factors in the difficulties I am currently facing and will discuss them in further detail.
Power distance is the degree to which the subordinate members of an organization will allow and favor unequally distributed power (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). Influenced by Confucius, a philosopher, and politician, Chinese society has a preference for simple organizational structures, in which subordinates obey and respect their superiors without question. China belongs to a high power distance culture. The average of PDI (Power Distance Index) of Asian countries is 64, but the PDI of China is 80 (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Inequalities among people are acceptable, and the subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized. I have experienced this, in that only managers or supervisors from China will attend meetings where technical discussions are being held with U.S. team members. Because these discussions don’t include the individuals from China that actually do the work, there is a disconnect, and Chinese attendees on a regular basis state they aren’t close enough to speak about that topic.
Unlike small power distance cultures in which the emphasis is to minimize social or class inequalities, questioning or challenging authority figures, reducing hierarchical organizational structures, and using power only for legitimate purposes (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). On the other hand, cultures that prefer large power distances believe that each person has a rightful place in the social order, that the actions of authorities should not be challenged or questioned, that hierarchy and inequality are beneficial. Rank is extremely important in a business relationship, and you must keep rank differences while communicating. For example, when you attend a meeting with Chinese business partners, you need to address those with higher rank first.
Individualism is the relative importance of individual versus group interests (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). Cultures with a low score of individualism prefer collectivism, to work as a group for the benefit of all rather than the benefit of the individual (Penn State World Campus, n.d.). China has an individualism score of 20, which represents a highly collectivist culture, a society based heavily on the interdependence of its people and the importance of relationships (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Because relationships and the group are viewed as a higher priority in China than in the U.S., the use of indirect communication as a way of maintaining harmony and not challenging others; this can be quite difficult if you are trying to debate the pros and cons of adopting a new process. Being from the States, I have a direct approach to communicating and appreciate “hashing things out” to make the best decision, but it is tough when your team members won’t tell you are wrong because they don’t want to offend you.
Being aware of these social nuances and using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to view behaviors from a different perspective can lead to more effective communication and interaction with a global team.
References
Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Country Comparison. Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/china,the-usa/
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2018). OLEAD 410 Lesson 10: Asia: Focus on China and India. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977873
ajw5769 says
Great job on your blog entry! I found it interesting how you tied in power distance to China. China’s way of life is extremely different from ours for obvious reasons. With everything going on in today’s world with Covid-19, China has been the focal point to many discussions. You stated that the citizens of China follow the word of their leaders almost blindly. That is crazy to think about in today’s day and age. I think it also says a lot about why they are in the position they are in as a country. It is remarkable that their government and leaders have that much control over their people. I am a firm believer that the rest of the world truly has no real idea what goes on in their country. More than other countries, China strongly alters the media to give off certain impressions to the rest of the world. They let people see aspects of their country and everyday life that they want them to see. I believe they hide much of what is going on behind closed doors. It is truly a remarkable situation whether it be for better or for worse. Great work!
Alec