EXPATRIATE MANAGERS AND CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP IN CHINA

This book covers various aspects of leading and managing Chinese employees. As the second largest economy in the world, China is a strategic destination for international business ventures, with many expatriates working there. For these expatriate managers, cross-cultural management can be challenging, as their own management and leadership approaches may not always be compatible with local cultures and practices. This makes it important for managers to understand Chinese culture and employee workplace behaviors and expectations.

This book aims to help readers understand how Chinese cultural values shape the work attitudes and behaviours of Chinese employees; what Chinese workers expect of their leaders and how their expectations are associated with their satisfaction; expatriate senior managers' views and experiences in managing Chinese subordinates; the challenges encountered by these managers and their suggestions for overcoming such challenges; and the extent to which expatriate business leaders must adjust their leadership behaviours cross-culturally, how and why they adjust, and their adjustment patterns.

With insights derived from the experiences of over 390 expatriate senior managers and over 350 Chinese employees, the book is a must-read for all expatriate business managers and EMBA students who are currently or will be working in China. It will help them understand the unique values, attitudes, and behaviors of Chinese employees, behave in socially acceptable ways, and lead/manage Chinese employees effectively. It is a good reference guide for researchers and management consultants who wish to learn about the cross-cultural management issues found in Chinese workplaces and gain empirical insights into cross-cultural leadership in China.

Contents:

• Cross-Cultural Business Leadership:
  • Introduction
  • Cross-Cultural Leadership: Concepts, Theories, and Research Findings
  • The Study Methodology
• Leadership in China:
  • Confucianism, Chinese Cultural Values, Social Relations, and Exchange Rules
  • Traditional and Contemporary Leadership in China
• Research Findings: Views and Experiences of the Expatriate Senior Managers and Chinese Employees:
  • The Views and Experiences of 391 Expatriate Senior Managers in Leading and Managing Chinese Employees
  • Degrees and Patterns of Cross-Cultural Leadership Behavior Adjustment
  • What Chinese Workers Value in a Job and Expect of Their Leaders, and What Satisfies Them
• Suggestions and Conclusions Drawn from the Expatriate Senior Managers' Experiences:
  • Insights and Suggestions for Effectively Managing and Leading Chinese Employees
  • Conclusion

Readership: Expatriate business managers and EMBA students who are currently working or planning to work in China; management consultants who want to gain empirical insights into cross-cultural leadership in China; and researchers who want to learn about the cross-cultural management issues found in Chinese workplaces.

'This book analyses key elements of leadership in Chinese culture with contemporary paradigms. It not only provides Chinese managers with a solid observation framework, but also inspires foreign managers to understand Chinese leadership in depth. In addition, the research results are supported by experiences of 391 expatriate senior managers in leading and managing Chinese employees, which are detailed, reliable and interesting.' - Xianglin (Shirley) MaCross-Cultural Management Expert, Modern Management Center, Shanghai, China

'How employees are managed and led is a perennially important topic. This becomes even more so when leaders are from different nationalities to their 'followers'. That is the focus of this excellent and path-breaking book on cross-cultural leadership. For instance, it is based on the views of not only nearly 400 expatriate senior managers from a wide variety of countries and sectors in China, but also over 350 of their employees. It not only covers much of the relevant literature and theories, but is also practical as it concludes with 12 helpful and useful 'tips' for expats to manage and lead local employees, from the macro, such as understanding indigenous culture to the micro, such as training staff to work on their own. Some of these may well have application for expats in other locales.' - Professor Chris RowleyKellogg College, University of OxfordBayes Business School, City, University of London, UK

'This insightful and well-researched book provides a welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on leadership across cultural frontiers. Grounded in a solid review of leadership theory, both generically and as it pertains to the social context in China, the author carefully explores the nature and effectiveness of business leadership both from the perspective of the leaders themselves and from those being led, i.e., their employees. This dyadic approach is then further enriched through discussions with expatriate leaders from a multitude of national culture contexts. The wealth of insights generated from their experiences is competently harnessed in the closing chapters which then delineate more practically how to successfully lead Chinese employees. Highly recommended.' - Professor Tim G AndrewsEditor, Cross-cultural Management (Routledge Major Works)Visiting Research Professor, Chiang Mai University Business School, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Key Features:

• Provides useful research findings in relation to traditional and contemporary business leadership in China, leadership behaviours expected by Chinese employees, how Chinese cultural values shape the work attitudes and behaviours of Chinese employees, and the degrees and patterns of cross-cultural leadership adjustment
• Provides practical insights and suggestions for effective management of Chinese employees which are drawn from the experiences of real-life managers and employees
• One of the first books to address cross-cultural business leadership in the Chinese context from the perspective of expatriate senior managers and Chinese employees