当日请带好身份证！！

Chinese and Western Learning Approach

taken from CHINA DAILY-Hongkong Edition, written by Tomas Gustafsson -- CONCHIUS Limited

(Published on February 16-17, 2008, page 4 - Career Section)

 

Western managers working in China experience some big differences from running a business at home. One really big difference that most Western managers perceive is the lack of assertiveness and accountability in the workplace. Learning speed is perceived to be high in China but employees sometimes fail to see the full picture, which is required for making appropriate corrections and improvements. From our research, the traditional Western management style proves ineffective in China and often results in managers being misunderstood in their efforts to rectify behavioral differences.

When asked what creates a professional attitude at work, Western managers mainly describe behaviors and values related to assertiveness and accountability. These behaviors and how they are expressed in Western cultures differ strongly from how they are expressed in Chinese culture. The main Chinese values that conflict with the Western perception of a professional attitude are harmony, hierarchy and power distance. This conflict in values and the expression of behaviors related to them make the communication of Western managers with their employees in China a delicate matter. The likelihood of misunderstandings and friction is immense and almost impossible to avoid.

In addition, these values reflect upon the way Western and Chinese employees learn and gather necessary information in the work place. Western employees gather information by asking questions: Why: Define context What: Define outcome When: Define timeline Who: Define resources/responsibility How: Define methodology

 Chinese employees (especially new or inexperienced ones) learn and gather information by: Listening: Wait for instruction and direction Looking: Model successful behavior Learning: Humble approach to new tasks

This difference necessitates area change in the approach to managing Chinese staff at the beginning of their career in a western company. We suggest two steps for Western managers to approach this dilemma. First, as a Western manager, try to acquire cross-cultural understanding to be able to level with Chinese staff. Second, we suggest using the well known, but seldom used, Situational Leadership model, to be able to communicate effectively and develop the required corporate culture that will lead to desired results.

The Situational Leadership model effectively describes people management and group development. The first of the four stages suggest that at the beginning of a relationship with a new employee or formation of a team, the manager shall, or is even expected to, be direct and instructive in his management style, see picture. The model then suggests that the managers adopt a judging management style and then move toward becoming more of a coach when the employee or team matures. Finally, the employee or team reaches a stage of innovation when entering its cohesive phase and will thus need very little input from the manager to function or even develop the workplace.

Most Western managers try to start coaching and supporting their employees too early, since most managers consider telling and judging management styles to be reflective of micro-managing, and inefficient. We believe that the ambition to coach and support staff is correct. However, it is crucial to consider the conflicting values within the Western and Chinese cultures in order to speed up the development process and use coaching effectively. When the conflicting cultural values are considered with insight and consideration, Western managers will not only speed up the process of getting themselves, their teams and employees to work more efficiently together, they will, in addition, be able to incorporate the strengths and values within Chinese culture into their western corporate culture. (to be continued...)

 

Trips

In my free time, I visited the nearby cities of Hangzhou, Suzhou, Changzhou and Nanxun. During these trips I learned many things about culture, religion and life in China and I saw many public garden, temples, unbelievable skyscraper which let me know more about the historical-modern China. During these trips, I took many pictures and  videos which I can show to my family and friends when I go back home.

Finally, living in China was a big chance and important experience for me . These few months, were the most interesting longer period of my life.

Elif Köksaldi 01.01.2008

Nevena Golubovic,
Country: Serbia (nationality: Serbian)
Major: Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics
Training Institution: IDSignet and IAESTE China, Shanghai

 

    When I applied for an internship I got 3 offers. One of them was China. I was a little bit skeptic because it's so far away from my country. After few days of discussing I decided to go to China! Afterwards I found out why some of my friends and people who were in China suggested me to come here. Thank you all!
   
    When I arrived, Somsak, intern from Thailand, picked me up from the airport and helped me with all the formal things after my arrival. He and his knowledge of Chinese have been really helpful for all of us.
   
    When we arrived from the airport I realised that this country is completely different from any European country. It's almost imposible to describe the feelings when you suddenly, for the first time, meet with chinese way of writing in its full sense. Everywhere. I was also equaly supprised with traffic and food. Food is diferent in taste around China, and Shangai is characteristic for the sweet food. It took me almost two weeks to get used to it. Traffic is a little bit dangerous, mostly because of the bikes :), but when you adapt it could bring you more fun every morning runing to the office together with the river of people, bikes, etc...Chinese letters were the most interesting challenge for me! Very soon after my arriving my friend from China thought me how to write down Chinese characters, how to divide them and how to count lines in each of them. I was so proud whenever I successed  to find some word in Chinese-English dictionary without pinyin. Fascinating and exciting at the same time. But very disecouraging if we talk about the writing.

 

    During my internship I spent half of the time in IDSignet, local company for software development with such kind of organization that a lot of companies would anvy them. Most of employees speak English but are to shy to speak. Also I spent some time working in IAESTE office, where I had great opportunity to improve not only my computer skill but also my English, Chinese, as well as comunication skills through so many training, seminars, discussions etc. It helped me to consider myself as a team player and to found out what are my weakneses and goodnesses as a team player. Even working on quite different projects we helped to each other a lot. It helped me to understand their job as well. We also had some trainings about how to deal with some problems in future career. It was also good opportunity to meet so many peopple from all over the world and also from China.

 

   I had luck to share the apartment with other IAESTE interns from all over the World. That brought me new friends and chance to learn about diferent countries and cultures. I will miss a lot those moments when we were sitting together in our living room, chating or having dinner together. 

 

   During the working days, after work we used to go for a walk through Shanghai or to go together for a dinner while the weekend time we used to travel to other cities near Shanghai. Those traveling helped us to see not only busy life in Shanghai but more calm way of life in other provinces of China. One think I wouldd like to mention here is that it is impossible to stay in the street looking in your map longer then two minutes and no one to come to ask you in English if you need some help. They are so friendly and willing to help!

 

  Few weekends I spent walking around Shanghai. The most impresive thing I saw in Shanghai is Shanghai National Museum. Few days later I was only thinking how great your history is. Before I came to China I thought I knew a little bit about Chinese culture or history, but now I found out that I knew almost nothing, because I realised how rich both Chinese culture and history are! And that three months are not enough to even peek into it. These few months, were the most interesting longer period of my life. A period of fast learning and adapting. I cannot remember the night when I didn't want that day to last longer than 24h.
   
    There is a lot to say about China, but if one picture is aware for thousands words then the only way to describe China is to ask you to come here. I'd like to come here and stay longer next time!
    Thank you all a lot!
   
   
   

Case-

Here is the thing:一个叙利亚的22岁女生Maliam在上海一家建筑公司实习，实习期5个月，公司提供公寓（相当于1500元）住宿，及每月工资1500元，已工作到第四个月的时候，事情发生了。一日傍晚Maliam回到公寓发现家具已经清空，个人物品堆置在一间房间中散落在地，当时十分生气，与住在隔壁的公司总经理发生争执，并马上联系了爱因斯特人员。公司解释说，此间公寓已经出售，当日联系搬场公司搬出所有家居，但是没有办法联系到Maliam，所以才造成局面，公司方表示道歉。

这种意外在人生中冷不丁地就会发生，此时寻找最佳的途径解决，避免发生冲突并安置以后的工作，住处才是上策。但是语言交流不畅，以及Maliam的愤怒使得事情变的复杂。12日事发当天，Maliam表示愿意留下来继续工作，但是第二日表示不愿继续工作，并希望立即搬出公寓，希望公司承担一切损失，包括原定到实习期结束的工资1500元，住宿费1500元以及实习报告的签订，第三天，爱因斯特派出翻译人员，Maliam与公司协商时又提出需要公司提供住宿。几经改变后，公司方作出决定，希望双方不要再牵扯更多的精力。不需要Maliam继续工作下去，同意支付11月正常工资并补足至1500元，答应签署实习报告，但公寓已交付另一个买主，需要Maliam搬出。

短短三天内双方多次交涉，但仍然没有一个结果，我做中间调停人好多次，觉得问题出在双方没有很好地为对方考虑，Maliam一直非常生气认为公司的行为侮辱了她，提出的一切赔偿要求都是合理的，一定要公司照办不肯让步。公司方觉得协商就应该有让步，公司方不愿为了纠纷而扰乱所有的工作进程，签署实习报告的同时，答应只能在11月份工资和一个月住宿费中选其一。或许事情发生的确突然，但如果Maliam能够冷静看待这件事，用平静的方式商量日后在中国继续逗留的一个月，公司方反而会想办法帮助她度过这个困难，吵闹和争执只能把自己带向孤立的一方，与公司决绝对立的一方，公司反而认为你是否在要挟我什么而变得易激怒。语言不畅不是问题的关键，态度才是。

 态度决定一切，当事情已不可避免发生的时候，寻找最好的途径解决它！

 

IAESTE Students are coming and going to and from China for the internship -- all students can face the same problem when arriving : the luggage is missing!

 

Few days ago, a Chinese student just arrived in Europe and got in a panic after he couldn't find the luggage. The local committe picked him up and told him not to worry that they made the report to the Airlines company and they would track it down and send to his address.

He couldn't calm himself and kept mentioning about the luggage matter.

The local committe called the National Committe to report about this matter. It was 7 in the morning when the National Committe wrote us an email saying that they would send the student back to China  because he couldn't understand English and they would find help to communicate with the student.

 

In the afternoon, Our National Secretary spoke to him on the phone : even in Chinese he kept saying about his worries with the luggage.

In short, it not the matter of language ability, it is a communication problem!

 

My concern is, when our foreign students come to China for the internship, I met around 4 students had this problem with luggage missing - but despite of their dissapointment, they would just move on and waited until the Airlines company delivered the luggage. Meanwhile, they would go shopping for some clothes and personal needs.

 

Panicing cannot solve your problem. We need to  stop and start thinking ratioinally.

The world is the best classroom. Experience is the best teacher. IAESTE offers you both!

(by Venny)

 

  不断的有爱因斯特的学生从中国出发去实习，也不断的有外国学生们来到中国实习，而所有初到陌生国度学生都可能会遇到这样的问题：遗失行李。
  几天前，一个刚到欧洲的中国实习学生陷入了巨大的恐慌中——他丢了行李。当地的爱因斯特组织来接机时告诉他不用担心，他们会告知航空公司并通知他们把行李送到住地的。但是他不断的说着他的行李，没法镇静下来。
  当地爱因斯特向他们的国家办公室报告了这件事。早上七点的时候该国的国家办公室给我们写了封E-mail说他们要把这个实习生送回中国，理由是他不懂英文，他们也找不到能帮他们与这个实习生交流的人。
  当天下午，秘书长Fanfan与这个实习生通了电话，在电话里，他还在用中文抱怨行李的事。也就是说，这已经不是英文上的问题了，这实际上是沟通的问题。
  我们也有很多外国学生到中国来实习，我就碰到大概4个学生丢了行李。但是无论他们多失望，他们都会把这个先放在一边然后等航空公司送行李来。在这期间，他们会去买一些衣服和个人用品。
  恐慌并不能解决问题。我们只能停下来理性的思考一下。
  世界是最好的课堂。经验是最好的老师。这两个爱因斯特都可以给你。