Chinese Culture and Impact on Organizational Behavior Paper Example

Introduction

Culture impacts on the variations in behavior between people from different countries or regions within a state. Since the concept of culture and its effects on organizational behavior is compound, there have been different definitions of the term culture from ancient scholars to modern ones. Culture is a complex body that includes art, morals, beliefs, custom, law, and other behavioral habits picked by man as a member of the society. Other scholars have defined culture as a human-made environment whereas objective culture includes computers, trains, and tables among others whereas subjective culture consists of norms, human values, and roles to mention a few. Modern scholars such as Hofstede define culture as the software of the mind that acts the same way as a computer program that dictates our behavior. Therefore, it is essential to note that intra-cultural and international cultural differences exist between organizations, regions, and individuals across the globe. This paper thus seeks to elaborate on the effect of Chinese cultural values and the impact they have on organizational behavior.

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Background of Chinese Culture

The present-day Chinese culture consists of a blend of the old traditions of China and a mixture of westernized life. This blend of cultures is evident in the Chinese buildings such as the towering skyscrapers and the traditional heritage buildings, the Chinese natural liking for conventional food such as dim sums and westernized food such as McDonald's, and the accord for western fashion with the traditional outfit such as Qipao dress. Its significant variations and diversity characterize Chinese culture (Uemura, 2015). The culture has a good history of works that are rich in the application of Sciences and Arts demonstrated through paintings, sculptures, and pottery. Sciences are shown through the rich architectural traditions. The Chinese literature, language, social sciences such as philosophy, and politics has had a significant impact across the globe. However, Chinese culture lost its unique identity with the introduction of western culture (Uemura, 2015). Several scholars assert that Chinese politics, religion, and philosophy have left a lasting impact on Chinese traditions and culture. Confucianism propagated love and rituals and advocating respect for social hierarchy and society in general. Taoism gave rise to the advent of philosophical schools while Buddhism focused on the need for freedom and good deeds (Uemura, 2015).

China is a multi-national state composed of 56 different ethnic groups, with Han Chinese consisting of the largest population group with 91% of the whole population (Uemura, 2015). These ethnic groups live in harmony, but many of the individuals still prefer to live in their communities. The Chinese language has more than a hundred dialects, while minority languages are distinguished with their unique phonological and grammatical differences. The most common dialect is the Mandarin spoken by more than 70% of the Chinese population (Uemura, 2015). Chinese boasts of three different religions which are Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, even though many scholars regard Confucianism as a school of philosophy rather than religion. Buddhism represents the most important religion in China with many phrases and words in the Chinese language having their roots from Buddhist origin. This explains why many Buddhist temples, Holy Mountains, caves, and cultural relics are preserved as tourist sites.

However, the Chinese Communist Party is atheist; it recognizes religions such as Protestantism and Catholicism and Muslim communities (Uemura, 2015). The most common foods in China are the hotpot and the Beijing roast duck, but generally, their food choice is affected by ethnic diversity and geographical stratifications. The dominant style of cooking in China is Cantonese and Szechuan. Studies reveal that rice is the primary food source in China, and it is also the central element that facilitated the growth of Chinese society. Arts in China heavily rely on rich mystical and spiritual history (Uemura, 2015). China also boasts of the eastern-style martial art known as the kung fu which is a technique borrowed from the animal behaviors. China is also recognized for its contribution to science and technology with its recent development being teleportation and bullet trains. The largest celebration in China is the spring festival which is a 15-day celebration that involves honoring the ancestors. During this period, the Chinese perform different activities daily to welcome the New Year.

The Impact of Chinese Culture on Organizational Behavior

The Chinese culture has been immensely affected by the institutional changes since the establishment of the Communist regime. There have been substantial changes in managerial and corporate behavior in China because, for a very long time, the cultural perspective has always been the dominant paradigm in organizational behavior and management (Hofman & Newman, 2014). One of the most common cultural traditions is the Confucianism that lays a historical foundation for many values experienced in the corporate context.

The values depicted in Confucianism are expressed in different forms that have relevance to organizational behavior. These values include respect for hierarchy which accords the managers and senior figures in the organization a leadership status. The family-based collectivism is represented in the emergence of the family business that ensures the survival of the family through the recruitment (Hofman & Newman, 2014). Collectivism aspect reduces the individual based performance-related pay experienced in organizations. Insecurity and personalism emphasize on the need to respect 'face,' especially for the top senior managers. The need to assure trust and maintain harmony helps organizations focus on the need to recognize personal relationships. A perfect example of this value is the guanxi concept which talks about relational networking such as inter-personal connections. This concept has worked effectively in both the capitalist and Chinese socialist organizations, but many scholars argue it this concept works in contemporary business organizations (Hofman & Newman, 2014). The ideas of relationships, face, and rite have enhanced the social bonds that have helped the Chinese systems such as organizations to function smoothly.

Chinese culture influences the paternalistic corporate cultures practiced in organizations. The Chinese culture informs the top-down management in terms of authority and leadership. The mutual dependence and collectivism impact on the organization's culture based on moral values (Hofman & Newman, 2014). In small and private organizations, the culture is centered on the owner's cultural practices.

Organizational behavior is also affected the cultural practices in terms of the clothing, titles, and communication styles of the Chinese culture. For instance, the business attire for the Chinese people should be conservative, with men wearing dark colored suits and women wearing business suits with high necklines. The cultural practice also requires women to wear flat shoes or very low heels shoes and to avoid very bright colors. The Chinese culture needs that people be addressed with their titles, or in business meetings, they should be addressed by professional titles such as General Manager or Director followed by their last names (Hofman & Newman, 2014). It is a common practice for the Chinese to exchange business cards after formal introductions. The business cards should be translated into the Chinese language printed in gold because it is a bright color. The card should be held in both hands when being offered with the part in the Chinese language on top, and it should have a brief description of the organization. Chinese culture has stringent guidelines when it comes to meetings. The Chinese people are non-confrontational because of the fear to lose face and reputation.

Challenges Chinese Workers Face Working with Americans

Chinese workers value their societal pride and identity, unlike the Americans who believe in personal achievement. The Americans do not shy from talking about their performance which the Chinese view as selfish because they associate success with the whole organization (Allen et al., 2014). The communication style of the Americans is very aggressive and persuasive depending on the occasion because they always want an upper hand in every negotiation. The Chinese, on the other hand, prefer not to confront during talks, they are courteous and well mannered, preferring an indirect path to negotiations (Allen et al., 2014).

The Chinese workers are fond of mixing business with personal life, and they tend to ask personal questions such as family issues. The Chinese always want to consider their business associates as friends and still maintain formal respect. The Chinese may prefer to have entertainment such as wining and dining with their business associates and employers and consider this a goal of showing respect. In America however, there are strict guidelines of not mixing business with pleasure (Allen et al., 2014). Chinese workers may be exploited in their working places in America because their culture demands them to respect those in leadership positions. They are not allowed to question or challenge their decisions, unlike the American context, where employees have the freedom to challenge those in authority. The Chinese workers are very hesitant when making business decisions as they have to evaluate the pros and cons, unlike the Americans who prefer expediency and regard time as money. Chinese workers are fond of sealing business deals with handshakes instead of written documents with signatures because they value personal trust and guarantee (Allen et al., 2014). In America, contracts dictate the rules of business, and they have a binding effect on the workers.

Common Stereotypes that Americans give to Chinese People

There has been discrimination in the workplace when it comes to employing the Chinese people because of the stereotypes that they are very hard-working but lack interpersonal skills. Over a century ago, the Asian-Americans were treated as an illiterate, sick and miserable group of the human race and were not allowed United States citizenship. However, they are now considered as very competent and smart individuals (Leong & Tang, 2016). For instance, the Chinese-Americans are more likely to have college degrees compared to the average Americans. Even though they are considered to be very smart and industrious, they have been criticized for being too bright and excessively focused on academics forgetting and lacking personal skills (Leong & Tang, 2016).

Many Chinese people enroll in elite schools hoping that the reputation of the institutions will shield them from the stereotypes. However, they are less likely to be employed as managers or given leadership roles. Several studies indicate that Asian American makes up more than 27% of the skilled workforce, but the executive position is less than 14% (Leong & Tang, 2016). Chinese people also earn relatively low compared to Americans. The Chinese people also experience racial stereotype with organizations treating them as inferior. To solve these stereotypes the Chinese people should be given more leadership roles instead of viewing them as employees with technical competency. The Chinese people should also be more aggressive and challenge managerial decisions and build leadership portfolios outside the work environment in activities such as charity organizations (Leong & Tang, 2016). The cultural conflict may be managed through third-party decision making, joint decision ma...