Establishing an Electronic Communications LTD Culture in China

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Establishing an Electronic Communications LTD Culture in China

The Electronic Communications Ltd had firmly established itself in China by opening its production facilities at Tianjin Economic Technological Development Area in 1992 , and by 2000 had expanded to one holding company , seven joint ventures and 26 subsidiary companies with a staff strength of 13000 . It is now faced with a cluster of problems that need to be addressed effectively with immediate effect to offset the negative impact that may have to be faced due to impending competition resulting from the

massive influx of foreign investment into the country

The biggest problem that needs immediate attention is the difference in the culture and value system of Chinese people as compared with what is expected by the management of ECL in keeping with the work culture that is prevalent in all its other production centers around the world . The Company has fared very well since 1930 when it started manufacturing wireless receivers in America , and has since made rapid strides in making a world wide presence for its high quality products . This has been possible due to stringent quality control measures and adhering to the value system of the organization as initiated by its founder Patrick Wright . Now , with the presence of immense potential for furtherance of its business interests in China , ECL has to meet the challenge to mould itself as per the work culture prevailing within China since it is not possible to change the culture and outlook of the massive local work force

A change in the value system and outlook of the Chinese worker is important since the Company has always excelled in an environment that is based on the best business practices which were hitherto not practiced in China . This basically is an issue related to Human Resources and the management must deal with it on top priority and in right earnest . In the present context , the Chinese are not as dashing as a professional environment demands in times of rapid growth and development that is taking place . They believe in obedience and humility , they are not proactive and there is lack of 2

teamwork amongst them . They differ significantly in their communication styles since their present social system warrants exhibition of individual capabilities rather than teamwork and synergy . They believe more in personal relationships than in managerial effectiveness . While the Westerners are emphatic about being specific , the Chinese have a casual purpose oriented approach for achieving objectives . Not much importance is given to personal development by the Chinese worker who prefers a management style that is motivated with finding short cuts rather than a system that allows managers to delegate and to speed up the decision making process

It is indeed a daunting task to bring about the desired changes in the Chinese worker in view of the cultural differences , but the management is bound to strike a balance in developing a common set of values Constant respect for people and romising integrity is a core...