tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post4897724945882998422..comments2023-10-29T21:14:24.325+08:00Comments on SHE in China: Vision colliding with realityJonna Wibeliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-61656355163147275932009-01-14T23:30:00.000+08:002009-01-14T23:30:00.000+08:00Leadership and a staffing problem. Sound like this...Leadership and a staffing problem. Sound like this company is getting it all wrong from the top down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-23945807724361879202009-01-14T12:23:00.000+08:002009-01-14T12:23:00.000+08:00Apart from concerns of offending one's boss or los...Apart from concerns of offending one's boss or losing one's job, I think Chinese employeed are used to keeping opinions to themselves instead of telling superiors. Chinese culture does not expect the subordinates to share opinions with their supriors. Even if they work for a foreign boss they tend to be very passive in terms of communication with the upper level. However, if their foreign superior assure them of the privacy and security and take the initiative, many people out there would have an opinion to share. Or it takes a unique, brave Chinese to start the communication....I think that boss just does not know this yet ....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-10223536487596653272009-01-13T03:06:00.000+08:002009-01-13T03:06:00.000+08:00Intellectual? Moi? LOL, thanks Jonna, not sure w...Intellectual? Moi? LOL, thanks Jonna, not sure what I did to deserve such glowing praise.<BR/><BR/>Actually I could write pages on this subject (but I won't). I work for a western company and last year we merged with our joint venture company and it was very clear that many employees were not too happy about going from a western company to a JV company.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-1644603538108755642009-01-13T01:08:00.000+08:002009-01-13T01:08:00.000+08:00When I see a company with no communications I see ...When I see a company with no communications I see a company barely making it. I wonder how many foreign companies in China are doing well. Its easy to stay afloat in economic development zones where there is little or no tax. We do that in the US to some degree. A nearby big box store wont have to pay property tax for 25 years. Its assumed jobs and sales tax will make up for it. Id say you are taking your career chances if you dont work for a Fortune 100 company from the US. Im not sure how other nations rank their companies.<BR/><BR/>JimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-28284723365883646782009-01-12T16:35:00.000+08:002009-01-12T16:35:00.000+08:00I read in your other post that "Big Brother" might...I read in your other post that "Big Brother" might be watching, so I'll stop being critical of anything happening in China. ;)afritzsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15623229199561712145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-50564950484711822412009-01-12T16:14:00.000+08:002009-01-12T16:14:00.000+08:00Emil/Afritzse -yeah, and with the new labour law b...Emil/Afritzse -yeah, and with the new labour law bosses can't even fire staff 'just like that'. <BR/><BR/>I get the feeling that the western boss at my friend's company is also a quite laid-back man. He just has no idea, that's all. And I don't think he would take it the wrong way if the guy told him. But it seems like people are so scared of getting fired they refuse to speak up. Despite the new law protecting their rights. Maybe it will take some years still before people get used to the fact that they can express a complaint without the risk of losing their jobs.Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-8009853042824010622009-01-12T16:08:00.000+08:002009-01-12T16:08:00.000+08:00That Chinese employee doesn't want to tell his bos...That Chinese employee doesn't want to tell his boss while he is working there because he is afraid of getting fired. As long as China doesn't have insurance against unemployment, workers have to be on the safe side to make sure they always have enough money.afritzsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15623229199561712145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-88407672479325988362009-01-12T15:59:00.000+08:002009-01-12T15:59:00.000+08:00Some Chinese people in the company I work for told...Some Chinese people in the company I work for told me they dont want to ask or critize our boss with things that any employee would be furious about in any other country. They told me they are afraid they would lose their job if they did so. <BR/><BR/>Though our boss is a really nice western guy who never would fire anyone that complained about anything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-51919207692523869632009-01-12T14:53:00.000+08:002009-01-12T14:53:00.000+08:00Obviously Woai (being not only Shanghai's best dre...Obviously Woai (being not only Shanghai's best dressed, but also a being the highly intellectual kind) is right. I don't want to come across as if I am generalizing, saying that 'every western company in China is badly run' or that 'all Chinese people have the wrong idea about working for a western company' because that is of course not the case... I guess what I wanted to point out with this post is that it is funny that so many Chinese people that I talk to have this sort of romantic idea about working for a foreign company, meanwhile the ones already working under a foreign boss often have various complaints about the boss. <BR/><BR/>I just find it a bit ironic, and I think what it all highlights is a lack of communication between westerners and Chinese at a workplace. I am not saying it is like this at every single place, but at many work places I believe... My Chinese friend who would rather quit his job but to tell his western boss what he is disappointed with sounds kind of extreme, but something makes me believe that it is not so uncommon over here. Obviously it will change over time. Or well, let's at least hope so. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous: I have personally never seen a Chinese employee bow to their superiors. My Korean classmates, however, even bow to our teachers!Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-19907341596153845302009-01-12T14:27:00.000+08:002009-01-12T14:27:00.000+08:00I actually think this is not a Chinese vs Western ...I actually think this is not a Chinese vs Western thing but simply that there are good organisations and there are badly run ones, Chinese or Western, even though of course, there are certain elements that are more common in Chinese or Western companies.<BR/><BR/>Certainly not all western companies are well run, and not all Chinese companies are bad to work for and I think the distinction will only become smaller over time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-85816797883539148652009-01-12T13:54:00.000+08:002009-01-12T13:54:00.000+08:00Thank you Jonna, this post really enlightened me a...Thank you Jonna, this post really enlightened me about something that I have been wondering.Mark's Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11261344850661323552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-63686390469696918542009-01-12T11:19:00.000+08:002009-01-12T11:19:00.000+08:00What a contrast between Chinese and Western cultur...What a contrast between Chinese and Western culture (corporate culture that is)!!! Generally speaking, Asian countries, like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, has a very clear corporate hierarchy. In Korean movies, subordinates in the office usually bow to their superiors and always bow to the upper management big bosses like CEO, Chairman of the Board, and president of the company. Do Chinese employees bow to their superiors? I don't think so, but things might have changed since I left China.<BR/><BR/>I know a big Taiwanese textile company in the U.S. where many Taiwanese students were employed after their studies in the U.S. There were also many American employees. Whenever the big boss came to visit, all Taiwanese employees were expected to show up at the airport to greet their boss and then show up again to send the boss off. One time, one Taiwanese employee didn't show up at the airport when a big boss came because he and his wife just had a baby. He got reprimanded later for not "showing respect." This type of kowtowing was not required of American employees. Go figure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com