The influence of Chinese American cultural values on workplace communication, innovation and teamwork
Andre M Everett
University of Otago, New Zealand
Yim-Yu Wong
San Francisco State University, United States of America
Lan Tuyet Hong
San Francisco State University, United States of America
Neil Evans
San Francisco State University, United States of America
PP: 113 - 128
Abstract
Most intercultural research examines the impacts of cultural differences on interactions between organizations nurtured in different cultures (eg between a British firm an a Japanese firm) or of expatriate situations (eg a US manager in a French subsidiary).
Our focus is instead on the impacts of mingling people from different (national) cultures within a given organization. The Chinese diaspora provides a significant population interacting to various degrees with diverse host communities. Chinese Americans represent a major multigenerational concentration of overseas Chinese, offering researchers a range of potential degrees of adaptation. To what degree, and in what way, do Americans values alter Chinese behavior patterns, particularly in trust building, communication, teamwork, and innovation? Conversely, how do indigenous Chinese values affect Chinese American perceptions, attitudes, and actions in these situations? Finally, how can these dynamics contribute to innovative climates and organizational advantage for firms employing Chinese Americans, or (by extension) members of other intecultural groups?
Our paper examines prior research into cultural values among various populations of Chinese people. We draw on five propositions about the nature of Chinese American culture using Hofstede's original dimensions and the Chinese Value Survey, and examine their managerial implications.
Keywords
cultural differences, communication, innovation, competitive advantage, Chinese Americans
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