Walk out of the unit (Analysis of Chinese employees' unit mentality)

Author: Li Lusha
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Clear values and the courage to uphold principles
In life, one should possess and adhere to certain values, such as consistency between words and actions, honesty, and loyalty to duty. Values serve as a guide for our behavior, which in turn gives rise to some behavioral norms, such as keeping promises, speaking the truth, taking responsibility, and not repeating the same mistakes. These ordinary values and principles are not an issue for excellent local employees; the challenge lies in consistently doing the right thing and striving to see it through. For many local employees, this is a fatal challenge. We are very hesitant and fearful of constructive conflict and confrontation, often avoiding it by compromising on principles. When foreign managers passionately debate an issue in a meeting, the most common role of Chinese colleagues is to be bystanders or mediators who facilitate compromise. Many foreign managers, when they fail to reach a consensus or persuade others during a meeting, continue to lobby and discuss after the meeting, trying to ensure that their ( means "" or "propositions" in English, but here it seems to be a typo and should be "opinions" or "positions") they believe is correct is implemented. They do this sometimes for the company or department's benefit, and sometimes without a direct benefit goal, simply for the realization of personal values. The more personal values are realized, the greater an individual's contribution and influence on the organization, and the more important their leadership position becomes.
Local employees are reluctant to engage in Western-style constructive confrontation for two main reasons: First, the Confucian values of moderation and harmony make us non-aggressive, and we strive to avoid conflict, often compromising to maintain harmony. This behavior contradicts Western leadership styles and is therefore perceived as a lack of leadership. The second reason is a lack of knowledge and language skills, meaning we lack the eloquence to counter others effectively. We must learn to use the other person's arguments against them, whether they are foreign or local employees. This is the cultural and linguistic weapon. The knowledge structure of local employees is relatively narrow, and we lack systematic or in-depth understanding of Western society and culture. Our foreign language (primarily English) proficiency is sufficient for general communication, and our understanding of Western society and culture is enough for general conversations, but we clearly feel that our words fail us and we lack the ability when it comes to in-depth discussions. Although no one expects us to speak foreign languages as fluently as native speakers or to be as familiar with Western society and culture as we are with Chinese society and culture, we must demand ourselves to possess this powerful tool to maximize the realization of our value, maximize our influence, and thereby achieve leadership within the organization. P12-13