| Der Inhalt China’s economic reforms have brought a
tremendous change in economic structure and living standard of the Chinese people.
Although some of the western economists are sceptical about the future of these reforms
because of the uncertainties and major challenges the country is facing, such as the
radical changes in the state-owned industry, the unbalanced economic development of
coastal cities and inland provinces, the creation of a social security system and the
establishment of a legal framework, there is little doubt about China’s status as an
important growing economy and an interesting trade and co-operation partner.
Switzerland was among the first few countries
in the West who recognised the potential of the Chinese economy at the very early stage of
the reform. The Swiss enterprise Schindler started operations in 1980 by establishing the
first industrial joint venture in China. In the recent years, Swiss political leaders have
also recognised that China is an important business partner for the Swiss economy, since
"[ ...] the grasses in most of the markets in the world are growing more sparsely
than those in China [ ...] ".
On one hand, China represents an enormously
promising market with its population of over 1,2 billion of people, a regular increase of
the average income and a constantly growing demand of high quality products; on the other
hand, the Swiss are known and welcome in China because of the good quality of their
products and the reliability of their enterprises. The economic co-operation between the
two countries has been developing vigorously in the last years: Swiss direct investment in
China accounted for 2.0 billion US$ up until December 1997.
In a rapidly growing economy, chances are
related to risks. China has not been immune from the fallout of the recent Asian financial
turmoil. Although the financial infrastructure remains stable, the unprecedented scale of
the regional economic uncertainty has brought about painful but inevitable economic
adjustment in China after a long period of high property prices and high inflation. The
decrease of the local demand and the growth of competition on the local market are
important consequences of this process.
The new situation has sharpened the
problems related to the difference of culture and mentality, a difficult language as well
as to a different law and economy system. For the Swiss investors, these differences
represent very important issues. To understand the Chinese mentality, the language as well
as the legal, political and economic environment is particularly important for human
resource management (HRM).
Nowadays, the investors have realised that
one of the key elements of success in China is the appropriate management of human
resources. Much of the success or failure, of growth or difficulties, depends on how the
employees, and particularly the local staff, are hired, organised and motivated. It is
strategically important to find the right answers to some basic questions: how and where
to find the competent local employees, how to motivate them, how to keep the costs of
human resource at a reasonable level? Further: how to plan an efficient and productive
personnel organisation while promoting ideal working conditions as well as a human and
motivating environment for the employees?
By analysing concrete examples, this work aims at drawing a
realistic picture of the intercultural human resource management in China.
The author is of Chinese origin. She had an educational as well
as a professional experience in both China and Switzerland. This background led her
naturally to be interested in the co-operation activities between Swiss and Chinese
companies. The author believes that her interest, coupled with the mastery of the Chinese
language, the understanding of the Chinese culture as well as the knowledge of economics,
business management and international law acquired at the University of Bern, can help her
in developing a new, practical and original perspective of the human resource management
in Sino-Swiss enterprises.
This working paper presents a cross-case analysis based on case
studies of an empirical research and a series of recommendations. Consequently, both
descriptive and analytical methods are implemented.
The empirical research consists of interviews with Swiss and
Chinese managers working for the companies Novartis, Schindler and Ascom. Its purpose is
to identify some important issues in the field of intercultural human resource management
in China. The results of the empirical research will be compared with the theoretical part
of this work.
These enterprises have been chosen for the case studies, because
of their importance in the Chinese market. They also represent three of the most relevant
Swiss industries: in technical manufacturing, the China – Schindler Elevator Co.
Ltd., (Beijing Elevator Woks and Shanghai Elevator Works), Shanghai Schindler Elevator
Technology Service Co. Ltd., Suzhou Esca Step. Co. Ltd. and Suzhou Schindler Elevator Co.
Ltd. have been analysed; in the pharmaceuticals-and-chemicals industry, the Novartis
Country Organisation China, Beijing Novartis Pharma Ltd. as well as Shanghai Novartis
Animal Health Ltd. have been studied; finally, in the telecommunication industry the joint
venture of Ascom in China, Guangzhou Ascom Telecom Equipment Ltd. has been examined.
The 31 interviews conducted in China and in Switzerland build
the core of the field research. The following figure presents the composition of the
interviewee sample.
Autorin: Yanyan Chang Delprete |
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