a-human-resource-management-model-designed-for-chi

AHumanResourceManagementModelDesignedforChineseBusinessProcesses.Min-HueiChienTheOverseasChineseInstituteofTechnology,Chairman,DepartmentofMarketing&[e-mail]:Thispaperprovidesanunderstandingofhumanresourcemanagement(HRM)practicesinChinesebusinessprocesses.ThestudyexploresthedevelopmentofHRMintheChinesecontextandprovidessomedisciplinesforbusinessthatwishtodevelopanin-depthknowledgeofChinesebusinessmanagementpractice.WiththerapidriseofChinaasapoliticalandeconomicpower,understandingcross-culturaldifferencesbetweenWesternandChinesebusinessenvironmentscouldcontributetoandprogresstowardsgreaterorganizationaleffectiveness.Thestudydevelopstheunderstanding,knowledgeandskillsnecessarytobuildHRMmodel,whichisparticularlyappropriateforwesterncompaniesinChina.UnderstandingthesuitableHRMmodelisthefirstlessonforsomeonewholikestodobusinessinChina.Keywords:Humanresourcemanagement:ChineseBusiness:ModelDesigned1.IntroductionThesuccessofeconomicreforminChinahasgeneratedsustainedrapideconomicgrowthintheChineseeconomy.TheaverageGDPgrowthrateinthelast10yearsreachedmorethan10percentperannum,anditmakeChinathefastest-growingeconomyintheworld.Nowday,Chinaisbecomingthebiggestmarketintheworld.Accordingtosomeinternationalinvestors,21stCenturyisthecenturyfortheChina.AsmoreandmoreAmericancompaniesdobusinessinChina,itisessentialtounderstandhowtheculturaldifferencesshapetheattitudesandbehaviorofChinesepeople.Thosecross-culturaldifferencesbetweenChinaandothercountrieshaveacquiredaspecialsignificance.China’seconomydoublesevery10yearsand1.3billionspeopleareattractedandtacklethetemptingmarketsoftheWest.Businesshadbetterdoenoughhomeworktosavetheircostandguaranteetheirhighsuccessfulrate.Atfirst,oneneedstohaveageneralpictureaboutbusinessinChinatoavoidastrategicmistake.1.1.StatementoftheproblemThepurposeofthisstudyistodeterminethevariablesthatexplainthedifferencebetweenChinesepeopleandwesternpeopleandthosevariablesthatdiffersignificantlybetweenthedifferentcountries.Thisstudyalsodevelopstheunderstanding,knowledgeandskillsnecessarytobuildHRMmodel,whichisparticularlyappropriateforwesterncompaniesinChina.Afterall,understandingthesuitableHRMmodelisthefirstlessonforsomeonewholikestodobusinessinChina.1.2.SignificanceofthestudyTherearealreadyhundredsofbooksaboutChinabusinessinprint.ButdoeseverybodyreallyunderstandfurtherinsightsonChina?TheanswermaybeisNO.ThereareplentyofnewopportunitiesinChinatoplaythenewgame;Chinastilloffersoneofthemostimportantcontextsforbusinessandmanagementintheworldtoday.ButconductingbusinessinChinaandunderstandingChinamanagementpracticespresentsadauntingpracticalandintellectualchallenge.ThepaperwillconcludewithashortdescriptionofthevalueoftheHRMexperienceofChina.2.ReviewofselectedliteratureThewholeworldiscurrentlycastingitseyesonChina,fortheircommercialandpoliticalsignificanceinthe21stcentury.TaiwanandHongKonghavingarethewindowofandthegatewaytoChinainthelastdecades.AlotofresearchprovidessomeimportantdataforunderstandingoftheChinesemarketandinvestmentenvironment,andoftheChinesepeopleandsocieties,especiallytheChinesewayofdoingbusinessanddealingwithpeople.Mostresearchareaisstillbeingconcentratedoncross-culturalcomparisonofvalues,managementstyles,andbusinesspracticesbetweenWesternandChinesesocieties.Thoseresearchesaredescribedasfollowing:2.1.ContentofcultureMostresearchershaveseentheneedforanalternativemethodologytogainmorecompleteandcoherentknowledgeabouttheChinesepeople.Thewaytounderstandbusinessandmanagerialbehaviorinaparticularcultureistoexaminethemeaningsattachedtosomekeywordssuchasguanxi(relationship),renqing(favor),mianzi(face),fu(compliance),zhong(loyalty),xin(trust)andcheng(sincerity),bylocalpeopleinthebusinessenvironment.Thoseconsiderationsareimportantelementsfordesigninghumanresourcemodel.Butwhatfunctionsthesewordsserve?Howtheyareused?Andhowadaptationsofmeaningreflecttheexperiencesofpeopletryingtomakeabetterlivingintheever-changingworld?Thosequestionsarethekeyforcrossculturemanagertosuccess.Theneedformorecultural-specificknowledgeaboutChinesehumanresourcehasbeenemerginginrecentyears.TheaimofthecallforindigenousstudiesistodevelophumanresourcemodelsandinstrumentsthatreflecttherealityoftheChineseworkenvironment,andtherealpsychologiesandconcernsofChinesemanagers,employeesandconsumers.TheinabilitytoconceptualizeandoperationallymanyhumanresourcevariablesproperlyinthepasthascautionedresearchersnottoregardWesterntheoriesandinstrumentsasapplicablecross-culturallywheninfactmanyofthemareculture-specific.ThefirststeptowarddevelopingindigenoushumanresourcetheoriesandmodelsistohaveathoroughunderstandingoftheChinesecultureingeneral,itsvaluesystems,institutionalstructures,anditsecologicalsystems.Theoriesandmodelsdeep-rootedinthesepsychoculturalfoundationsarealreadybeingworkedoutandevidenceoftheirusefulnessisbeingaccumulated.ThisspecializationentailsthestudyofbasicChinesevaluesandmeaningsystems,managementphilosophiesandpractices,andtheapplicationoftheresultstoorganizationdesignandhumanresourcemanagementinCh