Behaviours in organization, Chinese world views and perceptions of cross-cultural differences. a study of Hong Kong Chinese working in Canada

grantor: University of TorontoThis study inquired into the lived experience of the Hong Kong Chinese in Canada and captured snapshots of their perceptions of cross-cultural differences in organizational behaviour. To provide a base for study, I examined literature on organizational behaviour from the cross-cultural and the Chinese dimensions. To conceptualise how people perceive the world, I reviewed literature on the personal-construct theory and the schema theory. The study used a qualitative mode of enquiry, with the researcher as an instrument to collect data through the in-depth interview and the repertory-grid methods. The participants, 8 men and 2 women, were either degree-holders or professionals with work experience in the service sectors in both Hong Kong and Canada. The study extracted their world views, which shape their interpretation of reality, from their narratives and work experience in both cultures. I identified 7 meta-narratives shaping the unique world view that differentiate them from Canadians at work; these meta-narratives dealt with: existence, achievement, work, conflict, power, relationship and communication. I also identified 4 major dimensions in modus operandi between these two cultures: planning, cooperation, leadership and controlling. I adopted the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach to analyse and thematise the data collected through interviews. I also explored through the repertory-grid method the participants' constructs of the role-holders in organizations between these two cultures. The grid data were computed by the Focus programme. These two sets of results were compared and triangulated to increase the study's academic rigour. The evidence shows that the Chinese perceived significant differences between themselves and Canadians in many dimensions of organizational behaviour. These differences obviously reflected these 2 cultures' underlining meta-narratives--the Chinese perceived Canadians as self-rather than organization-oriented, over-optimistic and carefree, uncommitted assertive, equalitarian, too frank and straightforward competitive in dealing with conflicts and intolerant to inequality. Clearly, their cultural perspective creates difficulty for Chinese working in Canada and Canadians or Western management specialists and educators attempting to work in Chinese societies. The study concludes with implications for practice for people who work across the cultural line with Chinese, with recommendations on ways to enhance cultural understanding, and with directions for further research.Ed.D