Title

Facilitators and Obstacles of Intercultural Business Communication for American Companies in China: Lessons Learned from the UPS Case

Authors

Hongmei Gao, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Penelope B. Prime, Georgia State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

This article analyzes how the execution of business strategy for global enterprises is shaped by the dual challenges of communicating in a different national culture and working in a changing economic environment. The article develops a framework from the UPS case in China to illustrate the key components of strategy for US companies operating businesses in China. The article proposes that Chinese-American communication effectiveness can be achieved through overcoming fi ve obstacles: cultural multiplicity, relationship/ task orientation, time concept, business style difference, and language use, while utilizing fi ve facilitators: pragmatism, gender equality, English, American pop culture, and a “big country mentality.”

Comments

Originally published in:

Gao, Hongmei and Prime, Penelope (2010) "Facilitators and Obstacles of Intercultural Business Communication for American Companies in China: Lessons Learned from the UPS Case," Global Business Languages: Vol. 15, Article 10. Available at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/gbl/vol15/iss1/10

Copyright © 2010 by Purdue Research Foundation. Posted with permission.

Recommended Citation

Gao, Hongmei and Prime, Penelope (2010) "Facilitators and Obstacles of Intercultural Business Communication for American Companies in China: Lessons Learned from the UPS Case," Global Business Languages: Vol. 15, Article 10. Available at: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/gbl/vol15/iss1/10