PR93863

AC Bridge International Group Publishes Report on Cultural Differences Between China and Australia to Improve Cross-Cultural Understanding Among Companies in Both Countries

MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

AC Bridge International Group ("AC Bridge" jannounced the release of "China

and Australia Research Report on the Cultural Difference: Its Impact on the

Operation of Chinese Enterprises and Countermeasures," which sheds light on

some of the key cultural differences between China and Australia. The Report

analyses factors giving rise to contrasting values and practices of individuals

and organisations in the two countries. In publishing the Report, AC Bridge

aims to offer guidance to multinational companies eyeing business opportunities

in China and Australia to help bridge misunderstandings arising from cultural

and social differences and foster greater cross-cultural communications to

facilitate international investment.

Economic globalization deepens cooperation between China and non-Chinese

enterprises with diverse cultural backgrounds. Business and cultural

partnerships between China and Australia over the past five decades have

significantly strengthened the bilateral relationship and paved the way for the

prospect of closer economic cooperation. As more companies and organizations

from both countries seek to build up a broader consumer base in the two major

economies in the Asia-Pacific region, it has become crucial for them to

identify cultural and societal factors that lead to differences in systems,

behavior, and approaches conducting business.

One of the factors that poses a striking contrast between the two societies is

that China is a highly collectivist culture that values group cohesion over

individual pursuits. In contrast, in line with other Western nations, Australia

attaches greater importance to individualism that stresses autonomy and

independence. In contrast, China's tradition to respect structure means that

Chinese decision-makers prefer to follow guidance from higher hierarchies. If

decisions at the top are right and wise, they will be reflected in efficient

and robust execution; if decisions are wrong, they will lead to more

significant consequences yet remain uncorrected. Chinese also tend to emphasize

morality and personal duty, unlike Australia, where egalitarianism underpins

its national identity.

The Report defines China as a society with a high power distance in which

employees tend to have great respect for their superiors and those in authority

thanks to Confucianism, a dominating social and political philosophy adopted by

Chinese rulers for over two thousand years. Consequently, Chinese employees are

expected to conform to social norms and hierarchy while maintaining absolute

loyalty and obedience to those in authority. In contrast, in Australia, people

endorse a lower power distance culture due to the influence of Christian

values, which holds that all people are equal in fundamental worth and moral

status.

A relatively easy and equal social environment makes Australia a country with a

low-context culture, meaning that employees in managerial positions welcome

voices from lower-level workers and show adaptability. Communication between

employees tends to be clear and direct. However, Chinese employees are exposed

to a high-context culture in which straightforwardness is discouraged, are more

reserved and tend to ask questions in a non-conflict way in the workplace.

The Report also finds that people in Australia and China have different views

on their jobs and companies. Australians, like people in other western

countries, are driven by a passion for work and are more willing to make an

effort to achieve self-realization, which consequently catalysis corporate

reform and transformation. Nonetheless, Australia's traditional and

conservative culture means slow adoption of new things and skeptical of change.

Different generations in China have developed contrasting altitudes to their

career lives. The post-70s and post-80s are still working to 'survive better'

-- seeking job stability and worrying about changes. But the post-90s and

post-00s (Gen-Z) are rarely working for survival needs anymore. They

enthusiastically welcome changes. Therefore, different workforce demographics

have also resulted in different attitudes towards change within different

companies.

The media landscape in China and Australia is different in system, regulations,

and guiding principles. China upholds Marxist media theory, with Chinese

enterprises following the CPC's publicity guidelines. Journalism in Australia

enjoys specific liberty under the News Media Bargaining Code, and the media is

more decisive, more independent, and more assertive. Chinese unions are led by

the Chinese Government in a top-down effort to improve workers' welfare and

working conditions. On the other hand, Australian unions advocate for workers'

welfare by organizing strikes, protesting in CBD streets, and negotiating

directly with employers.

For more information, please feel free to download the full Report. We hope

that it will help Australian and Chinese companies in their brand new but

long-standing collaborations.

To read the Report, please visit http://www.business-circle.com.au/en/?p=5895

SOURCE: AC Bridge International Group

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