Title: Intercultural management practices of Chinese returnees in Shanghai in knowledge intensive industries

Authors: Claudia Klaerding

Addresses: Department of Geography, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel, Ludewig-Meyn-Str. 14, 24098 Kiel, Germany; agiplan GmbH, Koelner Str. 80-82, 45481 Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany

Abstract: This paper analyses how cultural perceptions of Chinese return migrants affect the design of interfirm practices with native business partners in China's knowledge intensive industries. Theories related to interfirm networking such as the innovation system approach ascribe culture to spatial/territorial scales, particularly the national. By taking the perspectives of Chinese returnees in top management positions the paper challenges the apparent national cultures and spatially defined cultural boundaries. The factors that underlie the perceived cultural stereotype of Chinese business routines show neither such clear spatiality nor predominantly national characteristics. Cultural effects on economic organisation are hence argued to be better understood from a relational perspective.

Keywords: China; return migrants; business practices; interfirm management; relational economic geography; innovation systems; top management; national cultures; spatially-defined cultural boundaries; cultural stereotypes; tacit knowledge; intercultural management; Chinese returnees; knowledge-intensive industries; cultural perceptions; interfirm networking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTG.2012.050963

International Journal of Technology and Globalisation, 2012 Vol.6 No.4, pp.335 - 351

Published online: 31 Oct 2014 *

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