Power inequality in cross-cultural learning : the case of Japanese transplants in China

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Asia Pacific Business Review

Publication Date

4-1-2008

Volume

14

Issue

2

First Page

253

Last Page

273

Keywords

China, Cross-cultural management, Japan, Organizational learning, Power, Social construction perspective

Abstract

This article considers power inequality in the context of cross-cultural organizational learning. A qualitative study of five Japanese subsidiaries operating in the People's Republic of China revealed that the Japanese had invested considerable effort into replicating and reinforcing the corporate values, norms, policies and collective learning practices from their home country. Through control of organizational resources and through all-embracing culture transformation programmes, they had leveraged their dominant power to standardize the social construction of collective learning processes and impose these upon the local Chinese. It is noted that these programmes raise the spectre of de-culturalization, namely, removal of Chinese identity and cloning of Japanese identity, and pass opportunities to implement alternative programmes based on libertarian education philosophies that could drive a bilaterally negotiated approach to cross-cultural integration.

DOI

10.1080/13602380701314750

Print ISSN

13602381

E-ISSN

1743792X

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2008 Taylor & Francis

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Hong, J. F. L., & Snell, R. S. (2008). Power inequality in cross-cultural learning: The case of Japanese transplants in China. Asia Pacific Business Review, 14(2), 253-273. doi: 10.1080/13602380701314750

Share

COinS