Managing across cultures : the experiences of three Hong Kong academic library directors

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Library Management

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Volume

28

Issue

4/5

First Page

213

Last Page

223

Keywords

China, Hong Kong, Librarians, Library management, Management styles, National cultures

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the experiences of three western librarians in adapting their management styles for working and living in a new culture.

Design/methodology/approach - Three university library directors who have been working as expatriates in Hong Kong for 2 to 18 years were asked to comment on their own personal experiences in moving to a new culture, a new language environment, and new management challenges.

Findings - Moving to a new culture can be difficult for the expatriate and his family but work environments have many similarities. Developing an understanding of the local professional culture and working within is vital to success.

Practical implications - The paper presents some guidelines for librarians who may be seeking a career abroad.

Originality/value - There is very little literature on librarians, particularly those in management, who have chosen to continue their careers abroad. This paper provides first-hand experiences and demonstrates that librarianship shares a certain commonality and that management skills can be adapted to new cultures.

DOI

10.1108/01435120710744164

Print ISSN

01435124

Publisher Statement

Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Ferguson, A., Nesta, F., & Storey, C. (2007). Managing across cultures: The experiences of three Hong Kong academic library directors. Library Management, 28(4/5), 213-223, doi: 10.1108/01435120710744164

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