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Challenges to Multinational Corporations in China

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Challenges to multinational corporations in China
China has emerged as the world’s second largest economy. Meanwhile, foreign companies salivate at the chance to tap into China’s growing market. Therefore, the rise of globalization in China may posit several critical challenges to multinational corporations. Although miscommunication should be taken into account for foreign companies, human resources are required to change patterns and global business strategy is also possibly tackled in the international market.
Cultural misunderstandings arising from miscommunication will frequently lead to the failure of commercial negotiations. Although there are an accelerative number of Chinese people highly proficient in English, it is uncommon to find someone who understands the subtleties of the language to navigate delicate business negotiations. For example, Heads of ETIG used to make a trip to China, but had several productive meetings and returned home with strong business prospects. According to Murphy, a former technical analyst for CNBC in an article titled “Intermarket Analysis”, communication between the foreign and Chinese companies goes smoothly at first, yet things start to break down as business issues get more complex (Murphy, 2004). It appears that what started as a promising prospect for both sides often breaks down due to miscommunication.
In addition, western companies in China rate human resources as the massive challenge of doing business here. Chinese workers are accustomed to a more hierarchical structure in which each person has a clearly defined role. One of the best examples of this is Royal Dutch Shell, which is quite concerned about its human resources management and attributes its success to adjusting and accommodating organization structures in China. According to Shell website, the differences of human resources can often lead to tensions

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