Managing Expatriates in China

Providing fresh perspectives on managing expatriates in the changing host country of China, this book investigates expatriate management from a language and identity angle. The authors’ multilingual and multicultural backgrounds allow them to offer a solid view on the best practices towards managing diverse groups of expatriates, including Western, Indian, and ethnic Chinese employees. With carefully considered analysis which incorporates micro and macro perspectives, together with indigenous Chinese and Western viewpoints, this book explores topics that include the importance of the host country language, expatriate adjustment, ethnic identity confirmation, acceptance and identity. The book presents a longitudinal yet contemporary snapshot of the language, culture, and identity realities that multinational corporation subsidiary employees are facing in China in the present decade (2006-2016). It will thus be an invaluable resource for International Management scholars, those involved in HRM and other practitioners, as well as business school lecturers and students with a strong interest in China. 

“A book about expatriates’ language and identity struggles when working in China has been needed for a long time. My own experience living and working in Shanghai as a visiting scholar in 2011-12 attests to the difficulties non-Asians face in managing their work life in a contemporary Chinese context. At last, Zhang, Harzing and Fan – experts with a genuinely global background and extensive experience - tackle this important topic with an impressive array of research and practical insight. This is a groundbreaking book, essential for anyone studying expatriation in Asia, and China more specifically, and for those considering to live there. A timely and much-needed book, this is a worthy and significant addition to the bookshelves of scholars and managers alike.” (Dr. Yvonne McNulty, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore, Founder & Principal Consultant, Expat Research, expatresearch.com)

“Like ’peas in a pod’ or not, that could be the background of a host of language andidentity problems for expatriates and locals in China, as superbly demonstrated by Managing Expatriates in China: a Language and Identity Perspective on Expatriation Success which is the new book by Ling Eleanor Zhang, Anne-Wil Harzing and Shea Xuejiao Fan. Having researched these issues myself in China and having lived and worked for almost two decades as an expatriate academic in Chinese dominated societies, I can attest to the high relevance and authenticity of the core problem areas dealt with in this volume. And, the concluding recommendations for MNCs, expatriates and local employees are indispensable reading.” (Professor Jan Selmer, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research (Emerald))

“This is an interesting, excellent and informative book which has succeeded in unravelling the challenges both expatriates and MNCs experience operating in the Chinese context. It should be of great interest to both students and practitioners.” (Professor Pawan Budhwar, 50th Anniversary Professor of International HRM, Aston University, United Kingdom)

“This book is a delightful read. With a mix of survey results and detailed examples the authors give voice to expatriates of different ethnic backgrounds in China. They also analyze expatriate-local interactions, which I found truly illuminating and insightful. This book shows that language remains a critical component of expatriate management in various host countries.” (Professor Rebecca Piekkari, Aalto University, Finland)

“Drawing on several studies based on data collected from expatriates, local employees, and HR managers, the book discusse

s a number of important but unexamined issues at the forefront of contemporary management in a global context. The authors offer a fascinating and thoughtful exploration of the role of language and identity for expatriates’ integration and acceptance, and their broader implications for interactions among employees and MNC functioning. Focusing on MNCs and their employee operating in China, the findings of this research offer both contextual insights and universal lessons on managing mobility. It is an essential read for all readers interested in global HRM.” (Associate Professor Mila Lazarova, Canada Research Chair, Simon Fraser University, Canada)

“In a world of increasing cross-border exchange, especially with the fast global expansion of Chinese economy and enterprises, this book offers timely and deep insights on how expatriates can effectively function in China. To which extent should expatriates need to learn local languages to be effective? How should expatiates manage one’s “ambiguous identities” in intercultural interaction? These important questions have generated interests and debates for IB scholars and practitioners alike, yet have not been convincingly answered so far. Building on solid research with data collected from a wide range of sources and countries,the authors elegantly shed light on these important themes with well-balanced academic rigor and practical advices. I strongly recommend it to individuals and organizations that are interested in managing expatriates in a changing China.” (Associate Professor Yih-teen Lee, IESE Business School, Spain)

Ling Eleanor Zhang is Lecturer of International Management at the School of Management, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research centres on interaction across boundaries. She examines the boundary spanning of multicultural employees, social categorisation and conflict management between expatriates and host country employees, and the language challenges employees face in subsidiaries of multinational corporations.

Anne-Wil Harzing is Professor of International Management at Middlesex University, UK. Prior to that she was Associate Dean Research at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research has been published in the field’s leading journals and has received numerous awards. She currently plays a major role as research mentor and provides extensive academic resources on www.harzing.com.

Shea Xuejiao Fan is Lecturer in International Business at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia, and has also studied and worked in China, the Netherlands, and the USA. She specialises in expatriate management, cross-cultural management and identity in international management.