It needs to be noted that the cultural ambiance of Russia and China are totally different. Apart from the linguistic differences between the two nations, many differences exist in the social norms and practices by the people. Now, as the company, Akella, that is based in Russia plans to open its branch in China, the managers need to abide by some definitive steps so as to be able to function in the best possible way in the new ambiance in the country of China. The best possible steps have to be undertaken on the part of the Russian company so as to assimilate with the Chinese society and culture. There is no room for the Russian company to be identified as an alien body in the Chinese society as that would surely impede the functions and businesses of the company.
Firstly, the managers who would be at the helm of the company in China have to give best possible efforts to learn about the economy and system of functioning in China. They must be well-aware of the dynamics of the economy so as to make the new company start off with the proper plans to cope with the economic ambiance and business structure. Russia and China are very different in matters of economic policies. China is known for the workforce that it can provide to any company or business. The very fact that the world famous company, Apple Inc., has started to run its production in China shows how profitable and effective it can be to utilize the work force available in the country. Now, the Russian company that aims to start its branch in China might be taken to be ambitious enough to use the workforce there. The managers have to be knowledgeable about the markets of China as well, so as to have a holistic understanding of the region in matters of business and its prospects. (Delaney 1)
Now, since the Russian company plans to send some managers to China, it is highly imperative that these people have a very good understanding of the culture and norms of the Chinese society. It would be really helpful for the managers of the company to learn the Chinese language as they ought to stay in China. The managers must take the needed initiative to learn as much as possible about the cultural norms as well. The managers should understand that the majority of the employees would be Chinese people. So, it is important to know about the customs and traditions of the Chinese population as well. If the managers are able to understand and gather knowledge about all of this, the working process would surely be much easier.
Apart from this, it is highly necessary for the managers in charge of the business in China to have a very good knowledge of the laws of the state. They should be well-aware about the rules and regulations of starting the business in the country. All the permissions must be taken from the respective authorities in China. A proper consultation with lawyers of the country would enable these managers to have a good idea of what they need to do. In the initial stages of their conversations, the managers who are assigned the responsibility of running the branch in China might need the help of translators since learning Chinese would surely take some time. However, whatever be the scenario, there should be no lack of communication or any gap in information exchange.
The managers should also hire native people from China who are educated and experienced enough to assist them in the day-to-day functioning of the company’s branch. Surely, having Chinese people working on the assistance to the managers of the company would aid the functioning of the business. As such, the employees too would feel quite comfortable, while the managers too can rely on the knowledge of the assistants regarding local people and the work culture. Since the branch would be headed by the Russian people, extra care should be given to the domain of communication within the organization. In any case, inter-organizational communication is the key to success for any business or company. In the case of the new branch in China that would be run by the Russian managers, communication becomes all the more required.
The branch office should take the initiative of arranging for work hours in compliance with the local parameters. Moreover, the managers should abide by the list of holidays in China. Now, this would surely be quite different in comparison to that in Russia. The HR department has to be very active in the case of this branch as there can be an affinity toward the communication gap between the top management in China and the employees of the lower rung in the organization. Frequent meetings, orientation programs, events, discussions would surely meet the requirements of having a proper two-way communication in the organization. There can be no doubt about the fact that China is a land of opportunities with all the support from the government and the powerful workforce that can surpass any other nation in the world.
Faster economic growth of China is one of the most encouraging factors for businesses to set up branches in China. The Russian business has to be committed in its approach so as to make the Chinese branch function with utmost ease and productivity. Of course, the main branch of the business back in Russia has to be in constant communication with the managers who would be at the helm of the branch that would be set up in the country of China. Communication is the ultimate thing in this kind of overseas functioning. Keeping all the mentioned points in mind, the company can surely bring out its very best in China.
References
Delaney, Laurel. (2014). 20 Factors to Consider Before Going Global. Entrepreneur
India. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/75138
