What is Confucianism, collectivism, and socialism or CCS Theory of Economic System in China?

Leadership article review:
Goal interdependence and foreign ventures in China                                             Copyright (c) 2009 & all rights reserved.
Article Citation: 

Yifeng, N., & Tjosvold, D. (2008). Goal interdependence and leader-member  

     relationship for cross-cultural leadership in foreign ventures in China.

     Leadership & organization development Journal, 29 (2), pp. 144-166.


Summary:  The authors’ main objective in this article is to analyze and examine the effect and influence of goal interdependence and leader-member relationship on cross-cultural leadership in joint ventures in China (Yifeng & Tjosvold, 2008). As increasing of joint ventures, overseas productions, international subsidiaries, and trading in China with many other nations  (e.g., Japan, South Korea, U.S.A., Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, etc.) in recent years, China becomes the world’s factory.  Many international companies are developing foreign productions or joint ventures in there not only want to increase profits or returns, lower costs, and also would like to capture the benefits of global trading or open up the new and giant of local Chinese market (e.g., General.Electric., General Motor, Home Depot, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Toyota, Samsung, and IKEA, etc.).  At long last and about two centuries afterward, today China follows and practices the “open-door” policy in trading and business, and allows most of the countries in the world and their organizations set up joint ventures, productions or subsidiaries in there.
      For the issues: Why was the article written? As there are different cultures, dissimilar traditions, and different value and belief systems (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism) between China and the West that may build up many misunderstanding, misinterpretation, disagreement or distrust and could create poor cross-cultural leadership with employee frustration and lower job performance. The key research question in this leadership article is how to facilitate, communicate, assist or make easy and possible leader-member relationships involving overseas or foreign managers, executives, and supervisors with Chinese employees in joint ventures in China. Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) claim their study directs and utilizes “the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX [Leader-Member Exchange model that describes how leaders develop mutual exchange relationships with their followers or employees] to develop responses to the research questions. Completed survey questionnaires were analyzed on a valid sample of 199 [from 55 firms, consisting of 100 copies concluded by employees who had Japanese managers and 99 copies completed by those who had American managers]” (p. 144). This study got great support by the top and middle management of joint ventures, and as the above figures showed, it focused mainly on Japanese managers and American managers with their Chinese employees and senior staffs in the organizations that located from various cities (e.g., Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Fuzhou, and Xiamen) in China. The title of this article, therefore, should change and indicate that the study primarily examine and concentrate on Japanese and American managers and their Chinese employees in the issues of goal interdependence and leader-member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in joint ventures. 
         For all the employees that respond this study, Yifeng & Tjosvold (2008) stated, “112 [or 56.3%] were male; the average age is 34.2 years, and 136 [or 68.3%] of them have worked with their managers for more than one year; 124 [or 62.3%] of them have Bachelor's degrees and 39 [or 19.6%] of them have Master's degrees or doctorates” (p.150). The findings of the study supported and held the concept that “cooperative goals [but not competitive or independent] between managers and employees can strengthen their leader-member relationships, which in turn facilitate cross-cultural leadership. The results also extended this theorizing to cross-cultural settings. Although the theory of cooperation and competition and the theory of LMX were developed in the West, they could be useful in Chinese contexts for understanding cross-cultural leadership. Foreign managers working in joint ventures in China who develop strongly cooperative goals may be able to develop high quality relationships that in turn promote employee commitment and performance” (Yifeng & Tjosvold, p.144). It is very true. The results of this study suggest, as Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) claim, “Chinese employees, despite their different cultures and unequal status, can develop cooperative goals with their foreign managers. These goals are a foundation on which Chinese employees can overcome their cultural distance and develop a strong leader-member relationship with foreign managers” (p.159). In North America, as it highlights on the individual, most people lean to accredit or recognize achievement or success to their own talents and efforts. In the Chinese belief and custom, on the other hand, “individuals are expected to give credit not only to themselves but also to their family, colleagues, or even the whole society for [personal] success. To the Chinese managers [or employees] in joint ventures, [personal satisfaction] may have a smack of selfishness or an unbecoming lack of modesty]” (Yifeng & Tjosvold, p.2).  At any rate, over 80% of all the respondents in this research in fact were university graduates (e.g., higher education may get better learning, logic, communication, knowledge, and perception with more open-minded or good judgment, and most of them were in the positions of senior or management levels in the joint ventures), these were reasons and causes why there were more cooperative goals with their  foreign managers, and better leader-member relationships that in turn help and assist cross-culture leadership.   
       Overall, for those Chinese employees, including staffs, supervisors, managers or leaders in joint ventures or overseas subsidiaries, they will do their best and take pride in their work with cooperative goals, especially in the cases of working with foreign managers. In many situations, they may feel that they are representing their culture, custom, society and the whole country (Confucianism plus collectivism and socialism or the CCS Theory), as they pride themselves on their great tradition, culture, civilization, nationality, development and improvement or growth.

Critique:  The question: Explain how this article impacted your understanding of the research topic and how it compared to similar information gathered from your text.  Leadership, Northouse (2007) in our text examines, “is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p.3). In style approach of leadership, Northouse (2007) claims, it is a useful way to understand the behaviors of leaders, and it “reminds leaders that their impact on others occurs through the tasks they perform as well as in the relationships they create” (p.78). In other words, it is a logical action and reaction; in fact we all impact by one and others, especially toward the same common goals and under the same organization, condition or environment. In the issues of cooperative objectives, Northouse (2007) analyzes human skills and argues, “allow a leader to assist group members in working cooperatively as a group to achieve common goals… [Leaders] create an atmosphere of trust where employees can feel comfortable and secure and where they can feel encouraged to become involved in the planning of things that will affect them” (p.41). All these approaches and actions not only can build up their leader-member relationships, but also make easy and assist cross-cultural leadership. Leadership skills are identified “as the ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals or objectives” (Northouse, p.40).  The above notions and situations correspond and go with the findings of Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) that claim, “Foreign managers working in joint ventures in China who develop strongly cooperative goals [but not competitive or independent] may be able to develop high quality relationships that in turn promote employee commitment and performance” (p.144). With positive mindset and great leadership approach, foreign manager would build up supportive, collaborative, and cooperative objectives with excellent employee relationship and great job accomplishment. In practice, foreign managers that usually hold management and leadership functions in joint ventures (e.g., most foreign managers are those highly trained managers with great or distinguished management skills and experiences that selected from home management and offices) certainly would work together with their Chinese managers or employees to achieve the common goals of their organizations. Yifeng and Tjosvold (2008) assert the findings of the study supported and held the concept that “cooperative goals between managers and employees can strengthen their leader-member relationships, which in turn facilitate cross-cultural leadership” (p.144). It is very true. Both our text and this article were examining and evaluating the issues of leadership and leader-member relationships, and they both get the same findings: building up strongly cooperative goals would develop excellent employee relationship and improve job performance.
        As the whole survey questionnaires were examined on a compelling sample of 199 from 55 firms, consisting of 100 copies concluded by employees who had Japanese managers and 99 copies completed by those who had American managers (Yifeng & Tjosvold). This study got great support by the top and middle management of foreign-owned joint ventures that primarily managed by Japanese or American managers in different cities in China. The title of this article as we discuss earlier should change and indicate that the study mainly examined and focused on Japanese and American managers in joint ventures in China.  Moreover, for all the staffs or individuals that respond this study, Yifeng & Tjosvold (2008) reported, “124 [or 62.3%] of them have Bachelor's degrees and 39 [or 19.6%] of them have Master's degrees or doctorates” (p.150). This study therefore was focusing on senior employees or staffs, supervisors, managers, or middle to upper management levels with higher education (e.g., at least over 80% of all the participants graduated from university levels) and not general employees or workers in the production lines. The authors, however, did not clarify this control or limitation in their study.  In all, this article helps me understanding greatly the notions and subject matters of leadership, goal or objective interdependence and leader-member relation for cross-cultural leadership in joint venture in China. This article strengthened and supported the reading from the texts and discussion in the classes I have been exposed so far on this topic and the subject matters of leadership.

Application:  The questions: Is this an article that can be used in your own practice of leadership?  Do you think the article will change the way you approach a situation, project, or discussion related to this topic at work?  Could you share information in the article with your colleagues or supervisor?
       Absolutely, nowadays, as our labor force is so diversity with increasing cost of human resources, operations management and production in a highly competitive marketplace. The concepts of cooperation, leader-member relationship, and cross-cultural leadership or the theory of LMX (as in the article and the above examinations) are very important in our modern management and leadership.
        After study the article and examine the findings, it will certainly change the way I approach a situation, project, or discussion related to goal interdependence and leader-member relationship with cross-cultural leadership at work. I consider and agree that cooperative goals (but not competitive or independent) between managers and members of staffs, especially in a diversified labor force with different culture or value and belief systems, not only can support their leader-member relationship, but also make easy and smooth the progress of cross-cultural leadership.
         In order to increase cost effective and efficient, improve the values of stakeholders and advance customer services and management excellence, as in the role of an executive in a storefront and service company, I would share information and analysis in the article with my colleagues and managers immediately. In the business world, as people always state: survival of the fittest. The company must keep leadership and management approach up-to-date with opening communication and open-minded. Effective leadership is the key to success in the slow economy and competitive market.

Conclusion:  The article of “Goal interdependence and leader-member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in foreign ventures in China,” from Leadership & organization development Journal, and by Nancy Chen Yifeng, and Dean Tjosvold was relatively easy to understand, read, and informative with a lots of great research data, tables, diagrams and references.  The article did live up to its study and goal with my expectations; however, the title of the article should changed and indicated more specific that the study was focusing on Japanese and American managers and joint ventures (e.g., all 199 valid copies of questionnaires in this study were completed by those who had Japanese or American managers) in China. Last but not least, as the above examinations and discussions, in order to understand more in the issues of cooperation goals, better leader-member relationship and cross-culture leadership with the objectives of increasing cost effective and efficient, improving the values of stakeholders and advancing customer services and management excellence, I would recommend the article to all my colleagues and managers to help them understand the significant of diversity, different culture with modern management and leadership.

References

Northouse, P. (2007). Leadership (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Yifeng, N., & Tjosvold, D. (2008). Goal interdependence and leader-

     member relationship for cross-cultural leadership in foreign ventures in China.

     Leadership & organization development Journal, 29 (2), pp. 144-166. Retrieved May 13,

         2009, from ProQuest database.