Framework for Success: Overcoming Contemporary Challenges of Western Expatriate Managers in the Chinese Hospitality Industry

Does workplace guanxi matter to hotel career success?

“…Scholars have suggested that the cultural barrier is the main cause of potential expatriate failures and also induces higher requirements for skill, ability and personality than working domestically (Lee, 2007;Shin et al, 2007;Stock and Genisyürek, 2012;Toh et al, 2012). In particular, expatriate employees have great difficulty in joining the local guanxi network due to inadequate adjustment to the new culture and language environment (Mejia et al, 2015). Therefore, the last two hypotheses are proposed: Hypothesis 7a.…”

“…Cultural and language barriers impede interpersonal communication and guanxi building for expatriate workers, who may perceive themselves as undervalued and alienated, and thus tend not to voice their ideas. Furthermore, non-local employees may not value the traditional guanxi ties as much as local people do, while their previously established behaviors and norms may not work in a foreign context (Mejia et al, 2015). Therefore, although expatriates rely on workplace support to enhance promotive voice and alleviate stress (Loi et al, 2014), it is more challenging for them to establish personal ties and capitalize on workplace guanxi for career development, compared with their local counterparts.…”

Subordinates' perceptions of Western expatriate hotel managers in China: The effects of conflict avoidance

“…In addition to meeting organizational and financial goals, expatriate managers must also quickly learn Chinese societal protocols in order to retain staff and demonstrate success in the position (Mejia et al, 2015). The following constructs are presented to show the relationships between conflict avoidance styles of Chinese hotel employees with perceived favorable interactions with the expatriate, and in turn, the Chinese hotel employees' willingness to help the expatriate.…”

“…Even new expatriates who are trained prior to entering Chinese organizations still experience difficulties assimilating to the business culture (Paine, 2010). Most expatriates go through an indoctrination period, committing cultural offenses unbeknownst to them (Mejia et al, 2015). While this trial and error period is inevitable to some extent, there are cross-communication methods which could be employed to mitigate the effects of likely cultural offenses.…”

“…The future needs of the Chinese hospitality workforce are significant because currently there is a labor and skill shortage in the hotel industry (Wolfington & Wolfington, 2012). As hotel development continues to expand, the rate at which qualified staff will be ready is not on par with the growth, and serious concerns among those in hotel operations are increasing (Mejia, Phelan, & Aday, 2015). The recruitment of expatriate hotel managers will be a critical activity to those multinational firms who seek to continue rapid expansion with limited local talent (Causin, Ayoun, & Moreo, 2011).…”