Coding results about expatriates’ effective leadership behaviors
| Philosophy | Doctrine | Expatriates’ leadership practice | Selected empirical evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confucianism | Self-perfection | Be a role model Praise the ethic of hard work | A leader should set a good example for the company, such as his hard-working attitude. Other important details are to be a role model, for example, cleaning the coffee mug. (Leader 29) Leaders set an example by standing up and showing Asian employees how to work with the Dutch. (Leader 30) |
| Learning orientation | A leader needs to walk out of his comfort zone and keep challenging himself and learning from the environment. (Leader 4) I learn not only what I need to know in my position but also try to know more about what other people are doing to get a complete picture. (Leader 14) | ||
| Benevolence | Sympathy | Some employees may be frustrated by failure. As a leader, I help him/her to get past difficult times. I try to be a mentor for my employees. (Leader 1) You have to show your sympathy for their situation. For example, one employee’s house got into trouble and he needs to fix it by himself. In China, this is a small and irrelevant issue at work. In the Netherlands, taking care of one’s house is important. So, I allow him to take a leave for this small issue. (Leader 25) | |
| Put self in other’s shoes | As a leader in a cross-cultural context, he needs to put himself in the Dutch employee’s shoes. Assume that you are a Dutch, would you do the same thing? Then you will understand your Dutch employees and persuade them in a better way. (Leader 11) | ||
| Encourage people to grow based on their merits Developing subordinates (coaching) | The Netherlands have a wage policy that diminishes opportunities for motivating employees with higher salaries. So, a leader needs to adopt other ways to encourage employees, such as involving them in important meetings, public exposure, the chance for personal development, etc. (Leader 25) I will help employees to grow based on their interests and abilities. I constantly have one-on-one conversations with employees to find their potential, based on which I can provide them with training opportunities. (Leader 10) | ||
| Friendly work environment | We have team-building activities, such as dinners or buffets. I will create opportunities for both Dutch and Chinese employees to communicate. (Leader 20) | ||
| Humility | Patience | You have to be patient to explain job details to Dutch employees. They need to know the reason behind a change so that the next time the same issue appears, they will know how to deal with it. (Leader 6) The Dutch like to express their opinions. Chinese managers sometimes lack patience for listening. Even if the manager doesn’t agree with their solutions, he needs to sincerely listen to what they want to say. It matters for the Dutch to feel included on the team. (Leader 21) | |
| Trust and respect subordinates | Trust is the basis for business. You have no choice but to trust the local employees at the beginning because the information is limited. (Leader 8) | ||
| Be modest | Compared to most Chinese, I’m not very modest. But compared to Dutch managers, I am modest and easier to approach. (Leader 26) | ||
| Righteousness | Company has high ethical standards (social responsibility) | Other than personal goals, a leader is responsible for the organization as well as the society and for conveying ethical values to the employees. (Leader 21) As an entrepreneur, you have to make your employees feel proud working for you. (Leader 13) | |
| Taoism | Flexibility | Contingency approach Flexibility to adjust organizational structures | We can’t say which leadership style is better than the other. A successful leader should be flexible and able to adjust themselves based on different situations. (Leader 4) |
| Balance | Coordinator | It’s important to keep a balance when dealing with Dutch and Chinese employees. They have different communication behaviors. My major task is to be a coordinator between the two cultures, creating a positive team climate and encouraging mutual communication. (Leader 20) | |
| Balance headquarters and local | I act as a bridge between headquarters and the local office. I keep local employees informed about what is happening in Beijing headquarters so that they will feel like part of the bigger system. (Leader 8) | ||
| Balance dominance and modesty | Chinese need to be more outspoken in the Netherlands. We were educated to think over and over before action. But when you figure all the things out, the meeting is over. However, speaking all the time can make people feel dominated. A leader needs to find a good communication balance between being modest and dominant. (Leader 13) | ||
| Altruism | Be an observer | As a leader, you need to observe by yourself rather than listen to gossip. People are different in personalities and working abilities. (Leader 26) | |
| No action Do less but drive others to perform Empowering | I believe that all my colleagues are good people. After some time, team members learn how to deal with conflicts by themselves. It’s useless for a boss to push things every day. (Leader 29) My job is to think and guide the team to a direction rather than trap myself into technical daily management. (Leader 30) Local employees favor a high degree of autonomy. the leader’s job is to inspire employees instead of micro-managing every step. You need to leave the Dutch enough autonomy to work on their own. (Leader 18) | ||
| Legalism | Objective | Fair and ensure transparency | The Dutch like to do things based on a clear procedure. For example, they keep daily meetings in an archive. It’s their way of thinking about fairness. They can’t trust a manager who holds all information and resources. They worry about what may happen if the manager leaves. (Leader 21) |
| Universal application of organizational rules | Adopt different incentive system. (Leader 6) Establish rigorous rules and implement them. (Leader 8) Promote managers by their ability to develop people. (Leader 15) Put the right person in the right position. (Leader 19) Have accountable performance. (Leader 2) | ||
| Encourage employees to work for their own benefit | The Netherlands is a mercantilism country. You have to provide them with clear benefits, including money, career, and work atmosphere. (Leader 25) | ||
| Severe | Fire an unqualified person | It’s a family business. My parents are Chinese; they are quite soft on local employees. I have to stand up once in a while and act tough; if the person is inappropriate for the position, I’ll just fire him or her. (Leader 5) | |
| Control meeting | We have a lot of meetings in the Netherlands. As a leader, I am responsible for controlling the meeting and meeting the target. I have to be a bit pushy or even autocratic during the meetings, otherwise the meetings are endless. (Leader 10) | ||
| Stick to core principles | The local employees like to express their opinions. It’s important that a leader has his own evaluation system to judge what is right and what is wrong and that he explains it to employees clearly. (Leader 8) | ||
| Professionalism | Professionalism in supervisor-employee relationship | Compared to Chinese employees, the Dutch have less emotional attachment to their work. They tend to set clear boundaries between work and life. It’s more important to describe job duties clearly to them. (Leader 7) | |
| Professional guidance | The best way to earn local employees’ respect is to make them feel that you are knowledgeable, especially for a young leader. With professional knowledge, I can confidently persuade my employees. (Leader 29) |
| Philosophy | Doctrine | Expatriates’ leadership practice | Selected empirical evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confucianism | Self-perfection | Be a role model Praise the ethic of hard work | A leader should set a good example for the company, such as his hard-working attitude. Other important details are to be a role model, for example, cleaning the coffee mug. (Leader 29) Leaders set an example by standing up and showing Asian employees how to work with the Dutch. (Leader 30) |
| Learning orientation | A leader needs to walk out of his comfort zone and keep challenging himself and learning from the environment. (Leader 4) I learn not only what I need to know in my position but also try to know more about what other people are doing to get a complete picture. (Leader 14) | ||
| Benevolence | Sympathy | Some employees may be frustrated by failure. As a leader, I help him/her to get past difficult times. I try to be a mentor for my employees. (Leader 1) You have to show your sympathy for their situation. For example, one employee’s house got into trouble and he needs to fix it by himself. In China, this is a small and irrelevant issue at work. In the Netherlands, taking care of one’s house is important. So, I allow him to take a leave for this small issue. (Leader 25) | |
| Put self in other’s shoes | As a leader in a cross-cultural context, he needs to put himself in the Dutch employee’s shoes. Assume that you are a Dutch, would you do the same thing? Then you will understand your Dutch employees and persuade them in a better way. (Leader 11) | ||
| Encourage people to grow based on their merits Developing subordinates (coaching) | The Netherlands have a wage policy that diminishes opportunities for motivating employees with higher salaries. So, a leader needs to adopt other ways to encourage employees, such as involving them in important meetings, public exposure, the chance for personal development, etc. (Leader 25) I will help employees to grow based on their interests and abilities. I constantly have one-on-one conversations with employees to find their potential, based on which I can provide them with training opportunities. (Leader 10) | ||
| Friendly work environment | We have team-building activities, such as dinners or buffets. I will create opportunities for both Dutch and Chinese employees to communicate. (Leader 20) | ||
| Humility | Patience | You have to be patient to explain job details to Dutch employees. They need to know the reason behind a change so that the next time the same issue appears, they will know how to deal with it. (Leader 6) The Dutch like to express their opinions. Chinese managers sometimes lack patience for listening. Even if the manager doesn’t agree with their solutions, he needs to sincerely listen to what they want to say. It matters for the Dutch to feel included on the team. (Leader 21) | |
| Trust and respect subordinates | Trust is the basis for business. You have no choice but to trust the local employees at the beginning because the information is limited. (Leader 8) | ||
| Be modest | Compared to most Chinese, I’m not very modest. But compared to Dutch managers, I am modest and easier to approach. (Leader 26) | ||
| Righteousness | Company has high ethical standards (social responsibility) | Other than personal goals, a leader is responsible for the organization as well as the society and for conveying ethical values to the employees. (Leader 21) As an entrepreneur, you have to make your employees feel proud working for you. (Leader 13) | |
| Taoism | Flexibility | Contingency approach Flexibility to adjust organizational structures | We can’t say which leadership style is better than the other. A successful leader should be flexible and able to adjust themselves based on different situations. (Leader 4) |
| Balance | Coordinator | It’s important to keep a balance when dealing with Dutch and Chinese employees. They have different communication behaviors. My major task is to be a coordinator between the two cultures, creating a positive team climate and encouraging mutual communication. (Leader 20) | |
| Balance headquarters and local | I act as a bridge between headquarters and the local office. I keep local employees informed about what is happening in Beijing headquarters so that they will feel like part of the bigger system. (Leader 8) | ||
| Balance dominance and modesty | Chinese need to be more outspoken in the Netherlands. We were educated to think over and over before action. But when you figure all the things out, the meeting is over. However, speaking all the time can make people feel dominated. A leader needs to find a good communication balance between being modest and dominant. (Leader 13) | ||
| Altruism | Be an observer | As a leader, you need to observe by yourself rather than listen to gossip. People are different in personalities and working abilities. (Leader 26) | |
| No action Do less but drive others to perform Empowering | I believe that all my colleagues are good people. After some time, team members learn how to deal with conflicts by themselves. It’s useless for a boss to push things every day. (Leader 29) My job is to think and guide the team to a direction rather than trap myself into technical daily management. (Leader 30) Local employees favor a high degree of autonomy. the leader’s job is to inspire employees instead of micro-managing every step. You need to leave the Dutch enough autonomy to work on their own. (Leader 18) | ||
| Legalism | Objective | Fair and ensure transparency | The Dutch like to do things based on a clear procedure. For example, they keep daily meetings in an archive. It’s their way of thinking about fairness. They can’t trust a manager who holds all information and resources. They worry about what may happen if the manager leaves. (Leader 21) |
| Universal application of organizational rules | Adopt different incentive system. (Leader 6) Establish rigorous rules and implement them. (Leader 8) Promote managers by their ability to develop people. (Leader 15) Put the right person in the right position. (Leader 19) Have accountable performance. (Leader 2) | ||
| Encourage employees to work for their own benefit | The Netherlands is a mercantilism country. You have to provide them with clear benefits, including money, career, and work atmosphere. (Leader 25) | ||
| Severe | Fire an unqualified person | It’s a family business. My parents are Chinese; they are quite soft on local employees. I have to stand up once in a while and act tough; if the person is inappropriate for the position, I’ll just fire him or her. (Leader 5) | |
| Control meeting | We have a lot of meetings in the Netherlands. As a leader, I am responsible for controlling the meeting and meeting the target. I have to be a bit pushy or even autocratic during the meetings, otherwise the meetings are endless. (Leader 10) | ||
| Stick to core principles | The local employees like to express their opinions. It’s important that a leader has his own evaluation system to judge what is right and what is wrong and that he explains it to employees clearly. (Leader 8) | ||
| Professionalism | Professionalism in supervisor-employee relationship | Compared to Chinese employees, the Dutch have less emotional attachment to their work. They tend to set clear boundaries between work and life. It’s more important to describe job duties clearly to them. (Leader 7) | |
| Professional guidance | The best way to earn local employees’ respect is to make them feel that you are knowledgeable, especially for a young leader. With professional knowledge, I can confidently persuade my employees. (Leader 29) |
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