Encounters between foreigners and Chinese: Perception and management of cultural differences

The aim of this research is to investigate how foreign (non-mainland Chinese) architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals manage cross-cultural encounters with mainland Chinese in the construction industry. The specific objectives are to identify perceived cultural differences between Chinese and foreigners when executing construction projects, based on the perceptions of foreign personnel only; and recommend a framework to manage cross-cultural encounters between foreigners and Chinese. The data collection method was face-to-face in-depth interviews with 19 foreign AEC practitioners who had worked with Chinese in construction projects in mainland China. The main perceived differences were: 1. the absence of team spirit in Chinese staff; 2. the need to micro-manage Chinese staff; 3. the lack of initiative in Chinese staff; 4. difficulty in communicating with Chinese staff; 5. the absence of trust among the Chinese and by Chinese of foreigners; 6. Chinese firms' attempts at recovery of under-pricing following contract award; 7. ease of settling disputes with Chinese; 8. lack of safety and quality culture; and 9. prevalence of networking culture.