mercredi 19 février 2014

Chinese employees' Level of Engagement is still very Low

A 2013 survey by Gallup[1] revealed quite negative results about Employees’Engagement at work in China. Actually this country has one of the lowest engagement rate in the world:
Engaged: 6% in 2012, up from 2% in 2009.
Not engaged: 68%
Actively disengaged: 26%

Across social categories, the results are different as usual since education level and job interest play an important role in engagement:

Blue collars :
Engaged: 6%
Not engaged: 67%
Actively disengaged: 26%

Sales & Service workers:
Engaged: 4%
Not engaged: 69%
Actively disengaged: 27%


Professional workers and managers/executives/officials:
Engaged: 8%
Not engaged: 71%
Actively disengaged: 20%

 Despite the improvement, engagement in China is still low compared with the global average of 11% that Gallup measured in 2009.
 For Gallup the reason is clear: “Chinese Employees Don’t Feel They Have a Voice at Work”. Since “Chinese workplaces are often characterized by “commandand-control” hierarchical structures, and in many cases, people are not selected as managers for their ability to engage and develop employees. This practice is particularly troubling as Gallup’s research shows that managers have a critical impact on their employees’ engagement levels.
Gallup’s 2012 surveys reveal that 57% of Chinese workers say their job is ideal for them — among the lowest figures in East and Southeast Asia.
Most Chinese employees believe that their efforts are insufficiently recognized and rewarded. Gallup compared these results with a similar survey conducted 15 years ago, and observed Chinese blue collars have became more individualistic, seeking to fulfill their personal ambitions.
However they are disappointed by local companies offering few opportunities to learn and grow. The prevailing sentiment seems to be frustration: "I am not important nor for my manager nor for my company."
The cause has been identified : authoritarian management style and favoritism do not value individuals - and cannot meet young generation’s expectations anymore.

Consideration for Human Resources in Chinese companies is a brand new phenomenon. It is obviously driven by talent shortage: worker is still an “object” exploited at will. There are usually despised by top managers, as this remark from a Chinese store manager to his European colleague: Why do you greet this woman? She is the office maid!”
Reversely white collar has become a valuable person of value deserving to be taken care of, motivated and retained… So HR Departments now take their needs and expectations into consideration. To understand RH management in China, it is essential to distinguish between educated Chinese employees and low-educated workers. We can even dare to draw a parallel Confucius’distinction between “little people” 小人 xiaoren and gentlemen 君子 junzi. In China, behavior, communication and management style mostly depend on who you are.


mardi 18 février 2014

French meetings and reports - How Chinese can fit in?

Continuons notre commentaire de lecture sur le livre "French management, elitism in action". Il nous offre un miroir intéressant, notamment pour mieux comprendre comment les Chinois vivent leur intégration dans un groupe français.

"Formal meeting are often prefered to informal 'Management by walking',  this American interactive and unstructured approach, which is perceived as "flicage". French preference for meetings is understandable in that these are occasions for planning and reflection (intellectual effort) and bring conflicts to a head. As an expatriate foreign manager complained: In this country, they love intellectual debate, discusions and calling into question, even if it means equivocating and pushing back the actual moment of decision."
"Organizational status can be enhanced by skilful advocacy and stylish expression or lost through poor eloquence and reasoning."

C'est une réalité implacable pour les Chinois car ils manquent souvent d'éloquence en réunion, et cela les dessert beaucoup. Leur réserve est parfois assimilée à un manque de capacité d'analyse ou de résolution de problèmes. Peut-on imaginer en France un professionnel pourvu d'une intelligence critique mais qui ne s'en servirait pas en réunion? Un leader qui aurait du leadership mais ne le montrerait pas publiquement? Cacher son talent est un spécialité chinoise: par éducation, par respect (démesuré en contexte occidental, mais  obligatoire en Chine) de l'autorité, pour protéger la face des uns et des autres...
C'est pourquoi je coache des managers chinois à un mode de communication plus direct (éviter les allusions) et plus assertive (oser dire non, et si on est d'accord, dire pourquoi pour montrer son intelligence). Garder le silence en réunion est assimilé en France à une forme de passivité nuisible à l'image.
 
"While managers from US and Britain place high value on compromise, the French tend to interpret the word negatively. By French reasoning, why go for a second-rate or improvized solution if the perfect solution is vailable either through clever synthesis or by achieving consensus on which is the better idea? Persuasion in France  is about beating the opposition into intellectual submission And that can take time."

Participer au débat plutôt que se mettre en retrait est le premier objectif sur lequel je fais travailler les cadres chinois. Le second est d'animer une réunion avec des collaborateurs français. Grand challenge pour un manager chinois peu habitué à être challengé par ses n-1, qui plus est en meeting: c'est la cause la plus classique de perte de face. J'explique aux managers chinois qu'être consultés est essentiel pour que les Français se sentent respectés, et donc ne sabotent pas les décisions prises par le patron. Ainsi la perte de face est compensée par un gain:  la possibilité pour le manager de prendre in fine sa décision.

"Internal reports play a greater role than in Anglo countries which rely more on oral présentations and discussions for disseminating information.  French cadre will spend time reading and commenting on reports which have been circulated. They will also spend time preparing such reports for others to read Conceptual consistency and style is more important than practical feasibility. So it requires mental preparation and intellectual work to argumenting with French colleagues."

Ces remarques sont valables pour les Chinois, adaptes de l'informel, qui sont réticents à rédiger des rapports surtout s'il s'agit d'analyse des risques (je vais me faire des ennemis), des plannings ou des forecasts (le futur étant imprévisible, je vais perdre la face), leur vision pour la marque (mais qu'est-ce que le patron attend de moi?).
Néanmoins, ces aptitudes se travaillent et grâce à l'accompagnement personnalisé de ces managers chinois souvent capables d'une grande flexibilité, le changement est possible!