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Find out how to be an effective boss in China.
© iStockphoto/Nikada
What comes to mind when you think of working in China? Perhaps you picture city streets crowded with people. Or maybe you consider the challenging language barrier, or the country's incredibly diverse culture. For many of us, it's a place that can really capture the imagination.
In addition to being the oldest continuous civilization on the planet, China's economy is the fastest growing in the world. It's also the most populated country on the planet, making up almost 20 percent of the global population.
As you might imagine, living and working in such a diverse and different country can be an exciting and challenging opportunity. If you're facing a transfer to China, or you've been assigned a Chinese team to manage, you might be wondering just how to manage people from this unique culture.
In this article, we'll examine what it's like to live, manage, and work in China. We'll cover basic business etiquette, and we'll introduce you to some of the local employment laws.
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Rowley, C. and Cooke, F. L. (2010) The Changing Face of Management in China, Abingdon: Routledge.
Kan, J. and Hakwan, L. (2007) Live & Work in China and Hong Kong, Lanham: Crimson.
Seligman, S.D. (1999) Chinese Business Etiquette, New York: Warner.
Morrison, T. and Conaway, W.A. (2006) Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 2nd Revised Edition, Avon: Adams.
Zhang, C. (2011) Working Time System in China, Employment Law in China, [online] Available here. [Accessed 22 July 2011].
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