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跨国公司总部：是敌是友？
我从跨国公司大中华区高管口中最常听见的一句抱怨就是：公司总部对中国简直“一窍不通”。长期以来，中国的变化日新月异，连一直生活在这里的人都不能做到与时俱进、明查秋毫，那些居住、工作在远方的人自然就更是孤陋寡闻。 试想一位身处万里之遥的总部工作人员，他可能从未到过中国，或者只来过屈指可数的几次，他自认为对中国的了解和当地的实际情况之间，常常会存在着巨大的断层。 中国国内的经理常常要花费大量的时间和精力，来教育和说服总部采取正确的对华策略。私下里，这些经理对需要耗费大量的工作时间进行教育说服以及应付（对中国）无知的高层带来的烦恼颇有微词。 我曾和驻中国内地或香港的一些公司高管探讨过这个问题。他们当中既有中国人，也有外国人，很多都供职于《财富》500强企业，公司的对华贸易及投资数额巨大，历史悠久。 这种知识和经验上的断层、以及由此引发的后果正是近来造成许多本地高管舍弃跨国公司、转投国内企业的背后因素之一。当然，更富吸引力的薪酬待遇，逃离巨大的文化差异和观念冲突也是其中的一些原因。 不久以前，本地高级人才还对跨国公司的职位青睐有加，因为那里的学习、提升和培训机会都比较多，收入也高，而且还有可能派驻海外生活或工作一段时间。 如今，这种就业观已经发生了明显的改变，无异是给已经处于白热化竞争的人才市场火上浇油。 我还常听人抱怨：总部的工作人员来香港或内地时，总希望本地同事能在周末或假日加班工作或出席活动。可等到香港或国内的同事反过来去找他们——比如说去纽约的时候，总部那帮家伙一到周五就玩儿消失，非得等到下周一才又现身。指望周末在总部召集会议或组织活动，根本就“不合规矩”。 但也不是所有的公司总部都存在这种认知缺陷。早些时候我曾和一家欧洲大制造商驻中国的CEO聊过，他告诉我公司在制定对华扩张和投资大计时，就已经意识到高层管理人员必须了解当地情况并具有当地经验。他们将这一想法落实到了公司董事会的继任计划中。结果，公司近一半的董事都具有在亚洲生活或工作的经历，大部分还曾在中国工作过。 不出所料地，他们在中国取得了令其他同行和竞争对手刮目相看的骄人业绩。正所谓事在人为，最高领导掌握第一手的中国（或其他主要市场的）生活和工作经验绝对是个巨大优势。 |
Multinational Company Headquarters Offices: Friend or Foe? A common complaint I hear from senior managers at MNCs in Greater China is that their head office just doesn't "get it" on China. China has been changing so quickly and dramatically for so long that it challenges even people who live here to keep current and well-informed, let alone people who live and work far away. For a head office executive based 10,000 miles away who has either never been to China or only visited a handful of times, there is often a big disconnect between what they think they know and the actual reality on the ground. Managers in China spend an enormous amount of time and effort trying to educate and convince HQ of the right moves to make in China. Privately they complain about the percentage of their total working time spent on such endeavors and the frustration of dealing with poorly informed (when it comes to China) senior management. I have had conversations along these lines with senior executives based in China or Hong Kong, including Chinese as well as foreigners, among very major FORTUNE Global 500 companies who have been doing an enormous amount of trade and investment with China for many years. I think this knowledge and experience gap and the issues which arise from it is a factor behind many senior local executives leaving MNCs in China in recent times, to go to work for Chinese companies. More competitive compensation and benefits packages are obviously also a factor, as are escaping the big cultural differences and points of friction. Not too long ago, top local talent mostly preferred to work for MNCs because of learning, advancement, training and income opportunities including the chance to live and work abroad for a time. This is changing quite noticeably, adding fuel to an already hyper-competitive talent market. Another complaint I often hear is that head office people, when they visit HK/China, expect their locally-based colleagues to be available for work and social activities on weekends and holidays. When the tables are turned, however, and HK/China colleagues visit them in, say, New York, the HQ folks disappear from the office on Friday and re-appear on Monday. Weekend meetings and activities at the HQ level are just not the "done" thing. Not all HQ-level management teams suffer from this of knowledge gap. I spoke with one major European manufacturing company's China CEO awhile back who told me that as early as 20 years ago, when they embarked on a major China expansion and investment plan, they realized they would require local knowledge and experience at very senior levels. They factored this into their succession planning for members of their corporate board of directors. As a result, roughly half the members of their corporate board have lived and worked in Asia, mostly including in China, at some point in their careers. Not surprisingly, the company's track record in China is one of stellar success compared to their peers and competitors. People make all the difference, and top executives with first-hand living and working experience in China (or any other major market) are an enormous advantage. |
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