From Regional Star to Global Leader

I believe Jianguo can successfully make the transition but before he can do that he needs break the cross cultural barrier and make some adjustments to the way he carries out business.

Jianguo needs to develop new skills to adapt to international markets. He came from a completely different business culture in China where if you have the job title then you are ultimately the boss and make all the decisions. In China, they consider others giving the boss advice to be interfering with their boss’s job and somewhat dominant. This is how Jianguo perceives Alain’s and Yves’ comments and why he becomes defensive. In order to succeed at Deronde International he will need to lose his old ways and learn how to do things the french way.

Jianguo needs to stay away from being seen as a supporter for China. He comes off like all he cares about is China and how he wants to bring Chinese culture to other countries. An example of this is when he says “I have some other ideas.” He stated that his idea was to create an appetite for ambient fragrances among Chinese youth. The new offering would need to be subtle- light and floral. Jianguo needs to get away from his Chinese culture and start with focusing on the French. I think it would be a good idea for him to meet with Alain and discuss methods he can use to become successful in his new role. Also, they should discuss ways for Jianguo to achieve his goals and how to assemble an effective team that is capable of helping him with his duties. He cannot accomplish these goals without the help of his team members because they know the culture and he doesn’t have much experience in their culture. He needs to rely on their expertise. I think that once he becomes successful his team will see this and become more tolerant of his ways. Jianguo has a great understanding and knowledge but he needs to adjust himself to the French culture. It would be wise for him to go out and experience their culture for himself. He needs to understand the...