Differences in workplace characteristics between USA and China

Before diving straight into work features, I would like to share about the general work cultures and corporate governance methodology of companies in USA versus companies in China.

Culture: Companies in the United States values professionalism and thus they try to foster a culture filled with such characteristics (competence, integrity, respect, diplomatic exchanges etc.). Companies in China on the other hand aim to build family-oriented constructs and thus they cultivate cultures that focus on good family values like relationship, respect, family-first etc.

Corporate governance methodology: In both China and United States, companies strive to survive and outlast competition. To do that, they must make money and be profitable in the long run. While the corporate goal is common, the general approach towards realizing that goal differs between China and the United States. Many corporates in the United States are willing invest in the intangibles, such as emotional well-being of the employees or volunteer work, in their pursuit of profitability. Most corporates in China are grounded and practical. Thus, they adopt a capitalistic approach towards profit-making.

1. Office Chatter

For most people, chit-chat at work makes up a large part of their mental and emotional well-being.

USA: Due to the pursuit of professionalism, most office chatter revolves around exchange of pleasantries followed by light inquiries around weekend activities, plans or hobbies. Conversations are generally short and infused with positivity and cordiality. People tend to refrain from expressing raw emotions and sharp objections. Chats can take place anywhere in the office, most commonly in the breakroom and corridors but also in labs or at the desk.

Point: Feel free to say hi and engage in short conversations with co-workers around pets/weekend activities etc. Avoid exuding negativities in those conversations.

China: A family-centric environment ironically results in development of multiple tight smaller cliques within the company. Chatter outside of cliques rarely progresses beyond a nod or a hand wave. Within cliques, conversations dive into deeper personal topics such as relationships, prejudices, political opinions etc. and are thus lengthier. As a result, such conversations generally exist in labs. It is typical to establish friendships beyond work with co-workers in the clique while maintaining close to zero interaction with others outside the clique.

Point: Build a social circle and be comfortable with sharing deeper feelings and stories about personal lives. Asking people outside of your clique about their weekends invites discomfort.

2. Meals

Most people spend their lunch time and/or dinner time at work. It is something that can either be an enjoyable or awkward experience.

USA: Lunch time is not strictly defined. It starts when you are hungry and ends when you are again ready for work. In the bay area, many companies provide catered food for their employees while it is also not unusual for employees to swing by a bistro or restaurant nearby for lunch. For companies in more remote locations, employees generally either dine at in-house cafeteria or prepare their own lunch box that can be heated through microwave. Regardless of the origination of the food, the two most prevalent objectives during mealtimes are either socialisation or energy-replenishment. Seated along a long table, lunchtime socialisation is an animated affair with conversations around work or non-work-related topics that are not too serious or personal. The objective is to enjoy the meal and the vibe that comes with it. On the other end of the spectrum, busy bees eat at their desk while working simultaneously to clear an ever-growing pile of work on time.

Point: Lunch time might be a good opportunity to interact with people whom you infrequently work with. Chatting with complete strangers of course can be a little weird. Feel free to work while eating if work is calling.

China: Food can come from nearby industrial cafeteria, a drive down to a restaurant or self-prep food in a lunchbox. Unlike the USA however, catered food is not common in Chinese companies. However, food delivery is a quick, cheap, and well-established option which is hugely popular amongst the younger audience. Most companies in China have clearer lunch time schedule (generally 1hr-1.5hr between 11:30am — 1:30pm), which contributes to somewhat different lunchtime habits. At work, most Chinese do not eat in large group along a long table but rather within the small cliques mentioned above. Eating alone is common too. There is generally a rush to finish the meal as quickly as possible since most Chinese subscribe to the practice of daytime napping (午休) during lunchtime and intend to squeeze in as much shut-eye as possible within the pre-determined lunch time period. Rarely do people work during lunchtime. Rather, most people would rather spend this time on relaxing activities to decompress and revitalise themselves for the second half of the day. In this regard, “break time” instead of “lunch time” will be a more appropriate description.

Point: Either stick to the clique or dine alone at your desk. Have a novel or show ready to entertain yourself while you eat. Feel free to rest after meals if it is within the stipulated break time.

3. Physical and mental fitness

While there is clear evidence that better body, better mind results in better work, it is debatable as to who is responsible for maintaining the mind body fitness.

USA: An increasing number of employers are starting to provide varying degrees of benefits for employees’ health, fitness, or wellness in the form of gym membership, massage or physical therapy related welfare and resources on mental health. This might be due to the trickle-down effect of generous tech giants like Google and Meta where data appears to suggest that when corporate actively cares for employees’ mind and body, employees produce better work. However, this relationship is not well-established so in recent years companies in the United States have been back-paddling on such initiatives.

Point: Avail yourself to the physical and mental fitness benefits offered by the company.

China: The pragmatic capitalistic slant towards corporate governance makes company-led mind body fitness benefits less justifiable. Most companies do not have any provision for physical and mental health training. Until there are conclusive studies to prove that employer driven initiatives to improve employee’s physical and mental fitness can benefit company’s bottom line, employers will likely remain passive observers on this issue.

Point: It is your mind and body anyways, so establish a habit or regiment to keep your fitness in these areas.

4. Work related social events

Most companies allocate fundings for company-driven social activities. These might be company-wide events like annual parties/retreat or team-focused events like team builder or team lunch. Such “official” socialisation activities comprise of 4 elements: Place, time, agenda, and attendance.

In the United States, casual settings are generally preferred. An open rooftop, field, bar, or even within the breakroom of the company are choice locations. In China, such events tend to be held at formal and extravagant locations. A classy restaurant or hotel ballroom are typically where the event will be held at.

For the element of time, companies in the United States opt for shorter events usually held during regular working hours. In China, events are generally lengthier and held outside of working hours.

When attending these events in United States and China, I was also struck by how different the scheduled agendas are. In the US, agenda are generally non-existent or spontaneously triggered. Individual employees are expected to go around and strike up conversations with one another like a bunch of social butterflies to keep the vibe of the event bustling and energetic. In China, the event organising crew would generally publish a planned agenda, which is a series of activities to be executed during the event. For instance, there might be a string of presentations, an ice breaker, a performance, mealtime etc. that would happen in pre-determined order. Individual employees can afford to be passive audience to the event until it is their turn to execute their scripted part.

Lastly, event attendance is highly encouraged in both the US and China. In the US however, employees are less pressured to attend the event and have greater flexibility around when to join and leave the event. For instance, it is usual for employees to join midway into an annual party and leave after a few drinks and bites. Corporates in China place greater emphasis on attendance. Attending the event entails arriving by or before the pre-determined event start time and leaving only at the end of the event.

Point: In the United States, no pressure on social events attendance. Even if you choose to attend, feel free to join or leave at any time. What you get out of the even depends on your networking and interaction skills. In China, try to attend the social events as much as possible and follow the schedule. If you are required to perform or present during the event, you will be notified in advanced.

5. Office décor and amenities

Office environments in the United States are generally carpeted while those in China are generally tiled. In the United States, pantry areas come stocked with solid selection of coffee, beverages, cereals, and snacks. China however places more attention to greeneries and will situate potted plants along desks, meeting rooms or reception areas. On an interesting note, emergency stairways, loading and unloading zones also double-up as unofficial smoking zones in China so one can usually find people in those areas.

6. Meetings

As someone who has hosted multiple meetings before, I have pondered extensively about how meetings can be made efficient and effective in professional environments if they are indeed necessary. I intend to discuss more about meetings in future posts and in this section, I would share more about how meeting characteristics are different between the United States and China.

USA: Meetings are generally goal-oriented sessions that should not last longer than they need to be. There is an implicit understanding that no one likes meeting even though it is a “necessary evil”. Thus, meetings are structured to drive the “necessary” agenda forward as succinctly as possible. Most meetings therefore feel like checkbox sessions that move quickly from one topic to another. Everyone in the meeting can contribute and in reality, most people do. To prevent meetings from spiralling into idle chat sessions, attendees might be required to maintain slightly uncomfortable positions like standing.

Point: Respect the time of the attendees and only invite relevant attendees. If you are running the meeting, keep it brief and target driven. If discussions are spiralling out of hand, schedule another meeting with the sole purpose of addressing that discussion with relevant members only.

China: Meetings are treated with much greater reverence. Meetings in China are lengthier formal sessions that serve multiple goals concurrently. These might include discussions about a topic, brainstorming, maintaining formality, fostering a spirit of togetherness, information sharing and reporting amongst others. It is normal to have meetings that last for multiple hours as issues that are brought up are analysed in detail until some kind of resolution is reached. Meetings are fashioned after family meetings, so time and agenda restrictions are less important. Meeting leaders or people higher up in the hierarchy weigh in on issues frequently while the rest contribute only when they are called upon.

Point: Be prepared for meetings to run beyond stipulated time. Maintain flexibility with meeting agenda if and be ready to deal with unanticipated issues during the same meeting session. If you are at higher position, be ready to engage in discussions and hash out issues. For engineers and scientists, make sure you are prepared to speak when called upon.

7. Tools and software

USA: Work related communications are conveyed through professional channels such as office email, established file transfer/sharing software or workplace messaging applications. Examples of these are Microsoft teams, slack etc. Individual’s professional and personal identities are kept separate.

Point: Follow company communication and data protection policies.

China: The one tool that towered above all is Wechat. A personal Wechat account is commonly used for personal social media posts, professional posts, personal messaging between friends and professional communications with co-workers, customers, and vendors. While it is possible to set-up multiple Wechat accounts for different functionalities, my experience tells me that most people do not go through the hassle of demarcating between their professional and private self. Emails are generally used only for extremely formal correspondence, such as legal related matters or expensive contracts.

Point: Get familiar with all the functionalities of Wechat. Set-up separate personal and professional Wechat accounts if you desire.

8. Vertical relationships

For most employees, relationship with their supervisor most directly affects their satisfaction at work.

USA: Supervisors are expected to communicate overarching job scopes and responsibilities clearly to their direct report. Supervisors should set people up for success through removal of obstacles and provision of necessary resources. In addition, 1-on-1 sessions between supervisor and direct reports are scheduled at least monthly. These chats are opportunities for supervisors and direct reports to chart professional development goals, provide timely work progress feedback and align on mutual expectations about work.

Point: Clarify job roles and responsibilities. Respect work boundaries. Be open to discuss about professional development and receiving or giving feedback. Take advantage of 1-on-1 sessions.

China: Most managers try to build a team with tight relationships through share hardships or experiences. As the focus is on team excellence, attention is on how a group of individual accomplishments can be pooled together to fulfil a common goal. Supervisors generally communicate high level goals to the team and allocate tasks to direct reports. The overall scope of roles and responsibilities of an individual is vaguely defined and can change according to the needs of the team. For instance, a molecular biologist might find herself assigned to a chemistry-focused task which is necessary for the success of the team. Individuals are expected to plot their own professional development path as 1-on-1 is of lesser importance compared to team meetings to ensure the team is progressing forward.

Point: Proactively help others in the team or project achieve overall success for the group. Figure out your own professional development path and position yourself to achieve your dreams. Be flexible and strive to be a T-shaped contributor.

9. Vendor management

USA: The relationship between the buyer and the vendor is of mutual respect and understanding. There are relatively less vendor options for buyers to pick from. As the buyer doesn’t wield much clout over the vendor, pricing negotiations and terms of contract/SOW haggling is a lot more difficult for the buyer. Product validation and development time is also longer as it is challenging to get vendors to prioritise one’s work over the rest without a hefty payment. Another reason for slower vendor response is the heavier bureaucracy and administrative burden stemming from legal, operational and system set-up before actual work can be performed. While product development iteration cycle is longer, less iterations are generally required before satisfactory product delivery as vendors tend to have a better handle on client’s quality and specification requirements and will only enter a cooperation if they are confident of product delivery.

Point: Approach SOW and contract negotiation with mutual respect, explaining requirements and situation clearly so both parties can come to mutual understanding faster. Product validation and development timeline predictions are somewhat dependable, but still keep an eye out to avoid hiccups.

China: The terms 甲方 (Buyer) and 乙方 (Vendor) are commonly used. China is a highly competitive market with vendor options aplenty, especially for products without clear differentiation. This gives buyers a lot of power, so it is common to see vendors bending over backwards to sell their products. Vendors tend to make a lot of promises and attempt to make quick sale to seal the deal before their competitor. The great thing about such environment is that it is easier to get vendors to acquiesce to your demands on product pricing, product samples or free product development. However, the flurry of activities like constant vendor switching can be overwhelming and the risk of under delivery due to over-promise is real. China moves fast on products that requires development and validation prior to actual purchase. The speed of validation usually comes with quality drawbacks, so the onus is on the buyer to ensure the product meets the requirements prior to purchase. From personal experience, multiple rounds of development and testing are usually required so the validation timeline tend to exceed the timeline estimated provided by the vendor.

Point: See what additional perks vendors can offer to sweeten the deal. Be wary of over-promise and under-delivery so allocate enough buffer and contingencies as product validation and development generally take longer than what the vendor stipulates.

10. Horizontal relationships and cross-departmental interactions

While vertical communications with supervisors or direct reports most directly influence work satisfaction, horizontal communication with internal members of the company is generally what drives work progress. The process of resource assignment towards different initiatives is different between these two countries.

USA: Individual roles and responsibilities are more clearly delineated. When it is necessary for multiple people to work together, the process can be loosely defined as chat->plan->approval->execute->review and repeat. The initiative starts off with a chat to understand how different expertise can be pooled together to achieve desired outcomes. Upon collecting that information, the person spearheading the initiative draws out a plan of action that should clearly highlight resource requirements and the expected contributions to the initiative. The plan is then subject to review and should only be executed upon approval. During the execution phase, resources works on their part of the project according to the plan and the results are reviewed to at the end to kill the initiative, accept the change or iterate through with another plan->approve->execute cycle. While the process sounds convoluted it can be quite simple. The key here is that cross-functional resources should only be utilized when there is a clear scope of work and after the plan is approved out of respect for individual’s time and effort.

Point: Respect other’s time and understand that there is an approval process to run through before assigning work to cross-functional members.

China: Family-centric culture means the focus is on team work instead of individual contributions. Under this paradigm, the process simplifies to chat->execute->review and repeat. With most initiatives, instead of agonising over the concrete plan, the type of resource needed and the exact responsibilities of each resource, the work starts right after the chat. This means that the team is assembled right away, and the plan evolves as the work gets underway. When the team is satisfied with the results, they present it for review and the chat->execute loop might repeat itself if the review board finds the outcome unsatisfactory. Such a model demands more spontaneity from individual employees as scope of work isn’t clearly outlined. However, it does allow for quicker iteration of projects and greater flexibility for pivots.

Point: Be ready to leap into action when called upon or feel free to reach out to resources from other departments to help on initiatives. For projects that are large and involved, proper approval process is still required of course.