anagementis a matter of national style၍ଣ˙όˀ݈M˖ʷBy Craig Francis傅之銳April 四月 200817
hen it comes to doing business on a global scale, 說在全球拓展業務，管理方management style refers to more than just the cut 式遠比度身訂製外衣的裁剪要Wof your bespoke tailored suit.手藝精細。Certain stereotypes have evolved in regard to perceptions of the 對不同國籍人士的管理方式，人們似乎management styles of different nationalities. But the question 已有既定的看法。可是這種對號入座的of whether these pigeon holes are accurate has been the focus 想法是否準確呢？這正是管理學系副教of research by Dr Maris Martinsons, Associate Professor in the 授馬禮士博士的主要研究興趣。Department of Management.擁有拉脫維亞和加拿大血統的馬博士現As a Latvian-Canadian living in Hong Kong with a PhD 居香港，在英國取得博士學位後，曾在from England and management consulting experience on five 五大洲擔任過管理顧問工作，自然對研continents, Dr Martinsons was naturally inclined to study the 究商業世界以及業界最具影響力的決策business world and its most influential decision-makers.者十分有興趣。“As international interactions increase, it is useful to know 「世界各國的接觸愈趨緊密，我們就how top managers in different countries make decisions,” says 愈需要了解各地企業主管如何作出決Dr Martinsons. “When it comes to the management styles, 定，」馬博士說。「以管理方式為例，one business leader’s self-perceived egalitarian and systematic 某個企業領袖採取自以為平等及有系統approach can be seen by overseas counterparts as either too slow 的策略，其他國家的企業主管可能覺得or unemotional,” he says.太過慢條斯理或不近人情。」The curiosity and academic foresight that prompted 馬博士出於好奇和學術上的洞悉力，開Dr Martinsons to study American, Japanese and Chinese 始研究美國、日本和中國的商業運作及businesses and the decision-making styles of their leaders has led 這三個國家企業領袖的決策方式，並在to a raft of findings. They both belie and underline some popular 這方面有不少發現。這些企業領袖既符stereotypes.合也推翻了一些固有的想法。中國、日本The responses from business 和美國的企業領袖作leaders in China, Japan and the 出的商業反應，對各United States have resonance 級經理均有不同層面for managers on several levels.的影響。“There are the obvious 「首先，跟其他國家implications of doing 的人做生意是一個很business with people from 明顯的例子。你必須other countries. You need to 了解他們的想法，還understand how they think and 須知道促動他們的原what motivates them,” explains 因，」馬博士說。Dr Martinsons. “But it is also 「這對去海外工作的crucial for expatriates. For 人同樣重要。例如，Dr Maris Martinsonsexample, consider an American 日本以命令指導為馬禮士博士April 四月 200818
going to work in Japan where the behavioural style is more dominant. The American needs to either adjust to that management style or seek out a job where the prevailing style is more analytical, a trait that is more identifiably American,” he differThe research of Dr Martinsons revealed definite national characteristics and examined some of the influences for these differences in decision-making prevailing style of American business leaders 主，去那ཪ工作的美國人就需要適應這reflects a high need for achievement and the rational ideology 種管理方式，不然就須另找一份較接近that dominates scientific management and MBA education. 美式分析為主的工作。」American managers tend to “analyse” situations and ‘conceptualise’ solutions. Their structured and formalised decisions require a lot of objective and often quantitative information. 決策風格各不相同馬博士的研究反映出不同民族的特性，並探討了這些特性對決策風格的影響。The prevailing Chinese decision-making style reflects a comparatively high need for personal power and status. The 美國企業領袖講求成果的管理風格反映ability to exercise authority and to make decisions swiftly (in 了主導科學管理和工商管理碩士教育的order to take advantage of fleeting opportunities) is critical 理性思考，因此美國的企業主管傾向for Chinese business leaders. They rely largely on their 「分析」形勢，並將解決方法「概念own experience and subjective information from personal 化」。他們的正規和系統化決策要求大relationships. In Sino-American joint ventures, different decision-量客觀和量化的資料。making styles could be a source of conflict, concludes Dr Martinsons. 中國的主要決策方式講求個人權力和地位。中國的企業領袖注重行使權威的能The prevailing Japanese management style reflects a high need 力以及快速作出決定（以爭取轉瞬即逝for affiliation. Japanese business leaders indicate that they involve 的機遇）。他們主要依賴個人經驗以及more employees and more subjective elements in their decision 透過個人關係取得的主觀資料。因此馬making than the Americans. The Japanese commonly arrive at 博士指出，不同的決策方式可能令中美decisions by seeking consensus across all management levels, but 合營企業產生內部衝突。this takes time. Americans and Chinese typically take days or weeks to make big decisions while the Japanese require weeks or 日本的主要管理方式講究相互聯繫。日months. Japanese decisions are slow and deliberate, but pay off by 本企業領袖指出，他們作決策時比美國enabling rapid and smooth implementation.人邀請更多僱員提供意見和接納更多主觀因素。日本人通常致力於取得各管理Although the forces of globalisation are gradually expected to 階層的共識然後才作出決定，但過程需temper these distinct differences, early results from research Dr 時較長。與美國人和中國人一般只需Martinsons is currently conducting suggest these differences are 數天或數星期作出重大決定的情況相still evident around the world, from India to Europe.比，日本人可能需時數周或甚至多個April 四月 200819
“Even w月。日本人做決策時緩慢慎重，但好ithin Europe’s open borders we see significant differences in management styles between countr處是推行決定時快速而順利。ies. The Spanish are inclined to be more behavioural, Austrians exhibit analytical tendencies, Latvians are comparatively conceptual wh雖然全球一體化的趨勢可能逐步收窄這ile the French tend to be more directive (see chart on p21 for definition 些明顯的差異，但馬博士目前進行的研of style models),” says Dr Martinsons.究初步結果卻顯示，這類分歧在世界各地 ʕ 從印度到歐洲 ʕ 依然很明顯。Perspective mattersBoth the decisions that managers mak馬博士說：「即使在國與國之間非常e and how they make them 開放的歐洲，我們仍可看到極為不同are affected by their socialisation and surroundings.的管理方式。西班牙人偏重行動，奧“M地利人以分析見長，拉脫維亞人較為any differences are due to cultural factors”, explains Dr Martinsons. “Concepts such 概念化，而法國人則傾向指導（見21as hierarchy, collectivism, and 頁決策類型定義圖表）。」attention to context are more important for Asians, because they have prescribed roles in complex social networks. Since Americans live in a looser social environment, they are able to be 文化影響舉足輕重mor企業主管如何作出決定以及作出何種決e egalitarian and individualistic and less attentive to context.”定，個體的社會化和環境影響很大。Surveys of students taking CityU’s business programmes show a transformation in their mindsets.「許多差異受文化因素影響，」馬博士解釋。「亞洲人在複雜的社會網絡中有“W規限的角色，因此上尊下卑、集體行動e have surveyed some MBA 以及整體關係的概念比較重要。相反，students before they begin their stud美國人的社會環境比較鬆散，因此較傾ies, near th向於人人平等、個人主義以及較少考慮e end of their studies and 整體背景。」again as alumni about five years later. We see a migration 不過，為城大商學院工商管理碩士學away from the dir生所作的調查反映，他們的思維有所ective style to the analytic style and, to 改變。a lesser extent, the behavioural style,” says Dr Martinsons. “So you 「我們分階段訪問了多位工商管理碩士班學生，分別在他們開學前、接近畢業could say that they become more American and also 時以及成為校友約五年後進行調查。我們發現，他們從指導型逐漸轉變為分析a little more Japanese as 型，並在較少程度上轉變為行動型，」a result of management education.”馬博士說。「因此可以說，他們在修讀管理課程後，管理風格上變得較為美式“Th及略有一點日式。」is reflects our intended learning outcomes. It would b「這恰恰反映了我們設計的學習成果。e disappointing if we didn’t hav我們主要是以美式概念教授管理學，因e an influence April 四月 200820
1. 指導型決策者追求權力，注重效Definitionof率結果，並傾向於主導他人。他們對不確定性的style models容忍度低，認知上講究簡單直1. Directive 接，因此規限了收集的資決策類型decision-makers料以及可供考慮的其他are driven by a need 究發現：美國企業領方案。定義圖表for power. They are results-研袖在概念型和分析型oriented, but also want to dominate others. They have a low 決策上得分最高，但在指導型和tolerance for ambiguity and prefer 行動型方面得分最低。日本企業2cognitive simplicity. This limits the . Analytic 2. 分析型決策者領袖以行動型為主，而中國企decision-makersinformation that they gather 追求克服新挑戰帶aand the alternatives that re driven by need for 業領袖則多為指導型。achthey consievemenider. t in the form 來的成就感。他們對認of new challenges. Their 知的複雜性應付裕如，因此comfort with cognitive complexity 會收集和分析更多數據。他們encourages data collection and 3. Conceptual 遇事深思熟慮，會有系統地processing. They make decisions 3. 概念型決策者decision-makers are slowly because they examine 考慮替代方案，因此決同樣注重效率結果，also driven by a need for situations thoroughly and 策緩慢。achievement, but they crave consider alternatives 但希望得到讚美和認同extrinsic rewards, such as systematically. 等外在獎勵。他們具有高度praise and recognition. They thrive 的認知複雜度，而且偏重以人為on cognitive complexity and are more oriented towards people 本而非以事為本。此外，他 than tasks. They are creative, decision-makers 們具有創意、富有理想，idealistic and have a long-are driven by a need 專注長期的目標。term perspective. for affiliation. They prefer cognitive simplicity and have a strong people orientation, being genuinely concerned about others. indings: The American business They are receptive to new 4. 行動型決策者Fleaders score highest on both ideas, willing to compromise 注重聯繫，認知上and prefer loose conceptual and analytic decision 偏向簡單，具有強烈的styles, but the lowest on the directive and behavioral styles. The Japanese business 人性導向，而且真誠關懷他leaders have a very behavioural style while 人。此外，他們能夠接受新的the Chinese business leaders have the most 理念，願意妥協與採取鬆散directive style.的控制方式。because management,此倘若他們沒有轉變，我們會感到失 in the way that we teach it, is essentially an Am望。完成工商管理學碩士的人士，應該erican concept. People who complete an MBA should become mo變得傾向分析型和有系統的管理型，」re analytic and systematic in their management approach,” he says.馬博士說。“馬博士總結說：「隨着中國經濟的發展I expect management styles to change throughout China as the economy evolves and bu以及新一代企業領袖的誕生，我相信中siness leadership passes to a new generation. W國的管理方式會全面改變。從修讀城大e are already seeing changes, at least in Hong Kong and parts of China, from those taking our business programmes,”工商管理課程的學生身上，至少是修讀 Dr Martinsons concludes.此類課程的香港及中國部分地區學生身 上，我們已看到這種轉變。」April 四月 200821
