Article: HR and Culture in China

Don't leave your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl when you aren't using them – it evokes images of incense sticks protruding from altars to honour the dead, and so is considered unlucky.

HR professionals in today's globalized organizations will do well to note such advice, taken from an article in The China Business Review. Increasingly, they are being asked to design cultural awareness training programs for employees working overseas.

Other basics for China cited in the article? They include gaining a knowledge of China's history and the political, economic, and social challenges that the country faces; and understanding "cultural differences – particularly verbal and non-verbal communication styles – because so much misunderstanding stems from misreading cues and gestures."

The concept of "face" is still vital, the article adds, but its importance varies slightly across generations. Also, it recommends " knowing the ins and outs of Chinese etiquette, from proper banquet behaviour to gift-giving and business card exchange" to enhance business relations and avoid embarrassing faux pas.

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UK Podcast: On Leadership

The nature and the nurture of leadership, how leadership is changing, and its importance for HR are topics covered in this podcast from the UK's Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Four experts share their views. Business and strategic skills alone are no longer enough, says CIPD's Director of Research and Policy: organizations need leaders not just at the top, but at different levels. An eminent scholar emphasizes that leadership is not only about competencies, but also the ability to create relationships and good working environments. Nokia's Vice President of HR talks about the need for collaborative leadership; and the director of leadership development for the Metropolitan Police explains the organization's approach and describes how to engage people with this concept.

The panel also discusses different types of leaders; whether they are born or developed; how to identify good leaders; the merits of internal versus external coaching; and the part played by gender in differentiating leadership styles.

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Report/Case Studies: Codes of Conduct and LR

A new report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions analyzes the impact of codes of conduct and international framework (IFA) agreements on both corporate practice and on labour relations.

The findings indicate that that while codes of conduct play a role in reinforcing a specific corporate culture, IFAs seem to represent a more pro-active approach to shaping company-wide social dialogue in a global context.

As well, 10 related best-practices case studies assess the impact of codes of conduct and IFAs at company level.

The research, available in pdf files, features cases on Arcelor, Basf, Bosch, Chiquita, EDF, IKEA, LEONI, PSA, Securitas, Telefónica and Unilever. Interviews with management and employees investigate the motivations and interests of both parties, and report on the concrete changes these tools have introduced in the companies.

Findings include that codes of conduct and IFAs provide a beacon during change; foster better relationships with stakeholders; and provide a way of addressing environmental concerns, as well as social and labour relations issues.

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Freedom of Association - Lessons Learned

This report from the International Labour Organization will be of particular interest to Canadian labour and employment law practitioners. In the wake of the landmark "BC Health" Supreme Court ruling last fall, international law on this subject has become highly relevant.

The report provides a global overview of freedom of association and collective bargaining. Commentary focuses on positive and negative developments in implementing the ILO's conventions, including "the recurrent problem" of government intervention in trade union activities.

"In some cases governments interfere in collective bargaining by subjecting collective agreements to government economic policy or approval," the report says.

Also covered is an exploration of the role of government; the context of globalization; structural changes in employment; levels of collective bargaining; the need to combat exclusion - of agricultural workers, for example; and an evaluation of ILO projects on freedom of association and collective bargaining.

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