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CHINA IN TANZANIA 

CHINA IN TANZANIA . Prof Dr Dr Claude-Hélène Mayer Dr Christian Martin Boness Symposium “ China in Africa. Implications for Management, Implications for Change ” Thursday 31st Oct – Friday 1st Nov 2013 Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Contents. China in Tanzania Research 2013

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CHINA IN TANZANIA 

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  1. CHINA IN TANZANIA  Prof Dr Dr Claude-Hélène Mayer Dr Christian Martin Boness Symposium “China in Africa. Implications for Management, Implications for Change” Thursday 31st Oct – Friday 1st Nov 2013 Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

  2. Contents • China in Tanzania Research 2013 • Research Aim and Objectives • Research Methodology • Ethics • Access to the Field of Research • Research Findings in Organisation 1 • Recommendations

  3. China in Tanzania –Chinas gateway to Africa? „Africa needs a market for its products. Africa needs technology for its development. China is ready to provide all that. What is wrong with that?“ Kikwete, President of Tanzania, July 2013

  4. China in Tanzania –Chinas gateway to Africa? • Close tiesof Chinese-Tanzanianrelationsandtradearerooted in commonhistory • A jointteamofKenyanand Chinese archeologistsfound a 15th Century Chinese coin • 100 yearsbeforethefirstEuropeansreachedtheregion News Africa, 18.10.2010

  5. China in Tanzania –Chinas gateway to Africa? • Chinese-Tanzanian Tanzania-Zambia-Railway project (1968-1976) • TAZARA links the Southern African regional transport network to East Africa and the rest of the world through the East African seaport of Dar- es-Salaam

  6. Chinese-Tanzanian Trade 1995-2008 World trade atlas data, 2009

  7. China in Tanzania – Aim of research To better understand the way Chinese organisations are being managed in selected African countries through cross-cultural collaborative research

  8. Research methodology • Data collection • Semi-structuredinterviews (15 questions) • observation • Data analysis: • 5-step modelofcontentanalysis(Terre Blanche, Durrhei & Kelly, 2006) • Limitationsofcasestudy design

  9. China in Tanzania- Cooperation partners • Rhodes University, Grahamstown, RSA • Middlesex University, London, UK • Nanjing University, Nanjing, China • Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Dar-es-Salaam • One top executiveof a private company

  10. Research ethics • Informed consent by oral agreement taking in account cross-cultural situation with Chinese, African and European interaction • Chinese organisational consent through access to organisation • Confidentiality and anonymity • Voluntary participation

  11. Access to organisational fields • Key informants. • Identify counterparts in Tanzanian Government • Embassy of China • Chinese Organization (approached 8) • Organisations: • Industrial sector (1 private and 1 governmental organisation) • Trading (Small Scale Enterprises)

  12. Access to organisational fields Research teamcriteria: • age, cultural background, national background, gender, position in organisation, interdisciplinary approach • for intersubjective validation

  13. Organisation 1 Large scaleenterprise • Type: governmentalorganisation • Sector: buildingandconstructionindustry, consultancyservices • Products: buildingandengineeringrailways, bridges, roads, watersupply • Ownership: Chinese • 2000 employees

  14. Organisation 1 Large scaleenterprise • Numberofinterviews: 8 • Gender: 3 female, 5 male • Position: 4 manager, 4 staff • Nationality: 5 China, 3 Tanzania • Stay in organization: 3 intervieweeslessthan 12 month, 5 intervieweesover 1 year

  15. Organisation 2 Large scaleenterprise • Type: private international organisation • Sector: Industry, IT • Products: tele-communicationsandnetworkingequipment • Ownership: Chinese • Approximately 160 employees

  16. Organisation 2 Large scaleenterprise • Numberofinterviews: 16 • Gender: 6 female, 10 male • Postition: 9 manager, 7 staff • Nationality: 6 China, 9 Tanzania, 1 Zambia • Stay in organization: 2 intervieweesless 1year, 14 intervieweesmorethan 1year

  17. Organisations 3 Small scaleenterprises • Type: private Chinese retailers • Sector: trade • Products: artificial flowers, housewares • Ownership: Chinese • Location: KariakooSokoni, Dar-es-Salaam, tradingspottoentireTanzaniaandneighbouring countries • Lessthan 10 employees

  18. Organisations 3 Small scaleenterprises • Numberofinterviews: 4 • Gender: 1 female, 3 male • Position: 4 manager • Nationality: 4 Chinese • Stay in organization: 2 intervieweeslessthan 1 year, 2 intervieweesmorethan 1year

  19. Biographical data overview on organisations 1-3 • Total numberofinterviews: 30 • Gender: 10 femaleand 20 male persons • Position: 10 employeesand 20 managers • Nationality: 15 Chinese, 14 Tanzanians, 1 Zambian • Stay in organization: 7 personslessthan 1 year, 23 personsmorethan 1 year

  20. Research findings of organisation 1

  21. Biographical data organisation 1 Nationality: 5 Chinese, 3 Tanzanians Gender: 3 Female, 5 Male Stay in Organization: 3 persons less than 1 year, 5 persons more than 1 year

  22. Biographical data organisation 1 • Positionsmanagers • Procurementmanager (20 C-M), CH, male • Engineer (21 C-M), CH, male • Senior quantitysurveyer (23 C-M), TZ, male • Administrator human resources (24 C-M), CH, male

  23. Biographical data organisation 1 • Positionsemployees • Personal secretary (17 C-E), TZ, female • Communication employee (18 C-E), CH, male • Secretary in trade (19 C-E), CH, female • Logisticsandprocurementdepartment (22 C-E), TZ, female

  24. “Whether you choose capitalism or socialismit does not matter. What matters is that you have very clear planning for the country like how to develop and that is telling the truth.” (CHINESE MANAGER 24 C-M IN TANZANIA, 2013)

  25. Themes in Research • Organisation • Environment • Culture

  26. Theme 1: Organisation - Categories • Strategy • Structure, Decision Making and Participation • Staff and Managers • Management Styles • Recruitment • Qualification and Trainings • Knowledge Sharing • Working Conditions and Atmosphere • Motivation, benefits, rewards

  27. Theme 1: Organisation Category 5: Recruitment, Category 6: Qualification „It is quite difficult to find such higher educated people (i.e. in Tanzania) so sometimes it make us send the people from China to here and that will cost much more than if we had local staff and also some people like us when we come here we can face the difference between the country and we need time to adjust and sometimes maybe they are not quite fit in this environment and they think to go back and every two years they will find a way to go back and two years they may know a little bit and they go back. They keep doing this and this makes it not that efficiency...“ Chinese Employee 18 C-E,

  28. Theme 1: OrganisationCategory 8: Working Conditions „...but there is something I want to know; in this company and I can say in most Chinese companies we local people are working for their company without contracts... no I do not have a contract...I want it, yes.“ Tanzanian Employee 22 C-E

  29. Theme 2: Environment - Categories 10. Interaction with Community and Local Organisations 11. Interaction with Government and Trade Unions 12. Benefits for Africa and Tanzania

  30. Theme 2: EnvironmentCategory 10: Interaction With Community and Local Organisations „Sometimes they (i.e. Tanzanians) are not honest even first the comes out the big procurement comes out there is more sense and there is a small amount of this order and we just talk on the phone and they told I pay the money to them first and the African people they also want the money first and they say he will give me the materials tomorrow and you just wait and maybe after a while they don’t give you and that is a problem.“ Chinese Manager 20 C-M

  31. Theme 2: EnvironmentCategory 11: Interaction with Government and Unions „ (Unions)...they are not available but we have tried our best to make those unions for the sake of our problems but we have not yet succeeded with that because there are several problems that come out and then we fail to solve them because we do not have a union and we are not collected ourselves so it becomes difficult. Tanzanian Manager 23 C-M

  32. Theme 3: Culture - Categories 13. Chinese Views on African and Chinese Values 14. Tanzanian Views on African And Chinese Values 15. Compatibility of Chinese Organization in Africa

  33. Theme 3: CultureCategory 13: Chinese Views on African and Chinese Values Oh, a Chinese couple works very hard to buy a big house, but - you know - because they are working very hard they have got to find someone to take care of the house, right?... so they find like a house girl to help keep that house clean and whatever. So basically it looks like this young couple works from eight am to midnight everyday and their house girl sitting on the couch playing with the pad. And she sees the sunrise and sundown that is it. Chinese Manager 24 C-M

  34. Theme 3: CultureCategory 14: Tanzanian Views on African and Chinese Values „ ...why I am saying they do not match is because you know Chinese they have what they like to do and what they like to be done that is all and you have to follow them. So I think that is the difference. So if they like to do something then you have to do it and you cannot work with them if you want to do things differently.“ Tanzanian Employee 22 C-E

  35. Theme 1: OrganisationOverview categories 1-9 (Tanzanian Manager) Tanzanian Manager (23 C-M - the only one in management) • Participationthroughmanagementofdepartment • Tanzanianassistantmanager (not higher) Tanzaniansworkfrom 4rth leveldownwardsonly. • Chinese dominatethemanagementlevel • BlendofChinese and Western managementstyle • Tanzanianshaveweakexpertise • MajorityofTanzaniansworkwithoutcontract /writtenagreement • Chinese havenocultureofrewardingandmotivation.

  36. Theme 1: OrganisationOverview categories 1-9 (Tanzanian Employees) Tanzanian Employees • Noparticipation • Nomeetings • Noknowledgesharing • Noteamwork • Notrainings • Manyemployeesworkwithoutwrittencontract • Tz earnmonthlysalaryand normal wages

  37. Theme 2: EnvironmentOverview categories 10-12 (Chinese Managers) Chinese Managers • Natural Environment: Tanzanianairis not so polluted • Community: TanzaniabenefitsoflocalemploymentanddonationsofChinese government (e.g. education) • BenefitsforTanzania: railway, roadsdevelopment, watersupply, rebuildingof Central Railway Line • Sustainabilityof Chinese projects: TAZARA fundslackingformaintenance (spare partsandtechnicians)

  38. Theme 2: EnvironmentOverview categories 10-12 (Chinese Employees) Chinese Employees • Community: emergency help as part of social responsibility, educational support, no communication with Tanzanians • Benefits for Tanzania: • suggestions, surveys and feasibility studies, infrastructure (harbours, roads, railways) • „Flaw laws“ and (high) need for development aid

  39. Theme 3: Culture, Category 13 (Chinese) Chinese Views on Self • Chinese valueparents • Chinese respectelders • Chinese are not lying • Chinese aretruth-telling • Chinese arehardworking • Chinese respect Kung Fu Tse • Chinese do not makeTanzanianfriends • Chinese entertaincomplicatedrelationships

  40. Theme 3: Culture, Category 13 (Chinese) Chinese Views on Tanzanian Culture • Tanzaniansare simple & entertaingoodrelationships • Tanzaniansenjoylife, relax and do not stress • MinorityofTanzanianswelleducated • Tanzaniansare open, not worryingaboutfuture, respecteachotherandminorities • Tanzaniansworkslowly due totropicalheat, otherwisedehydration • Tanzaniansaredishonest, unreliableandthiefs (material) • Tanzaniansdo not controlwork • In Tanzaniapersonal safety not 100% due tosomerobberies

  41. Theme Culture 3, Category 13 (Chinese) Chinese Ideasfor Future CollaborationwithTanzanians • Tanzaniansshouldlearn Chinese culture, language, historytounderstandChinese performance • Tanzaniansshouldlearnfollowing: • Chinese feelpressure, • Chinese save theirsalaries, • Chinese do not believe in God, havenochurches, andarehelpful • planning, goalachievmentandtruthtelling, fieldoperation, efficiency, keepdeadlines • Han cultureis: fast, workhard, high technology, workfor 16 hours a day • Chinese culture= a bigball thatspinsandabsorbs all othercultures, mixingthemwith Chinese cultureuntilitislikeoneChinese culture

  42. Theme 3: Culture, Category 14 (Tanzanians) Tanzanians Views on Self • Tanzanianshavethespiritofhardworking • Tanzaniansare tolerant andpeaceful • Tanzaniansarecooperative • Tanzaniansarefaithful, believing in God

  43. Theme 3: Culture, Category 14 (Tanzanians) Tanzanian Views on Chinese Culture • Chinese are fully committed • Chinese are working hard • Chinese are fair • Chinese stick to own lifestyle, are somehow segregative • Chinese blame and complain about African behaviour • Chinese get „poisened“ by bad information on Tanzanians

  44. Theme 3: Culture, Category 14 (Tanzanians) TanzanianIdeasFor Future CollaborationWith Chinese • Chinese shouldlearn: • English and Suaheli tomakefriends • historyofthe last hundredyearsandlocalculture • African life style, tribalculture, dressingandfoodhabits • RespectingTanzanians • Tanzaniansbelieve in God • Takingcareofnature

  45. Summary • Difficulties of accessing Chinese organisations in Tanzania and gaining information • Employees and managers were open talking about challenges • Findings showed 3 themes: • Organisation (9 categories) • Environment and culture (each 3 categories) • Major challenges in terms of organisation: • Difficult working and training conditions for Tanzanian employees • Hardly any interaction with and contact to local communities • Many recreated stereotypes across cultural groups

  46. General Recommendations • Design consent forms in compliance with intercultural standards and needs • Discuss ethical considerations regarding cross-cultural compatibility • In-depth analysis of data recommended of organisation 1 to 3. • Reflect and manage effects of ILO international law impacting on Chinese - African international organisations (contracts, working conditions, trade unions etc.) • Apply findings in practical work relationships and feedback to organisations highly recommended

  47. Thank you!

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