ABSTRACT
Much of the present chapter has been concerned with what is distinctive about Chinese values and how they may impinge upon management practices. There can be no doubt that values do play a part here, but they are not the only factor in the equation. If management practices in China are compared with those in Hungary under communist rule, for example, a number of striking similarities emerge in areas such as decision making, communication and personnel practices. Compared with their counterparts in advanced capitalist countries, managers in both China and Hungary exhibit a reluctance to make decisions and an inclination to shift responsibility and blame on to others. As for communication, they are unwilling to share information, failing to pass this on to their subordinates or other departments. A great deal of paperwork such as reports and signed authorisations are generated, usually more for protecting managers from blame than furthering the effective operation of the enterprise. In the personnel area they stand in contrast with advanced capitalist countries in their lack of effective systems for hiring, firing, and rewarding staff (Child and Markóczy 1993).
