The purpose of this article is to explore how Chinese and expatriate managers,
working in subsidiaries of five MNCs, communicate and collaborate, what kind of cultural
encounters they talk about and give prominence to in their accounts of critical incidents, how
they reflect upon them/ explain them, and how they cope with perceived similarities and
differences to improve cross-cultural communication and collaboration within a global
organization.
Using an inductive qualitative methodology and thematic analysis, the study draws on indepth
narrative interviews with 29 expatriate and 39 Chinese managers and experts.
The specific value of this paper is that it explores a hitherto under-researched issue and
provides insight into well-educated expatriate and Chinese managers´ accounts of how they
perceive themselves and others in a multicultural work context. In both groups we find widely
traveled, flexible and open-minded people, who are ready and have the capabilities to conduct
cross-cultural leadership.