Global Automotive Project Management Case Study

In today’s globalization, a project manager in the automotive business will have many diverse challenges working with counterparts in another country. Some of these challenges can include differences in culture, business practices, and language. Below, are details of the challenges you will come across being a global automotive project manager working with counterparts in China.

In global automotive project management, the difference in cultures between the United States and China will have a major role in how a project manager performs their job responsibilities throughout the project. Take in, for instance, the fact that Chinese workers value the hierarchy and will not question their boss; whereas, in the United States, a worker may ask

Business relationships in China and the United States, are very different, in the Chinese culture it is common for the project manager to have more of a social relationship with their clients, whereas in the United States, a project manager will have more of a business relationship. As the article, “Understanding Chinese Business Culture and Etiquette” has stated, “Chinese business relationship inevitably becomes a social relationship after a while. Unlike a Western business relationship which remains professional and perhaps, aloof, even after a long time, Chinese business relationship becomes a social one”.

In global automotive project management like the business differences the language differences can create difficulty for the project manager to manage the project successfully.

When the project manager from the United States is communicating with their counterparts in China they need to make sure they speak slower for them to understand what they are trying to

The cost that China provides may not be accurate and or the changes done wouldn’t be everything that was expected, which will impact the timing and the budget for the project.

In the article 5 Biggest Challenges Foreign Business Face in China. “Cultural misunderstandings arising from miscommunication are one of the biggest challenges which foreign companies face in China. Although there are an increasing number of Chinese people highly proficient in English, it is uncommon to find someone who understands the subtleties of the language and possesses a strong enough understanding of both Chinese and western cultures to navigate delicate business negotiations” (5 Biggest Challenges Foreign Business Face in China).

So, you can think that if you are an automotive project manager in the United States, and have not done a global project with your counterparts in China, you will be as successful as you are currently managing a project. If so, you better think about the facts above, because, if you don’t you will run into a lot of differences, which will turn the project upside down, quickly and you will have a lot of work to do to get the project back on