International Business Communication: GlaxoSmithKline & China Analysis

This report examines international business communication strategies, specifically focusing on GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) expansion into the Chinese market through a joint venture with Jiangsu Walvax Biotech. The introduction highlights the significance of international business communication in a globalized world, emphasizing the exchange of information to connect with international organizations. The report delves into the cultural differences between China and the UK, which present challenges for GSK. It explores success and failure factors of joint ventures, emphasizing the importance of consensus, workforce management, and religious considerations. The report then analyzes cultural sensitivity in China, including differences in social norms. Hofstede's cultural dimension theory is applied to analyze cultural values, followed by an exploration of intercultural communication theories, including communication accommodation and face negotiation theories. The report concludes with recommendations for effective communication and cultural respect, providing insights into how GSK can navigate the complexities of international business and ensure success in its joint venture.

International Business
Communications

Table of Content
Introduction
Introduction of culture of China
Success and Failure factors of joint ventures
Cultural sensitivity in China
Hofstede's cultural dimension theory
Intercultural communication theory
Recommendations and business communication solutions
Conclusion

Introduction
International business communication can be
referred to as the exchanging of the information and
the thoughts in order to connect with the global
organizations. For this presentation,
GlaxoSmithKline plc has been undertaken into the
account. It is British multinational pharmaceutical
and biotechnology company headquartered in
Brentford, UK.

Joint Venture Overview
In relation to globalization various international
organizations are focused over international expansion
strategies. The importance of joint ventures success is based
over cultural difference between China and UK. Through
understanding cultural differences and challenges related to
it in context of China and the United Kingdom is mainly
focused over these organizations. The joint venture which is
taken by organization within China and United Kingdom is
the process applied by Jiangsu Walvax Biotech that is aimed
towards recommendation over business success.

Company overview
GlaxoSmithKline is a British biotechnology
and pharmaceutical company which is
headquartered in London. According to
Forbes, they are world’s sixth largest
company in field of pharmaceutical. They are
highly known for vaccines, consumer health
products, medications and many more.There
are various kinds of perspectives which has
been covered within Chines working culture
and they are required to analyse culture value
making market to be targetted more
effectively.

Introduction of culture of China
Chinese culture is recognised as one of the
oldest cultures in the world. The important
components which are involved in Chinese
culture are architecture, art, martial arts,
ceramics, visual arts, music, religion
literature and philosophy. It is multireligious
country and the Chinese history involved
Taoism, Protestantism, Catholicism and
Buddhism.

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Some of the cultural challenges that can be faced by the
GlaxoSmithKline plc in China are mentioned below:
Language barriers
It can come out to be the biggest challenges for the
GlaxoSmithKline plc company as they are British
company and they are planning to take out their activities
in the country of China.

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Cultural Differences
Another main challenges that can be faced by
GlaxoSmithKline plc company while taking
out their business into the boundary of the
China is the differences in the culture of the
places. The most effective barrier that can take
place within Glaxo Smith Kline plc regarding
cultural is language barriers

Success factors of joint ventures
Consensus. The project's duration, performance standards, and management procedures should
all be established at the beginning. There must be a joint venture board and each party must
agree on the amount of investment required. Also, success of joint venture is related to various
kinds of aspects which makes GlaxoSmithKline to deal with various kinds of aspects related to
culture.

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Managing workforce
It can comes out to be the biggest challenges for
GlaxoSmithKline plc company as they have to
manage all the employees who will be working in
the country of China. The Chinese employees may
be different in carrying out the operations and this
can create a situation of chaos in between the upper
level and the lower level of the company.f

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● Religion is an important factor which is used for understanding culture in effective manner this
leads over developing various aspects related to culture. Through religion an organization like
GlaxoSmithKline plc is able to understand Chinese people. In China Buddhism is followed
and in UK Christianity is followed that are totally different from each other.

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Religion
It is one of the most challenging cultural
element that can be faced by
GlaxoSmithKline plc in the boundary of
China as they are British company and an
individual of the organisation follows British
religion. It directly influence the behaviour of
the individual at the workplace.

Success and Failure factors of joint
ventures
Joint venture involves two or more entities in
order to create single enterprise so that they
can generate profits. They combine their
organisation based on agreement which
mention the ratio of shared risk and profits.

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Monitor performance: It is important for every organisation which is involved in joint venture
to monitor their performance on regular basis. By measuring performances organisation can
identify the factors which can affect them in negative manner. It helps in maintaining the
employees` performance as per the goals and objectives of the organisation.
Control issues. The presence of a leader or decision maker is required in every relationship.

Failure factors of joint venture
Cultural differences: This is the biggest
failure factor of joint venture because every
country poses their unique and different
culture. It becomes challenging for
organisation to understand the culture of new
country which results in poor operations.

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Failure of promised contributions: It is necessary to contribute the efforts in equal
manner so that the joint venture can work in successful manner. Sometimes businesses do
not fulfil their promises which affect the growth and development of overall joint venture.
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Walvax Biotech company have to contribute by involving their
intangible and tangible resources so that they can add value in their services in the
boundaries of China. Failure of promises regarding involvement can results in fail of joint
venture and creates disputes among parties which are involved for operations.

Cultural sensitivity in China
China is a socialist market economy which
needs to be understood by the organisation in
order to expand their businesses. The
government of China is accepting more joint
ventures gradually so that they can increase
their economy with the help of outsiders. The
cultural sensitivity in China which is
completely different from UK is studied as
follows:

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More socialising: This is a one of the biggest
differences in the culture of China and UK.
The culture of China does not involve
socialising with colleagues for example they do
not celebrate promotions or birthday out of
office. On the other hand, work culture of UK
promotes more socialising as they have to
socialise outside in order to maintain informal
relations.

Hofstede's cultural dimension theory
It is an effective theory that is undertaken by the organisation in order to find out the
impact of the culture of the society on the values of the members. It can be referred to
as framework that is used for cross-cultural communication in the organisation.

Hofstede cultural Dimensions: UK and
China – Power Distance
Hofstede's theory is mentioned below in a relation to
the GlaxoSmithKline plc and Jiangsu Walvax Biotech
(Walvax) :
Power Distance Index: It is the first element of the
theory that can be referred to as the inequalities that
can be accepted in the organisation. If there is high
power in the index it would mean that the
organisation accepts the inequalities at the workplace.

Hofstede cultural Dimensions: UK and
China – Individualism
Individualism and Collectivism:
Individualism can be defined as focusing on
attaining the personal goals at the workplace.
On the other side, collectivism can be referred
to as ensuring that the goals and the targets of
the organisation should be achieved in a given
time.

Hofstede cultural Dimensions: UK and
China – Masculinity vs Femininity
Masculinity vs. Femininity: This is the third and
most important part of the theory that is mainly
concerned with the preference of the society and the
organisation. Masculinity means to hire male
workforce at the workplace in order to carry out the
operations. On the other hand, femininity can be
defined as organisation should equal opportunities of
work to both male as well as females.

Hofstede cultural Dimensions: UK and
China – Short vs Long Term
OrientationLong-term orientation vs. Short-term
orientation: This is another part of the model
in which long-term orientation means when
the organisation wants to achieve long term
goal. On the other hand, Short-term
orientation means when organisation ensures
to achieve short-term goals in the
marketplace.

Hofstede cultural Dimensions: UK and
China- Indulgence vs. Restraints
Indulgence : Concept of the indulgence can
be defined as when the society allows an
individual to live their life smoothly.

The communication accommodation
theory
The communication accommodation theory
This theory of the intercultural
communication theory means that there is a
differences in the ways of carrying out the
communication in the different places. This
theory mainly describe that every individual at
the workplace have different ways in order to
communicate with each other.

The Face Negotiation theory
The Face Negotiation theory
This theory of the Intercultural
communication was developed by the Ting-
Toomey. It mainly explains that situation of
the conflict can arise due to the facial
expressions of the individual at the
workplace.

Recommendations
Effective communication techniques
It is the main element that
GlaxoSmithKline plc can implement in
at the workplace when they will carry out
the operational activities in the country
of China.

Recommendations
To Respect every culture
It is another element that GlaxoSmithKline plc
should consider in the workplace because it has been
seen the different background can creates a situations of
conflicts while carrying out the operational activities.
Different culture involve different values, attitude and
beliefs of individuals which should be respected.

Recommendations
To provide Equal opportunities of work
Another main element that the managers of
the GlaxoSmithKline plc should implement at
their workplace in order to make fair
environment at the workplace. As they are
planning to expand their business activities and
it becomes very important for them to make
valuable image in the eyes of the customers.

Conclusion
From the above report it has been analysed that international communication helps the
organisation to effectively co-ordinate with the customers in the international market.
These facilitate the organisation to promote the goods and services to the customers in
the global market. A company has been undertaken into the account which is planning
to take their business activities into the international market.

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