Asian human resource management and intercultural competence

While intercultural competence is an emerging topic in international HRM, it is of less importance so far in Asian HRM. Meanwhile, Asian entrepreneurs do seem to act competently in cross-cultural environments. Where Western scholars have claimed that intercultural competence does not come naturally, the current success of Asian businesses non-Asian regions can be partly explained from the interculturally competent behavior of its international professionals. This behavior is related to intrinsic and authentic Asian values aimed at “unity” or “harmony”. The Eastern mind-set is focused on relations prior to the tasks, and once a relationship has been established, the opportunities for collaboration will arise. By adhering to the principles of ancient philosophies, Asian entrepreneurs have pragmatically resolved conflicts of interest. This seems to reverse Allport’s contact hypothesis that a shared goal and intergroup collaboration is required for improvement of the understanding of the other. What we witness is that once the technological and informational hurdles have been taken, adherence to authentic Asian behavioral guidelines forms a good starting point for effective international business.