Comparative Study on Intercultural Sensitivity 
of Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international assignees. An applied research collaboration supported by the Human Capital Leadership Institute (Singapore) with the objective to derive a model for Asian leaders, which will lead to systematic global leadership development programs with Asian characteristics. Built on our previous researches on Chinese and Indonesian intercultural sensitivity, we continue in this study by elaborating the cross-cultural experiences of the Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international assignees and their respective local co-workers in China and Indonesia. Intercultural sensitivity has been widely accepted as one of the most significant element of global competencies and one of the strongest predictor for global leaders and managers accomplishments.

1. Hangzhou, March 1st 2011
Prof. Dr. Hora Tjitra & Dr. Hana Panggabean
Building
the
Global
Competence
for
Asian
Leaders
Comparative Study on Intercultural Sensitivity
of Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international assignees
Project Info vers. 2.0

2. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Research
Objectives
2
A culture-specific model for intercultural sensitivity will be developed for
each of the targeted culture based on indigenous resources. Built on these
indigenous models, materials for leadership development program will be
created.
1. Elaborating the challenges and problem solving strategies
of Chinese, Singaporean and Indonesian business leaders in
international co-operations.
2. Identifying key learning experiences to develop and sustain ICS
for Chinese, Singaporean and Indonesian business leaders.
3. Developing culture-specific ICS models for Chinese,
Singaporean, and Indonesian business leaders, covering innate
characteristics and competencies.
4. Creating learning materials for leadership developmental
programs, e.g., case studies, critical incidents, culture assimilator.
5. Instigating recommendations of organizational systems to
support culturally effective leaders.

3. Agenda
1 Global Competence for Asian Leaders 4
Leadership development across borders 4
Intercultural competence and sensitivity 8
Country focus: China, Indonesia and Singapore 9
2 Proposed Research Methods 14
3 Expected Results and Deliverables 18
4 Project Info and Research Team 19

4. Global
Competence
for
Asian
Leaders

5. What does “GLOBAL Competence”
for the Asian Leaders mean?

6. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Global
Leader
≠
World-­Class
Leader
6
Superior / Boss
Internal PartnersExternal Partners
Team members / Employees
Power
Influences
Impact
Who are the stakeholders of the organization?
What are the impacts of their decision?

7. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Developing
Leaders’
Global
Competence
14
“The
Jack
Welch
of
the
future
cannot
be
me.
I
spent
my
en9re
career
in
the
United
States.
The
next
head
of
General
Electric
will
be
somebody
who
spent
9me
in
Bombay,
in
Hong
Kong,
in
Buenos
Aires.
We
have
to
send
our
best
and
brightest
overseas
and
make
sure
they
have
the
training
that
will
allow
them
to
be
the
global
leaders
who
will
make
GE
flourish
in
the
future.”
–by
Jack
Welch,
CEO
of
GE
Developing
leadership
cross-­‐cultural
competence
was
among
the
top
5
organiza8on-­‐wide
prac8ces
affec8ng
the
effec8veness
of
mul8na8onal
corpora8ons.
(Stroh
and
Caligiuri,
1998)
Mobley
&
Dorfman’s
(2003)
define
global
leadership
as
“influencing
across
na@onal
and
cultural
boundaries”.
Hampden-­‐Turner
and
Trompenaars
(2000)
have
found
that
global
leadership
competencies
develop
over
a
long
period
of
-me.
If
research
can
iden@fy
the
most
important
leadership
behavior,
prac@@oners
could
shorten
the
process
of
developing
the
most
important
competencies
(Bueno,2004;
McCall
&
Hollenbeck,
2002).

8. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Theoretical
Framework
3
An
Interdisciplinary
Approach
to
Have
a
Wide
Understanding
of
Intercultural
Sensi@vity
in
Asian
Leadership
Context
Intercultural
Sensi@vity
in
Asian
Leadership
Context
Leadership
across
Cultures
Intercultural
Competence
and
Sensi@vity
Culture
specific
and
Indigenous
Studies
Compara@ve
Cross-­‐cultural
Studies
Culture
specific
and
Indigenous
Studies
Compara@ve
Cross-­‐cultural
Studies
Leadership
Development
Theories
and
Prac@ces
Studies
and
Theories
on
Leadership
Research
Methods:
• In-­‐depth
Interviews
• Grounded
Theory
• Ques@onnaire
Survey
Secondary
Literatures:
• Organiza@onal
Behavior
• Social
Psychology
• General
Management
Learning
Materials
for
Leadership
Development
Developing
Asian
Leaders
across
Borders
Developing
Asian
specific
Intercultural
Sensi@vity
China
Indonesia
Singapore
Western
Mul@na@onal
Large
Asian
Corpora@on
Asian
private
SME
Asian
State-­‐Owned
Companies

9. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
What
is
Intercultural
Competence
and
Sensitivity?
9
“To be effective in another culture, people must be interested in other cultures, be sensitive enough to notice cultural differences,
and then also be willing to modify their behavior as an indication of respect for the people of other cultures ”
(Bhawuk and Brislin, 1992)
Intercultural Competence
Technical knowledge
& skill
Motivation
Stress tolerance
Respect for
differences
Harmony
preservationSelf Control
Awareness of
communication
symbols
Language skill
Verbal &
non verbal
expressionAttribution process
of information
Cultural empathy
Intercultural
Sensitivity
Intercultural
Communication
Competence

10. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
China:
The
fastest
growing
economy
in
the
world
10
● Ancient China was one of the earliest centers of human civilization.
● China has 56 ethnics while Han-Chinese take up around 92%.
● China’s traditional values were derived from various versions of Confucianism and
conservatism, which has influenced Chinese thoughts and behaviors for thousands of
years.
● Many important aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, such as Chinese art,
literature, and performing arts like Beijing opera, remain greatly valued in China today.

11. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Chinese
Intercultural
Sensitivity
*
11
CIS
Behavioral
Cognitive Affective
Personal Goal Task Objective “Mian Zi” (Face)
Pull
Push
Philosophy / Education Chinese Culture Value
Confucianism Harmony
Differences
Harmonization
Relationship
Optimization
Change
Accommodation
Cultures
Comprehension
Ethno
Identification
Sunzi Strategics
(“Sun Zi Bing Fa”)
Favor
(“Renqing”)
Pragmatism
(“Shihui”)
Network
(“Guanxi”)
* Based on research Chinese Intercultural Competence and Sensitivity in tourism Industry, Funded by Zhejiang University, China.

12. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Indonesia:
Ultimate
in
Diversity
12
● Indonesia has around 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural identities developed over
centuries, and influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese and European sources significantly.
● The main ethnic group is the Javanese, who comprise 42% of the population, and are
politically and culturally dominant.
● A sense of Indonesian nationhood exists alongside strong regional identities. Society is
largely harmonious, although social ,religious and ethnic tensions have triggered
horrendous violence.
● The country has extensive natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper
and gold, which attracts more and more foreign investment in recent years.

13. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Indonesia
Intercultural
Competence
and
Sensitivity
*
13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Group-harmony-oriented motivation to perform ICS
Group-atmosphere assessment
Acceptance of cultural differences
Tenggang Rasa (Heightened Sensitivity)
Display of emotional controls
Respect
Sensitivity toward non verbal behavior
Active sensitivity
* Based on research Characteristics of Intercultural Sensitivity in Indonesian-German Work Groups, Dr. Hana Panggabean, Indonesia

14. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Indonesia
Intercultural
Competence
and
Sensitivity
*
14
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Group Harmony
Multiculturality
Active Sensitivity
Initial Cautiousness
Conflict Avoidance
Implicit Communication
Musyawarah Untuk Mufakat
* Based on research Characteristics of Intercultural Sensitivity in Indonesian-German Work Groups, Dr. Hana Panggabean, Indonesia

15. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Singapore:
the
most
globalised
country
in
the
world
15
● Due to its diverse population and immigrant background, Singaporean culture has
often been described as a mix of cultures – British, Malay, Chinese, Indian and
Peranakan.
● Foreigners make up 42% of the population in Singapore and play an important role in
influencing Singaporean culture.
● Singaporean government has been striving to promote Singapore as a center for arts
and culture since 1990s, with the aim of transforming the country into a cosmopolitan
“gateway between the East and West”.

16. Proposed
Research
Methods

17. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
The
Two
Phases
of
the
Project
17
Exploration and Theory Building
(Oct 1, 2010 - Mar 31, 2011)
Generalization and Material Development
(Apr 1, 2011 - Sep 30, 2011)
Objectives
• The first phase is built on the previous
research on Indigenous Intercultural
Sensitivity of Chinese and Indonesian
professional, which has been closed
successfully by Dr. Panggabean and Dr.
Tjitra in 2008.
• This phase will focus on elaborating the
intercultural experiences of the Chinese
and Singaporean international assignees in
Indonesian, as well as Indonesian and
Singaporean assignees in China.
• Following the findings from the first phase, the
second phase is focusing on the
generalization and fine tune of the developed
model in another Asian countries (e.g.
Singapore, India, Vietnam etc.).
• More, in this phase learning materials for
leadership development across cultures will
be developed.
Research
Methods
• Two research methods are going to be
applied: Qualitative In-Depth Interviews and
Quantitative Online Survey.
• Data collection will be conducted mainly in
China and Indonesia.
• Two research methods are going to be
applied: Qualitative In-Depth Interviews and
Quantitative Online Survey.
• Data collection will be conducted mainly in
Singapore (and probably India plus Vietnam)
• This study focuses on developing global competency model, which can be applied for a systematic leadership development
program for Asian Leaders.
• The whole project is divided into two phases: 1) Exploration and Theory Building 2) Generalization and Material Development

18. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Qualitative
Data
Collection
in
Indonesia
and
China:
82
In-­Depth
Interviews
(as
of
Jan.
25
2011)
18
A series of 90-min In-Depth Interviews were conducted
in China and Indonesia from Nov. 2010 until Jan. 2011
with Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean business
leaders and managers.
In-­‐Depth
Interviews
in
Indonesia
In-­‐Depth
Interviews
in
Indonesia
14
Chinese
Expatriates
1
Singaporean
Expatriates
12
Indonesian
Co-­‐workers
12
Indonesian
Co-­‐workers
In-­‐Depth
Interviews
in
China
In-­‐Depth
Interviews
in
China
16
Indonesian
Expatriates
12
Singaporean
Expatriates
6
Chinese
Co-­‐workers
9
Chinese
Co-­‐workers
In China, the respondents are Indonesian and Singaporean
expatriates who have been working and living in China for
at least one year or more and having leadership
experiences; as well as their local Chinese co-workers and
counter-parts.
Respectively in Indonesia, the respondents are the
Chinese and Singaporean expatriates who are working and
living in Indonesia as well as their local Indonesian co-
workers and counter-parts.

19. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Data
Analysis
Approach:
Grounded
Theory
19
What & Why -
Grounded Theory is A disciplined set of practices to ...
• Explore a new domain or topic
• Keep an open mind while conducting a rigorous analysis
• Work in an area without a defining theory
• Applicable to qualitative or quantitative data
Strengths -
• Theory is strongly tied to data (“grounded”)
• Theory is continually tested through constant comparison
• Data-collection is guided by theoretical sampling
• Highlights the agency and responsibility of the researchers
The Origins of Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967)

20. Interview 1
Interview 2
Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Grounded
Theory
-­
Framework
of
Study
20
Preparation: minimizing pre-conception
Theoretical Sampling
In-Depth Interview
Analysis: comparison & sensitizing concepts
Memoing: theorization & integration
Theoretical Outline
Sorting: conceptual sorting of memos
Report & Writing
Research Objectives and Questions
Agreement Disagreement
Exception Explanation
Better Understanding

21. Expected
Results
and
Deliverables

22. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Expected
Results
and
Deliverables
22
At the end of this 12 months project, following deliverables are expected:
1. Comprehensive and systematic findings on the current situations
and practices of Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international
assignees in Asia.
2. Theoretical framework and working model of the intercultural
competence and sensitivity of Asian Leaders, incl. culture specific
particularity of Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean.
3. Systematic study on the challenges and synergy potentials of pan-
Asian Teamwork focusing on Chinese, Indonesian and
Singaporean.
4. Learning strategy and materials to systematically develop the
intercultural competence and sensitivity of Asian Leaders, in
particular the one with Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean
origins.

23. Global
Competence
for
Asian
Leaders
Research Partners:
An applied research collaboration supported by the Human Capital Leadership
Institute (Singapore) with the objective to derive a model for Asian leaders, which
will lead to systematic global leadership development programs with Asian
characteristics.
Built on our previous researches on Chinese and Indonesian intercultural
sensitivity, we continue in this study by elaborating the cross-cultural experiences
of the Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international assignees and their
respective local co-workers in China and Indonesia. Intercultural sensitivity has
been widely accepted as one of the most significant element of global
competencies and one of the strongest predictor for global leaders and managers
accomplishments.
The principal investigators of the project are Dr. Hora Tjitra, Dr. Hana
Panggabean, and the research team of the the Zhejiang University (Hangzhou,
China), Zhejiang University of Technology (Hangzhou, China) and the Atma Jaya
Indonesia Catholic University (Jakarta, Indonesia).
Funding Partner:
Zhejiang University
China
www.zju.edu.cn
Zhejiang University of Technology
China
www.zjut.edu.cn
Atma Jaya Catholic University
Indonesia
www.atmajaya.ac.id
Human Capital Leadership Institute
Singapore
www.smu.edu.sg
Hora Tjitra
Hana Panggabean
Juliana Murniati
Quan HEJiewei ZHENG
Chaohui ZHANGTeng SHENTU Jia ZHOU
Xiaojuan WANG
Dan ZHAOXixie ZHANG
Sebastian Partogi Yuanbo LIU Tayyibah Mushtaq

24. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Research
Team
Collaboration
&
Activities
24

25. Thank
You
Contact us via …
Mail: htjitra@zju.edu.cn
Follow: twitter@htjitra
Website: http://sinau.me/hcli