Netflix’s “American Factory” provides fewer laughs and more heartbreaks than the fictitious factory of Keaton’s comedy “Gung Ho”. However, the underlying cultural differences are loud and clear. Have our companies learned to work with East Asian cultures any better now than 1980’s? In the documentary, senior management led meetings in both languages creating no improvement in mutual respect or understanding. Language is not the problem. Seeing this film underlines the need for a competent intercultural professional to mediate a win-win working environment and train management and employees global competency. If this American factory looks like your interaction with your Chinese partners, it is time to contact Yvonne for a free consultation.
