CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR IN INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING PROJECTS: CHINESE AND SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES

• D. Jiang Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria
• L. Pretorius Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/22-2-15

Keywords:

Developing scheduling techniques, project communication, negotiation, conflict solving, contract process, team building, successful engineering projects

Abstract

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Past researchers and practitioners have realised that merely developing scheduling techniques is not enough to ensure successful engineering projects, and that communication behaviour is also a critical cultural issue for achieving project success. In this article, the communication behaviour of Chinese project managers is assessed in a cultural context, and the effect of communication behaviour on five project activities (project communication, negotiation, conflict solving, contract process, and team building) is evaluated. This is an empirical study that makes use of surveys to explore the cultural differences between Chinese and South African engineering project managers in respect of their communication behaviour, and the effects of those differences on the five project management activities in the construction industry. There are significant differences between Chinese and South African project managers in their communication behaviour in three project activities. However, there seems to be no significant difference between their communication behaviours in the contract process.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsers en praktiserende projekbestuurders het reeds tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat skeduleringstegnieke op hulle eie nie voldoende is om suksesvolle projekte te verseker nie. Kommunikasiegedrag is ook