Cross-Cultural Differences in Corporate Culture: the Case of the USA and China

Corporate culture can influence economic performance, stakeholders’ loyalty, workforce efficiency, innovation and employee retention rate. Many corporate culture values are deeply rooted in cross-cultural differences and cultural beliefs. As a result, some companies give heist priority to collectivism while others appreciate individualism. The currently existing research papers on corporate culture are mainly dedicated to the study of this phenomenon without taking into account cross-cultural aspects. This paper aims to analyze cross-cultural differences that contribute to the development of corporate culture in China and the United States of America. Two cases were chosen accordingly: Apple Inc. and Huawei. To illustrate the variation of corporate cultures, primary and secondary data were collected from the companies’ websites and articles dedicated to the organizations. The collected data was analyzed on cross-cultural differences that influenced existing corporate values of both companies. The comparative analysis was based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Shein’s model. The findings could make a significant contribution to the field of study of organizational communication and corporate culture through the cross-cultural perspective. This study may be applicable to organizations that tend to create working environment in a particular country with an adaptation of corporate core values.