Gender and Gen Y: Insights into Global Diversity in China

Introduction

Global diversity is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Practitioners must do more than simply replicate their U.S.-based diversity strategies in their company offices abroad. To develop and execute a truly successful global diversity initiative, one must take into account the differences—as well as the similarities—that exist between the cultures of the company headquarters and the global office and the country in which it resides.

Diversity Best Practices and Working Mother Media are committed to helping organizations excel in managing diversity on a multinational scale. To that end, the companies hold an annual global event featuring two full days of conference programming. The Diversity Best Practices’ Global Best Practice Session is designed to aid U.S.-based companies in identifying the most effective strategies for managing employees and business abroad, while Working Mother Media’s Global Advancement of Women conference focuses on providing professional women with the skills necessary to succeed within multinational corporations.

In previous years, Diversity Best Practices and Working Mother Media have traveled to Toronto, Canada; Sao Palo, Brazil; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Bangalore, India, to conduct these events. In November 2010, with the support of host sponsors Cisco Systems Inc. and Intel Corporation, the companies brought the fifth-annual global initiative to Beijing, China.

The Global Best Practice session, held on November 17 with a group of 80 diversity and human resources professionals, was designed to give Diversity Best Practices’ global members insight into the challenges of managing diversity in China and addressed the issues of crosscultural competence, gender intelligence and generational diversity.

The Global Advancement of Women session, held November 18 with nearly 200 Asian female professionals, tackled topics such as achieving success at a multinational company and managing competing personal and professional demands.

This paper provides a rich overview of the key takeaways from the days’ discussions.