A comparative study of five cross-cultural dimensions: Chinese construction companies in Congo

In the last years, Chinese construction companies have been increasingly investing in Congo-Brazzaville. It is essential to underline that Chinese construction companies as well as their Congolese counterparts and labourers should understand cultural differences as well as similarities to create a good partnership-working environment. The two cultural backgrounds are different enough to generate tensions, if not properly understood, they can lead to unproductiveness and misunderstandings; it therefore became important and imperative for managers of Chinese construction companies operating in Congo to understand the national cultures of Congo and the impacts of this culture on the attitudes and behaviour of the local workers. Using the five dimensions of a national culture, the present paper aimed to analyse different characteristics, which constitute the basis of the two cultures. The current study deduced intercultural dimensions within the two cultural backgrounds.   Key words: Cross-cultural management, national cultures, five cultural dimensions, construction companies, China, Congo-Brazzaville.