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Mingzhi Huang, Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, China

Christopher Richardson, Stirling Business School, University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim, Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

 

China is playing an increasingly critical role on the global business stage. However, one often overlooked group is that of Chinese inpatriates working in non-Anglophone Western environments. How do they adjust to the local culture? Moreover, how do they quickly integrate into a foreign workplace? This study focuses on France-a country fiercely protective of its language and culture yet distinctly different from Eastern culture-as the host country, exploring in depth some real stories of cross-cultural adjustment among Chinese inpatriates. 

As China's third-largest trading partner in the European Union, France enjoys increasingly close economic ties with China, with bilateral trade reaching a remarkable $78.94 billion in 2023. Against this backdrop, a growing number of Chinese inpatriates are arriving in France to work at corporate headquarters. However, language barriers, combined with various other cultural differences, turn even simple communication and daily routines-straightforward in their home country-into challenges in France. 

Through in-depth interviews with 18 Chinese inpatriates in France, we found that their adjustment journey often unfolds in three stages: from an initial "honeymoon/crisis" period, to gradual "adjustment/integration," and ultimately reaching a stage of "mutual growth" with the company. Surprisingly, some Chinese inpatriates achieved a "leapfrog adjustment"-skipping straight into the adjustment/integration or even mutual growth stage shortly after arriving in France. Their cross-cultural adjustment relied not only on learning the French language and culture but also on a flexible ability to build Guanxi, both with host country nationals but also with fellow Chinese working in the country. 

Curious about how they made it work? Wondering what factors can accelerate the cross-cultural adjustment of Chinese inpatriates in France?

To read the full article, please see the Journal of Global Mobility publication:

Mingzhi Huang, Christopher Richardson, Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim; "Vous parlez anglais?" "Pas du tout": cross-cultural challenges faced by Chinese inpatriates in France. Journal of Global Mobility 16 June 2025; 13 (2): 323–342. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-03-2024-0023