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Risks and engineering design across cultures

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Joan Harvey, Dr Kim Pearce, Ronald Jamieson

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Abstract

Many international joint ventures or collaborative assignments have poor success rates, often because of culture clashes. Whatever problems there may be in working with people from other cultures, these cannot be helped when the working may involve rarely or never meeting the others in person, and when the individuals involved have no understand of the cultural niceties of those with whom they are working. This research involves engineers working collaboratively on design projects with other engineers, from China, the UK, Austria and Germany. Following interviews with Chinese and UK engineers, a questionnaire was compiled to investigate attitudes to deadlines, long hours, obligation to work, relationships, and trust and specific interpretations of words relating to deadlines, such as 'soon' and 'urgent'. Several cultural differences were found and are discussed in light of prevailing theory and knowledge.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Harvey J, Pearce KF, Jamieson R

Editor(s): R Bris, C Guedes Soares, S Martorell

Publication type: Book Chapter

Publication status: Published

Book Title: Reliability, Risk and Safety: Theory and Applications

Year: 2009

Volume: 1

Pages: 791-798

Print publication date: 07/09/2009

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Place Published: London

Notes: Conference: Prague, Czech Republic. 7-10 September 2009.

Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item

ISBN: 9780415555098


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