China becomes one of the fast expanding market with large growth potential for many multinational companies, more and more activities are transferred to China. Meanwhile, how to transfer knowledge to Chinese market, (incl. customers, partners, employees, etc.) becomes one of the critical questions, and cross-cultural differences in learning behavior need to be considered by corporate learning, training and development professionals.

1. by Prof. Dr. Hora Tjitra, Thomas Jenewine & Daisy Zheng
essful ina
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Cooperative study between SAP AG and Zhejiang University

2. What are the KEYs to successful
Learning Project in CHINA?

3. KEY I
Understand Chinese Learners
• Understand Chinese learnersʼ characteristics in learning
• Understand what Chinese learners need for effective learning result

4. Chinese LEARNERs
are ...
... learning with heart and mind
“Chinese learners are more aware to learning ... results driven
and they are hardworking.”
“Chinese learners bring in a lot of questions
from work and expect could solve all from the
training or learning program.”
... bringing personal learn enthusiasm
“Chinese learners are more willing to learn,
they grasp every chance to learn.”

5. ... “room” for self study
... time to reflect
Chinese LEARNERs
NEED ...
... additional information
... to practice what he/she learned

6. KEY II
Who could be Highly Qualified Trainer
Expectation from Chinese Learners
• Personal characteristics of highly qualified trainer
• Multiple roles played by highly qualified trainer
• Tips for successful training and teaching approach

7. ... authoritative reputation
... good human sense
... passion to teach
Highly Qualified Trainer is the PERSON who HAS ...

8. Highly Qualified Trainer is the PERSON who could BE ...
Roles expected for all trainers
No matter which cultural background the learners have Learning Orientator
Role Model
Knowledge Transfer
Problem Solver
Service Provider
Learning Utilizer
Roles expected for trainers
by Chinese learners

9. BUILD
trustworthy relationship with learners GIVE
timely feedbacks
Highly Qualified Trainer for Chinese Learners
Should ...
TEACH
how-to-learn PROVIDE
learning guidance

10. • Chinese learners seem to be paradox. On one
side, they are eager to learn, on the other side, • Increase internal motivation by bridging
the trainers should motivate them to learn. learning content with workplace.
• Keeping the motivation of the learners high • External motivation/conditions could
and helping the learners to achieve their goals significantly influence learning effectiveness.
are the core factors of effective learning.
Why? How?
Trainer MOTIVATION Learner
Rewarding Measurement
Measuring and appropriate rewarding of the learning
results can be a vital instrument for the motivation.

11. KEY III
Learning Course & Settings
typically for Chinese Learners
• Requirement of excellent learning course material
• Environment setting for better learning results

12. Excellent learning COURSE is ...
practical & applied oriented
systematic & well-structured
very relevant to current jobs
enables self study
“Learning material or course should meet the match learners’ needs from their workplace,
otherwise they will be less motivated and difficult to be involved in learning.”
“Chinese learners want to see a ‘whole picture’ at the beginning, and they prefer you to tell
them ‘now we are talking about this part (in the whole picture)’.”
“Chinese learners want the training/learning program to help them solve practical problems.”
“They (Chinese learners) are always happy to study by themselves, read through these
(learning materials), do exercises and prepare for exams/tests.”

13. Facilitated Environment Setting is ...
• open & “secure”
• encouraging sharing
• rewarding learning &
supporting application

14. Results presented in Key Factors for Successful Learning & Development in China
is based on Research Project
Cross-Cultural Differences in Learning Behaviors
(sponsored by SAP AG, cooperated with Zhejiang University)

15. Method
• 90-minute in-depth interview with 58 training&development experts
• All interview data were recorded and fully transcribed in the original language
(English or Chinese)
• Interview data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach
Resource
Experts, who have intensive experiences in teaching technology
and management as well as consulting and training
• Native Chinese experts • International expert • German experts
• Having intensive • Having international • Major working and
training/teaching working experiences learning experiences
experiences • At least five years of in Germany
• At least five years of relevant working • Education in Germany
relevant working experiences
experiences
Brief Introduction of the Research
“Cross-Cultural Differences in Learning Behaviors”

16. • Tjitra, H. W., Guo, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2007). Group differences in learning behaviors between
students and employees. Anima Indonesian Psychological Journal, 23(1), 1-9
• Chinese Learning Behavior in Corporate Training and Development; paper presented by Daisy
Zheng and Thomas Jenewein at the 3rd Biennial Conference of Indonesian Industrial and
Organizational Psychology in Jogjakarta, Indonesia (2007)
• Multiple Roles of Chinese Trainers in Corporate Training and Development; paper presented by
Daisy Zheng and Quan He at the 7th Biennial Conference of Asian Association of Social
Psychology in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (2007)
• Exploring the learning effectiveness and process of Chinese learner in the higher education and
workplace environment; paper presented by Prof. Dr. Hora Tjitra, Huiqi Wang and Yunyi Duan at
the Asian Educational Miracle in Incheon, Korea (2006)
• Examining Chinese Learning styles, preferences and experiences in using different learning
technologies and media; paper presented by Prof. Dr. Hora Tjitra, Thomas Jenewein and Yang
Zhang at the Asian Educational Miracle in Incheon, Korea (2006)
• Etc.
Publication & Conference Papers based on the Research

17. THANK YOU
Contact us at htjitra@zju.edu.cn
Cooperative study between SAP AG and Zhejiang University