Similar or Different Training Cultures? German and Chinese Companies in Their Home and Host Countries

Abstract

For internationally producing companies, training and recruiting skilled workers is particularly challenging. At various international locations, companies often encounter a “skills ecosystem” that differs to a greater or lesser extent from that of the home country. This article considers this problem and examines German companies in Germany and China and, conversely, Chinese companies in China and Germany. Specifically, it examines (1) how the training cultures of companies differ between the home country and abroad, (2) which influencing factors determine the training cultures realized in each case, and (3) what influence the respective nationally prevailing skills ecosystems specifically exert. The findings from these four perspectives document that German companies in Germany use the formal vocational training system of dual training, whereas German companies in China are strongly influenced by the local training culture of in-company learning. Moreover, Chinese companies in China also use this training, and only cooperate to a limited extent with the formal school-based vocational education and training system. These findings show that Chinese companies in Germany do not adopt the dual training system used in Germany. This article analyses these results and discusses the reasons behind them, drawing of a distinction between institutional logic and internal logic.