TITLE:
Cultural Mirror: Cognitive Conflicts of Malay Employees in Chinese Enterprises toward the “Solo Expatriation” Culture
AUTHORS:
Yawei Chen
KEYWORDS:
Deglobalization, Malaysia, Family Presence, Cross-Cultural Management, Symbolic Conflict, Belt and Road Initiative
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.11,
October
30,
2025
ABSTRACT: In the context of deglobalization, ethical conflicts in cross-cultural management have increasingly become a central challenge for enterprises involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Based on focus group interviews with 42 employees in Chinese-invested firms in Malaysia, this study finds that Malay employees interpret the Chinese practice of “solo expatriation” as a moral transgression signifying the rupture of family bonds. This interpretation stems from divergent cultural norms of family presence between China and Malaysia, amplified by religious narratives. Furthermore, the study highlights the asymmetry of interpretive power behind such symbolic misreadings: Malay employees draw upon religious and historical metaphors to dominate local discourse, forcing Chinese staff into a position of “defensive self-justification”. Theoretically, this research transcends the workplace-centric paradigm of cross-cultural management by underscoring the extension of family ethics from the private into the public sphere, and by proposing a distinction between flexible and rigid collectivism. Practically, it constructs a “cultural immune system” along three pathways: 1) institutional-cultural coupling (e.g., tiered family visitation allowances), 2) symbolic capital reconstruction (e.g., metaverse-based family cohabitation), and 3) institutionalized buffer zones (e.g., certified cultural mediators). These mechanisms provide both theoretical innovation and practical support for enhancing the cultural adaptability of Chinese enterprises in Southeast Asia.