Why Margret Zhang's Work Not Appreciated By the Audience?

(This article was translated by?chatGPT)

Recently, the news of the resignation of Vogue China's editor-in-chief, Margaret Zhang, has sparked intense discussions among netizens. I believe this incident is highly worthy of exploration as a case study for corporate transformation.

When people first heard about Margaret Zhang's departure from the position of editor-in-chief of Vogue China, what was their initial reaction? Using the words of some netizens, I will answer this question. A significant number of netizens believe, "The fashion media has long thought she should leave." Overall, there is a considerable amount of criticism on the internet.

However, I also want to criticize those who personally attacked her. Some people made comments about her blue hair, appearance, and attire, even giving her derogatory nicknames. I believe this is purely irrational behavior. If someone has not done a good job, you can criticize the specific actions. Commenting on a person's appearance, in my view, is behavior without moral boundaries. I hope more netizens can voice their opinions rationally, letting sound judgment prevail.

Returning to the main topic, today I will discuss her tenure from the perspective of the four aspects commonly mentioned by the Chinese: "timing," "location," "people," and "genes."

Timing

Margaret Zhang?served as the editor-in-chief of Vogue China from 2021 to 2023.

?We all know that the past three years, from 2021 to 2023, have been a very challenging period globally.

?Let's look at some data:

1.Nationwide data:

(Source:official website of China Bureau of Statistics)

The total retail sales of consumer goods in the country decreased by nearly 4% in 2020 compared to 2019, and in 2022, it decreased by nearly 0.2% compared to 2021. The data for 2023 has not been released yet, but those who have experienced it are likely to understand that last year was probably not better than the previous two years.

?Do not underestimate these percentages; although they may seem small, considering this is nationwide data, the base is very large. A 1% decrease in nationwide data means that more people or businesses are facing significant economic pressure.

There is also more data available, such as the unemployment rate, but comprehensive data is currently unavailable. However, people can observe it in their daily lives.

One noticeable observation from my personal experience is the increase in young female drivers for ride-sharing services like Didi this year, something I hadn't seen before. Additionally, there is an increase in people displaying irritability and short temper (liqi) in daily life.

All above are signs of economic performance.

2.The "Timing" of Fashion Print Media

The inevitable decline of fashion print media is an undisputed fact. Today, fashion print media seems somewhat like a mere formality, tasteless when consumed, yet regrettable when discarded. Many have pointed out one "charge" against Margaret Zhang—reduced advertisers. In reality, without meticulous data analysis (though many may not care about such "precision"), it's challenging to determine whether the decline is due to economic downturn, the inherent decline of print media, or a consequence of her tenure.

Therefore, in terms of "timing," Margaret Zhang?did not have any advantages.

From this perspective, this would be an exceptionally challenging role for anyone. Moreover, for a 27-year-old individual originating from a non-native culture, it adds an extra layer of complexity.

location

I want to discuss the cross-cultural perspective here rather than the geographical one, focusing on the fact that Margaret Zhang?is an overseas Chinese, essentially a Chinese born and raised abroad, coming to China where she has never lived before. Although she can speak some Chinese, the cultural gap is significant.

In this context, I also want to talk about the differences in Sino-Western business cultures.

Let me start with an example.

When I commented on this matter on social media, I shared a small story. As many know, it's common in China for magazine editors or companies, whether the first or second party, to give gifts to editors. A lingerie brand learned that Margaret Zhang?liked their products, so they sent her some. After receiving the products, she liked them and paid the company for them.

Some netizens, upon reading this story, commented in the sense that Margaret Zhang?completely doesn't understand Chinese business culture. In their view, if someone gives you a small gift, you shouldn't pay for it.

In reality, this story reflects a significant difference in Sino-Western business cultures, and I responded to this comment.

I shared a personal story to illustrate the differences in Sino-Western business cultures. This story happened 30 years ago when we still used coins for public telephones. Once, my boss and I were on a business trip, and he urgently needed to make a call but had no coins. I offered to give him some, and at that time, a call cost only a small amount. I was surprised when he declined, explaining that in our American company, superiors are not allowed to ask subordinates for money, even if it's just a small amount. He could borrow money from colleagues at the same level or from his boss but not from his subordinates.

I even asked him if it was necessary to be so clear about one or two dollars. He insisted on refusing.

This incident left a deep impression on me. Although it happened a long time ago, these rules still exist in the game.

The American company I worked for at that time had explicit rules about receiving gifts. Gifts exceeding a certain value couldn't be accepted, as it would be considered bribery. Gifts below that value could be accepted but had to be handed over to the company's human resources department. HR would then arrange these gifts and distribute them as prizes to employees at the company's annual meeting.

This is the rule for receiving gifts in American companies.

Western business culture strongly emphasizes the principle of "keeping personal and professional matters separate." Therefore, when we see news about officials in the West, even using a government car to take their spouses to work, it is considered a failure to maintain this separation, leading to complaints from the public.

So, I completely understand Margaret Zhang's actions. However, in the context of Chinese culture, it might be perceived as not understanding or being insincere.

But this is not her personal "fault" or a mistake; it's entirely a problem caused by cultural differences.

So, I believe that when she becomes the Vogue editor in China, she will face many cultural conflicts.

Here, I also refer to the cross-cultural theory of the renowned Dutch scholar Hofstede to explain the main differences between Chinese and Western business cultures. Although this theory was published in the 1980s, it remains highly relevant today.

Hofstede used five dimensions to explain the main differences between Chinese and Western cultures.

1. Power Distance

The first is "Power Distance."

Power distance, in our Chinese terms, is the "hierarchical concept." In Eastern cultures, especially in Chinese business culture, the hierarchical concept is significant, and the relationship between superiors and subordinates is distant.

In Western culture, the hierarchical concept is not as pronounced; it is more relaxed. So, from Margaret Zhang's perspective, as a 27-year-old, even if she wants to be relaxed, Chinese employees will likely maintain a distance, given cultural differences and the hierarchical structure, further increasing this distance.

When there is a greater distance between superiors and subordinates, it also means that the team's cohesion will not be as strong, especially with the additional factor of cross-cultural differences.

Here's the translation of the second part of the provided text into English:

2. Individualism and Collectivism

In Chinese culture, we emphasize collectivism, while Western culture emphasizes individualism.

Despite individualism being more prevalent in Western cultures, China's mainstream culture, to this day, leans towards collectivism.?Online, many criticize Margaret Zhang's clothing and taste, as her uniqueness differs from the mainstream aesthetic. Beauty is subjective, but cultural factors, emphasizing mainstream and collectivist views in China versus individualism in the West, contribute to a significant cultural gap evident in Margaret Zhang.

So, individualism and collectivism are substantial aspects of the cultural differences between China and the West.

3. Masculinity and Femininity

The third point concerns masculinity and femininity, metaphorically referring to cultural attributes.

Western business culture heavily emphasizes competition, leaning towards a "masculine" culture, highlighting a competitive approach. This is evident in American companies, where external and internal cultures emphasize a strong competitive mindset, often zero-sum.

In contrast, Chinese Eastern culture emphasizes "harmony."

But as our culture has developed to this day, we can also see that our competition is equally intense, as people often describe it as very "intense" or "spirited." So, it's not accurate to say that we lack a competitive awareness. To put it plainly, our competition is more subtle, happening behind the scenes, while outwardly, we still strive to maintain harmony and good relationships.

Of course, this is not to say that competition in the West is entirely transparent; they also have a set of practices beneath the surface. However, overall, they inherently possess a competitive mindset from a young age, making competition a natural instinct for them. In contrast, Chinese people emphasize "face" and "relationships." I hesitate to mention certain aspects, especially within hierarchical relationships, where everyone is very concerned about maintaining a harmonious facade – what we call "harmony."

What does this imply? If you are not well-versed in this kind of "under-the-surface competition," you are easily perceived as not understanding the intricacies of social dynamics.

The term "guanxi" (relationships) is highly significant in Chinese business culture. When I say this, it's not to imply that the West doesn't emphasize relationships and face, but our definitions are different.

In the Chinese context,?relationships can make a significant difference in the smoothness of handling affairs. Having a certain relationship may lead to special considerations, even if these considerations involve bending established rules. However, in the Western context, most of the time, people do not establish relationships with the premise of violating rules. Hence, there is quite a substantial difference between the two.

Understanding this "covert competition" is challenging for outsiders.

4. Uncertainty Avoidance

The fourth point about cultural differences between China and the West is uncertainty avoidance. Eastern cultures, compared to Western ones, tend to have a higher uncertainty avoidance.

Uncertainty avoidance relates to a preference for safety, stability, and comfort, rooted in our agricultural culture. China's rural life is associated with comfort and stability.

This difference explains why innovation is perceived to be lacking in China.

In China, innovation is not an easy task, not only due to issues of plagiarism but also because of the low tolerance for failure among the general public.

I wonder if everyone shares this insight. For instance, when a person succeeds at something, everyone applauds. However, if there's a failure, it is often followed by overwhelming criticism.

In this regard, a typical example is our athletes participating in the Olympic Games. All athletes who qualify for the Olympics are already among the world's top athletes. However, due to bearing the hopes of the nation, these athletes face immense pressure.

It's as if when you fail at something, there's a perception that your entire life has failed. This, to some extent, reflects our aversion to uncertainty. To avoid failure and criticism, many people prefer not to attempt what they initially wanted to do.

Speaking of Zhan Ning's appointment, she took on this role under extremely uncertain circumstances. Although the outcome did not receive widespread recognition in the mainstream market, I believe it, to some extent, reflects the cultural differences between the East and the West: Westerners are more inclined to take risks, while we prefer to engage in endeavors where we feel completely assured.

5.?Long-term Orientation vs. Short-term Normative Orientation

The fifth point concerns the difference between long-term and short-term normative orientation.

Hofstede's theory states that Western culture emphasizes vision and long-term values, focusing on the long-term effects of actions. In contrast, Eastern cultures prioritize current gains and realities.

The formation of long-term versus short-term values is influenced not only by a desire for quick success but also by a need for "security."

The Chinese idiom "luo dai wei an" (literally meaning "putting money in the bag") reflects the idea that money in one's pocket brings a sense of security.

In a practical example, many employees, especially those from outside the local area, are unwilling to contribute to social insurance in Chinese companies. Despite explanations about the future benefits, some still prefer immediate cash.

This pursuit of short-term gains is a manifestation of the cultural preference for short-term values.

In summary, the discussion so far highlights the considerable challenges Margaret Zhang?faces in her position, given the differences in individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and short-term values between Chinese and Western cultures.

People

In terms of "people",?I will discuss it from the perspective of managing "parachute staff."

I don't know how many people have experience with parachute management. I have been a parachute manager myself and have experienced working under a parachute manager. Therefore, I have firsthand experience in this regard.

When I was a parachute manager, transitioning from a foreign company to a local private enterprise, I encountered significant cultural clashes. Hence, I understand Margaret Zhang's situation. Without prior work or living experience in a Chinese company, suddenly being placed in a Chinese branch of an American company, she undoubtedly faces more intense cultural conflicts than I did at that time.

Some aspects that stood out to me during that period:

In the foreign company, our culture was relaxed, lacking a strong hierarchical structure. We could joke with the boss, and our meetings were lively, allowing us to openly express disagreement with the boss's opinions. Such directness and informality were common. Margaret Zhang, having not worked in a Chinese company before, is likely to experience a more rigid hierarchical structure and formality.

However, when I joined a local company, I found that only the boss spoke during meetings. Despite being a general manager, I maintained the meeting style from my foreign company, encouraging everyone to voice their opinions. However, the response I received was, "Boss, decide how to proceed." No one spoke up, and no one offered any opinions. In meetings, it was just me speaking because they were accustomed to maintaining silence and only listening to the boss.

I later concluded from this experience that when someone who truly understands Chinese local corporate culture parachutes in, the first thing they should do is not focus on tasks but rather on sorting out interpersonal relationships.

"Sorting out interpersonal relationships" means not rushing to achieve results, which aligns with Western cultural thinking. The initial priority is to establish good relationships, especially with key team members, even if they are nominally subordinates.

Once the relationships are well-managed, tasks become more streamlined.

This is a typical survival strategy for parachuting into a Chinese local company.

Genetics

Lastly, let's discuss the issue of genetics. People have genetics, and institutions also have genetics. Success is more likely when there is a match in genetics.

Let's take a look at Vogue magazine. As a mainstream media outlet and a print publication, it has been addressing survival challenges in recent years. Therefore, when Vogue boldly hired new and young individuals, it aimed to innovate and pave a new path.

However, Vogue as a print media has always been perceived as high-end, and many believe that mainstream fashion print media should maintain a certain level of sophistication.

On the other hand,?the internet has a "lively" gene – it is a medium that brings people closer.?On the internet, if you are too exclusive, people can't reach you, and you won't have enough attention. Early high-end brands and institutions struggled on the internet because they lacked this liveliness.

When Margaret Zhang?applied the social media aesthetics of the internet to the covers of mainstream magazines, it immediately felt like a departure from the traditional Vogue style. Although the intention was to innovate, changing the reading habits of the audience is not easy.

So, considering the factors of timing, location, people, and genetics, it becomes evident that Margaret Zhang?lacks an advantage in each of these aspects.

While many online evaluations suggest that "mainstream media overwhelmingly dislikes Margaret Zhang," I still want to applaud this young person – she is a brave innovator! Daring to employ newcomers, amateurs, and non-standard models for mainstream media covers is a courageous attempt. Persisting through a three-year contract without showing signs of breaking midway or resigning, even under external pressure, requires extraordinary resilience.

There is a psychological theory called "attribution theory" in social psychology. "Attribution" means that when a particular result occurs, people try to deduce the reasons behind it. In daily life, if something negative happens to oneself, most people attribute it to environmental factors. For example, if I didn't perform well in an exam, it's because I was sick (rather than my own shortcomings). However, when searching for reasons behind someone else's behavior, people tend to blame a specific person for a mistake, overlooking the environmental and situational factors the person was in at that time.

Attributing all the issues of a magazine to an individual while ignoring the environmental factors is highly unfair! This is precisely the intent behind writing this article.