Seeing Beyond Trees in a Bamboo Forest: Intergroup Attitudes and Workplace Relations between Hong Kong and Bicultural Chinese

As organizations are becoming increasingly diverse with recruitment of individuals from abroad and the rise of reverse migration, understanding the relations between different cultural groups is important. I investigate the dynamics in workgroups with members who differ culturally though not ethnically, and argue that intergroup bias is relevant. Local Chinese and Chinese-American returnees to Hong Kong will be surveyed about their attitudes towards the other group. Findings will show that attitudes towards the other group are more favorable with high openness to experience for local Chinese, and integrated cultural identities for bicultural Chinese. This effect will be mediated by perceived similarity to self and intergroup anxiety. Implications for organizational behavior, managing diversity, and intergroup conflict will be discussed.