Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 85

“PEOPLE IN GERMANY THINK
IN A LINEAR WAY – YES OR NO.
THE CHINESE USE NEUTRAL
EXPRESSIONS, SO COMMUNICATION
IS MORE LIKE A CURVE
OR A CIRCLE.”
Global involvement
Global involvement
The growth market China oers exceptional oppor
The growth market China oers exceptional oppor
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tunities, but also requires special knowledge.
tunities, but also requires special knowledge.
The Audi China Expert & Management program,
The Audi China Expert & Management program,
ACEMpro, provides training for Chinese employees,
ACEMpro, provides training for Chinese employees,
and those with an interest in China, for up to
and those with an interest in China, for up to
15 months
15 months
in China and Germany by deploying them
in China and Germany by deploying them
on projects
on projects
in their specific area of activity. But for
in their specific area of activity. But for
Audi, it is also important to oer opportunities to
Audi, it is also important to oer opportunities to
people who are currently living in an economically
people who are currently living in an economically
dicult environment. StartUp Europe, for exam
dicult environment. StartUp Europe, for exam
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ple, enables Spanish and Italian engineers to gain
ple, enables Spanish and Italian engineers to gain
further career experience in Germany, thus equip-
further career experience in Germany, thus equip-
ping them to take on challenges in the labor market.
ping them to take on challenges in the labor market.
The initiative also sends out a message to the
The initiative also sends out a message to the
domestic labor markets and forms part of the
domestic labor markets and forms part of the
Audi Group’s corporate responsibility activities.
Audi Group’s corporate responsibility activities.
Wendi Sun
Internationalization at all levels is therefore part of the strategy :
Audi is recruiting new employees directly in each country in
order to draw upon their specialist and social expertise. One
example of this approach is the Audi China Expert & Manage-
ment program ACEMpro. This exchange has proved hugely
motivating for interior development engineer Wendi Sun to
reflect on how she communicates : “Most people in Germany
are very direct. In China people tend to use more neutral ex-
pressions, so communication is more like a curve or a circle.
Depending on who I am talking to, I have to think : How can
I say that best ?”
“I was surprised how important work-life balance and reconciling
your job with family life are here in Germany, too,” comments
Paloma Santos Rodriguez-Vigil. The young Spanish engineer,
who previously studied at the Technical University of Munich,
is now taking charge of a quality assurance project for Mexico
under the StartUp Europe trainee program. Santos Rodriguez-
Vigil loves the international nature of her project : “I gain an in-
sight into the various Audi production plants and can benefit
from comparing how people work in Germany, China, Hungary
or Mexico.”
ACT WORLDWIDE
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