Positive Solutions - Case Study
From the Asialink Business Hong Kong Starter Pack
When most people think of Hong Kong they think of shopping, good food and a colourful collective culture encompassing East and West with a variety of annual festivals and cultural districts. Positive Solutions is an Australian cultural consulting company that does a lot of work in Hong Kong, helping the Special Administrative Region’s Government to develop its cultural infrastructure, including cultural precincts.
“We have been involved in projects in Hong Kong since a few years after it returned to Chinese sovereignty. Our role generally has been linking community consultation with the arts sector’s needs to design, plan and operate a cultural district,” explains Positive Solutions Director Cathy Hunt.
One of the largest projects they have worked on is the West Kowloon Cultural District, advising and providing reports on the cultural and governance planning framework for what the district should eventually look like. “Our role has been primarily founded on supporting the Hong Kong Government through the journey. There is great demand in Hong Kong to know what else is happening elsewhere in the world, with the Government wanting comparisons to be done, and assistance on adapting such models to implement them in Hong Kong.”
“This has included organising trips for the relevant Government parties to see cultural districts in the UK and Europe, connecting them with appropriate overseas contacts, having constant dialogue and explaining the options for integrating international ideas into the local context.” Hunt says that doing this helped to build trust and relationships with the Hong Kong Government. “Trust is very important. Although on some projects we were subcontracted by another firm, you still have to have many face-to-face meetings with the Government parties, showing them your work history and communicating about Positive Solutions’ experience.”
“Even as a subcontractor, it is vital to understand Hong Kong and its history. It has its own culture and way of doing things,” emphasises Hunt.
“Having a local partner and someone on the ground to explain to you cultural nuances and the way business is carried out has been critical for our success. For example its is not always easy to read the reaction of the client due to language barriers and lack of experience and knowledge of cultural gestures and protocols.”
Managing expectations is also critical when working with numerous stakeholders from various backgrounds. “In contrast to our dealings in Australia and the UK, in Hong Kong we often have to take a very indirect approach in guiding the client’s ideas and requests outlined in consultations. We do this by providing suggestions and options on how to carry out a task rather than being direct and stating the way it has to be done if the client’s vision is impractical,” explains Hunt.
“Engage directly with people, but ensure you’re not too pushy and remain very respectful and aware of formalities and the hierarchy that may exist in meetings.”
Other key differences in Hong Kong include the need for contracts to be especially detailed, including clear payment stages, how payments will be made, and in what currency. Some may also require the contractor to have an office and principle personnel based in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong parties will hold you to every element of the contract so ensure you have a thorough document. There can also be significant delays in payments so consider your long-term cash flow management and don’t rely on a single project,” says Hunt. “Some large Australian banks offer Hong Kong dollar accounts with your Australian portfolio which makes dealing in the different currencies and completing tax requirements so much easier than simply accepting payments in AUD.”
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www.positive-solutions.com.au