| Abstract | 3 |
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| List of figures | 7 |
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| List of tables | 8 |
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| Abbreviations | 9 |
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| 1 Introduction | 10 |
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| 1.1 Problem statement – changing challenges abroad | 10 |
| 1.2 Proposed solution – social and personal skills for project success | 11 |
| 1.3 Objective and approach of this study | 12 |
| 2 Project Management in China | 13 |
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| 2.1 Background information about China | 13 |
| 2.1.1 General overview | 13 |
| 2.1.2 Aspects of culture and mentality of the Chinese people | 13 |
| 2.1.3 Facts and figures about China | 16 |
| 2.1.4 China’s construction business | 19 |
| 2.1.5 Environmental problems in China | 21 |
| 2.2 Important concepts of Project Management | 23 |
| 2.3 The construction project management environment | 24 |
| 2.4 The construction project (management) process | 26 |
| 2.5 The competing objectives of Project Management | 27 |
| 2.5.1 Project Quality Management | 27 |
| 2.5.2 Project Cost Management | 29 |
| 2.5.3 Project Time Management | 31 |
| 3 Design and performance of financial project controlling | 33 |
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| 3.1 Presentation of TKS Bauplanung GmbH | 33 |
| 3.2 The MT construction project – brief description | 34 |
| 3.3 Analysis of the project’s current financial structure | 38 |
| 3.4 Developing an effective system to monitor costs and contracts | 39 |
| 3.4.1 Overview to developing an effective system | 39 |
| 3.4.2 The redesigning of the project’s filing system | 40 |
| 3.4.3 The preparation of the contract and cost record | 40 |
| 3.5 Controlling and administering the implemented system | 41 |
| 3.5.1 The budget and additional expenses or claims | 41 |
| 3.5.2 The challenges within the cost and contract control | 43 |
| 4 Determining soft skills as success factors in Project Management | 46 |
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| 4.1 Identification of essential soft skills in China | 46 |
| 4.2 Communication skills | 47 |
| 4.2.1 Overview of communication skills | 47 |
| 4.2.2 Different communication styles | 48 |
| 4.2.3 Communication barriers | 50 |
| 4.2.4 Ways to improve communication | 51 |
| 4.3 Conflict resolution or mediation | 52 |
| 4.3.1 Overview of conflict resolution | 52 |
| 4.3.2 Reasons for conflicts | 52 |
| 4.3.3 Models of conflict resolution | 56 |
| 4.4 Body language | 58 |
| 4.4.1 Overview of the importance of body language | 58 |
| 4.4.2 Interpreting body language | 59 |
| 4.5 Rhetoric and negotiation skills | 62 |
| 4.5.1 Overview of rhetoric and negotiation with the Chinese | 62 |
| 4.5.2 Preparing for negotiation | 63 |
| 4.5.3 Different argumentation styles | 65 |
| 5 Conclusions and recommendations for project approach in China | 68 |
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| 5.1 Soft factors for project success in Chinese context | 68 |
| 5.2 Training soft skills for an assignment in China | 70 |
| 6 Summary | 72 |
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| Appendix | 74 |
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| A Supplemental information to the project’s financial structure | 74 |
| A.1 Contract Management of the MT construction project | 74 |
| A.2 Cost Management of the MT construction project | 75 |
| A.3 Extracted example of MT cost control - overview | 76 |
| B Supplemental information to the project’s implemented system | 77 |
| B.1 Overview to controlling and administering the system | 77 |
| B.2 The contract related payments – payment system | 78 |
| Bibliography | 80 |