Personal Culture in the Workplace

I learned a lot from this article. It fits with my experience in the Army on Okinawa during the Viet Nam war, working with the Okinawans, who later became Japanese, and working directly with the mainland Japanese. The Okinawans were even more humble and self-effacing than the Japanese. My Okinawan interpreter would accompany me to a geisha house, have me drink enough sake to assure the Okinawans and Japanese that I must be drunk, so I would only tell the truth; and then kick me under the table to tell me when to agree, or show more respect (perhaps offer another toast). It was a rough introduction to Confusion respect and hierarchical group think. (O.K. Maybe it wasn’t so rough.) The same values were evident throughout the Chinese-influenced Orient.

A brief trip to mainland China itself more recently enforced my earlier impression. The Chinese were very formal and respectful. By contrast our group leader was a self-aggrandizing, aggressive, brash, American psychiatrist, who slowly became the object of gentle humor (which he did not recognize). However, I felt less embarassed by his boorishness when I dealt with the Chinese street vendors, who seem to have not heard of Confucius or manners, and were very aggressive young capitalists, who would thrust objects for sale into your face, or follow you, haggling all the while. (The Chinese government was trying to re-train them, or get them off the streets, for the Olympics.) I joke that I went to China to meet my future bosses, and learn to say, “Yes Sir” in Chinese.

Ms. Schwartz,
I think American companies could learn a great deal from Chinese values regarding the workplace. Even in my field of education, there is such a “me first” attitude in terms of standing out, receiving accolades, etc., yet we are all working towards the common goal of educating students. Unfortunately, the values and virtues of employees are established well before they complete any business or professional program.