During our conversation with Minh Cao, we touched on the topic of how different countries have different work cultures.
Some differences are quite obvious like dress code, team structures etc while others are more subtle. These subtle difference can be challenging to navigate if you are not aware of them, especially if you are new to the work force in that particular country.
If you haven’t listened to her podcast interview, you can take a listen here.
Inspired by the following Harvard Business Review article that talks about how bosses from different cultures lead, we set out to explore this concept of work culture from a team member/employee’s perspective.
Thank you to our contributors, Puja, Jaya, Candy and Jennifer for their sights.
From India – Pooja (worked for a large Indian company)
The company was great in terms of working environment with lots of opportunities to grow. Although it wasn’t quite an open door policy, the team was open to feedback and taking ownership and leadership roles for the projects. However the boss had the last say so that was something we had to learn to navigate. And there wasn’t any work-life balance. One of the main reasons was that we couldn’t leave before our boss/manager even if we had clocked in the 8 hours and worked through the day. Initially it was easy to manage but as my family grew it just got harder and harder as work would never end but I had other family commitments.
From India – Jaya (worked for many multinational companies in entry level positions)
From Japan – Candy (lived and worked in Japan)
In Japan, my team did not expect me to have ideas or make suggestions to my boss. We were expected to just follow instructions. We were expected to present problems, get solutions and go implement them. We were appraised on our success in implementing solutions. Hierarchy is very important in Japan and not many people deviate from there. Our work culture is also very formal – from what we wear to work to the team structure during meetings. Also there isn’t much work-life balance. We are expected to do what it takes to get the job done, often working long hours at a time.
From Australia – Jennifer (lives and works in Sydney)
Generally the work culture is quite laid-back in Australia but that doesn’t mean we don’t work hard. In fact the casual vibe translates quite easily from work to play. Meeting for drinks or dinner after work is very common. Hierarchy doesn’t really exist in many Australian offices and a lot of companies encourage the same level of respect and engagement with everyone. Office meetings tend to be short and to the point, we just don’t want to waste too much time in the office (than what is required) and miss out on enjoying life after the work day gets done.
So how is work culture where you are? We would love to hear about your experiences and if you can relate to our contributors.
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