Debunk interning in eastern cultures vs. western cultures with GoAbroad. Exploring a different culture is one of the most rewarding activities anyone can throw themselves into. Culture pervades every aspect of life. Whether you're backpacking in Vietnam or interning abroad in Beijing, the interface between your own cultural norms and those of your new surroundings can lead to fascinating, and sometimes even frustrating, outcomes. What your own culture might consider to be normal or appropriate can often be at odds with the norms of the country you're visiting. In fact, it's the very act of being exposed to these new ideas, customs, and social behaviors that can make travel such an impressionable and developmental activity. Indeed, the impact of travel is especially powerful when interning abroad.
These cultural tips for interning in Asia will put you on the path towards a productive, fun experience abroad.
Visiting a different country as an intern—as opposed to doing so as a traveler or student—gives you the chance to dive deeper into the bricks and mortar that make up the culture of your new home (deeper than most people could possibly even dream of!). Entering the workplace is a different ballpark to simply skimming across the surface of a culture as a tourist, for example, and can change your outlook on the world forever. Navigating the culture map within and between companies and organizations in a different country can throw any number of cultural tripwires at you.
So to help you prepare for the true cultural immersion of interning abroad in Asia, we’ve put together a shortlist of curious contrasts between Eastern and Western work environments. We hope it will help you hurdle some of the corporate cultural differences you’re likely to experience during your internship abroad. Read on to find helpful internship tips for the Asian workplace!
DISCLAIMER: Yes, we’re going to be generalizing quite a bit, and we acknowledge that not everything explained in this article will be 100% accurate to your personal experience, or perhaps to your own culture, but it's a start! We encourage you to do plenty more research into the specific country (or region therein) that you'll be visiting. This article is meant merely as a starting point.
Major corporate cultural differences between Western and Eastern workplaces
So, what are some unexpected differences in an Eastern workplace? If you’re currently interning in Asia and wondering what the heck is going on, it might be a cultural difference, like…
Your supervisor will appreciate your efforts to understand Asian workplace culture.
1. Relationships
When it comes to relationships in business, it can be tricky to know what’s expected when you head off to a new country. The first step towards success in this area is simply understanding that expectations may be different to what you’re used to.
In the West... People tend to prefer formal meetings in which to engage in business activities. While you’re at work, you’re working, and it’s fairly common for employees to avoid building close relationships with each other. That said, the occasional office get-together provides the opportunity to bond through any mutual embarrassment that may ensue.
In terms of the employee’s relationships with the company they work for, Western societies have lesser expectations as to whether corporations take care of their workers (beyond what is required by law). The majority of Westerners likely wouldn't be surprised by a company terminating their contract as a result of poor performance. Similarly, employees have no issue leaving their current employment to greener pastures if the opportunity comes up.
In the East... Instead of keeping relationships strictly professional, personal sharing and the development of closer long-term bonds is favoured and encouraged. There is a desire to form relationships with colleagues, something which requires time and trust to create, and individuals can often feel offended or shamed if others do not reciprocate. Efforts to develop these relationships are commonplace. In Japan, for example, activities such as karaoke are a perfect example of after-work engagement between colleagues.
In comparison to the West, corporate Asia tends to be less strict on hiring from the outset, and is generally more lenient to any under-performers on staff. Employees are loyal to their employers, and there is a societal expectation that employers will take care of their employees. People don’t wish to work with strangers, and they don’t form relationships easily. That said, when a relationship has been established, it can often last for a lifetime.
Use your commute time to learn more about your internship destination.
2. Criticism
What constitutes criticism—or where the line between advice, expert opinion, or seniority is even located—can be very different depending on the cultural work context you’re enveloped by.
In the West... Calling people out on their mistakes is pretty standard. In fact, it’s often seen as an important part of developing a strong and effective team. Tackling problems head-on and letting colleagues know about their shortfalls or errors is totally acceptable, though the way you do so may vary between territories. A snarky joke about a problem might be an effective approach in the UK, but it may be seen as offensive in Germany, where people might prefer to receive only the bare facts related to their error and nothing more. Similarly, a polite email would do the job in the US. No matter the approach, the fact is, in the West problems are flagged and fingers are pointed at those responsible. Furthermore, the related anger, frustration, and other applicable emotions may be on display.
In the East... Criticizing a workmate in front of other members of the team is practically unthinkable. People will try to avoid these sorts of situations as much as possible. In fact, if there’s any way to do away with unpleasant circumstances altogether, this is the preferred route to take. In China, for example, the concept of “saving face” sits at the core of the culture. Criticism is reserved for private interactions, and is often delivered through a third party. “Face” is a tricky thing to get your head around, and if you’re heading to China we recommend you research far deeper into the subject.
In general, populations in the East are more reserved and don’t readily expose their emotions. Maintaining harmony and avoiding conflict is considered an essential aspiration to uphold.
3. Punctuality
Being on time for work or work-related engagements is a big part of corporate culture in both the East and the West. Nobody likes to wait around for someone else to arrive and it’s generally considered rude and unprofessional to be tardy. Time is money etc. and there’s nothing fashionable about being late when business is concerned. Still, there are a few potential complications that you ought to be aware of.
In the West... Local norms can be challenging even between Westerners of different origins. Though people try to arrive at a designated time and start meetings without much delay, it’s become more and more commonplace to adhere to “flexible hours”. In this context, as long as the work gets done, and meetings are attended, no problem. The expectation is simply that other team members are reliable. Furthermore, as we discovered in the previous section, if someone proves not be to reliable, they’ll soon be called out on it!
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Nevertheless, if you’ve agreed to meet a Spaniard at 10am, they might not arrive until 11am (though they likely understood that you already knew this would be the case when you arranged the meeting). Germans will arrive early. So a meeting between the two, without assurances of the rules being followed, can be a frustrating affair.
Even time—and how it's treated—differs from Western to Eastern workplaces
In fact, many other “common understandings” related to meeting times exist throughout a variety of European regions. “The academic quarter,” for example, is the 15 minutes discrepancy between the official start time of a university lecture and the actual starting time. Essentially, learn the local rules and play by them. You aren’t going to bend an entire culture to your will!
In the East... Punctuality isn’t quite as clear cut in the Eastern cultures. The higher and more powerful a person’s position is, the less important it is that they are prompt. It is totally acceptable for management to be late to a meeting, but less so for workers with lower ranks. Nevertheless, arriving late to the office or to a meeting in Asia may well pass without comment. There is an assumption that you had a good reason, so expect to be queried on what that reason was once the meeting is over.
Additionally, meetings in the East might begin with some unofficial socializing and “warming up” between those in attendance. As we discovered earlier, relationships are important in Eastern business cultures, so diving straight in would be considered a bit odd.
4. Questions
The simple act of asking a question can be received in many different ways by the person being asked, as well as by onlookers. You'll start to see these differences quickly when interning in Eastern cultures vs. Western cultures.
In the West... Asking questions is regarded as standard practice, in fact it’s expected that lower-ranking employees show their initiative by seeking to expand their understanding of key topics by asking about them. Employees are encouraged to ask questions, even if these may be challenging to the ideas and actions of their superiors. It’s not that, as an employee, you are necessarily challenging ideas, but rather simply trying to get your head around them and understand motives and processes better. Employers value this sort of thing, as it shows that the individual asking the questions is eager to learn more in order to become a bigger asset to the company. Leaders in the West, after all, are just another member of the team.
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In the East... Things work differently. Employees would likely feel intimidated by the idea of asking questions. There is a fear that superiors might see questions as threatening, since they would have to clarify their position on a given subject. Far more emphasis is given to the importance of politeness and not openly discussing opinions, disagreements, or pointing out flaws. Leadership in the East is just that, and should not be questioned. We will discuss this further in the final section, below.
Asian workplace culture varies significantly from country to country. Interning in Tokyo will be a lot different than interning in Bali!
5. Authority
Hierarchy is something you will encounter in any workplace. The severity of that system of status and authority, however, may differ greatly between locations and territories.
In the West... Hierarchies tend to be relatively flat. You should feel comfortable talking to your manager, and even the CEO of a company, without issue. Chances are you can even call them by their first name. People in higher positions will generally try to help their subordinates feel that there is a sense of equality amongst the team (on the surface, at least). Each person’s opinion is valid, and all ideas are welcome. Final decisions are based on the team’s input, and nobody agrees with anything simply for the sake of it - there is a shared belief that that’s not how problems get solved. Potential issues should be flagged as early as possible and reconsidered, regardless of the status of the person raising the point. Furthermore, criticism of employees in front of each other is commonplace. You’re just hashing out ideas, so it’s probably fine to shut down un-constructive input.
In the East... The hierarchical system has many more levels, and each level really means something. Those at the top have the final word, and the system of order and governance is considered to be extremely important. Seniority genuinely matters. For example, interns in Singapore often note that Chinese values of guanxi (relationships) and hierarchies are common—people seldom violate chains of command or openly question decisions by their superiors.
From the manner (and order) that each person is greeted, served drinks (for example), or interacted with, it’s all based on position and authority. Managers will rarely scold their staff or people associated with their business in front of others, and any suggestions or input will likely be made with subtle inferences and non-verbal clues particular to their country or region therein. Eastern managers often consider themselves a secondary father figures to their employees, something which harks back to the long-term relationships and established bonds we discussed earlier.
Remember: Culture extends to the workplace
So there you have it! Our breakdown of the corporate cultural differences between Eastern business culture and Western corporate etiquette.
It's important to keep in mind what we explained at the beginning of this article. Though we hope our insights will prepare you for some of the challenges ahead, these generalizations may not hold true in your exact internship. In fact, if you come across any other curious differences, why not come back and leave a comment? Your own experience may help further prepare others for their exciting internship abroad!
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