Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Jane McNeal, originally from Dallas, had worked for two years as an English Language teacher in Osaka. She had applied for teaching positions in Japan after college. She was now applying for jobs in private sector corporations in Japan and completed her first job interview. Interviewer expectations
One of the Japanese interviewers asked her about activities in college beyond her coursework. Jane replied that she had participated in many activities during her college years: member of an intramural volleyball team, two years with the college newspaper, one year as an officer in a academic honor society and volunteer community work at the Blood Bank. The Japanese interviewers seemed puzzled with Jane's response to the question, and she had the feeling that the interview had not gone well.
A complex event such as a job interview will be affected by people's cultural backgrounds, personalities, past work experiences, amount of preparation, and other factors. Jane's feelings about the poor interview may be based on cultural differences. Japan is a collectivist culture, and long-term loyalty to a group and the ability to work well with other group members are highly valued. The United States in an individualistic nation and people are expected to present skills, abilities and positive work attitudes when they enter the job market.
Activities during college are valued in both collectivistic and individualistic nations, but for different reasons. In Japan, college students often join one group as freshmen and are very active in that group through their senior year. With these experiences, they are demonstrating their ability to develop and maintain long-term group commitments. In the United States, students often join several groups to develop various skills and to show they are well-rounded. They also show their individualism with combinations of clubs and volunteer work, as in Jane's varied activities.
There are various benefits that stem from membership in a collectivist or individualist culture. With collectivism, people have access to well-developed support groups they can call upon with faced with various life challenges. However, they may face disapproval if they have ambitions to rise above the level of people who are similar in age and education. With individualism, people can pursue their own goals and can rise to high organizational levels based on their skills and accomplishments. However, they do not necessarily have access to a strong support group that can assist them in dealing with stresses in their work and personal lives.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Special attention will be given to miscommunications caused by cultural differences. Each column will start with a short example of such confusion. Possible explanations will be offered to encourage thought about these issues.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration,
University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the
College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu