Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Stan Tsai, from Hawaii, had recently graduated with honors from UCLA. He began interviewing for jobs in Honolulu. At one organization, a member of the interview panel asked Stan about winning the dean's academic award. Stan replied in a timid manner, "My parents encouraged me to work hard at my studies." Another panel member asked him about a prestigious club and his election as president. Stan replied, "It was nice of the other students to give me the chance." After the interview, panel members commented to each other that they wished Stan had been more dynamic when discussing his record and qualifications. Modest presentation style
common in HawaiiStan is using a modest and self-effacing presentation style common in Hawaii. The style has its origins in Asia where people are socialized to call attention to others rather than to themselves. In his first response, Stan made reference to his parents and he showed his respect for them by diverting attention from himself. In his second response, he showed gratitude to his fellow students for giving him to chance to be president of the club. Calling attention to oneself, using a dynamic tone of voice, can be seen as boastful.
Many young professionals from Hawaii want to live in their home state if they can find suitable jobs. Another reason for modest self-presentation is that, as part of their socialization, adolescents are told not to "make A." This term refers to avoiding embarrassing activities that would make a person look like a jerk. People cut down the chances of "making A" if they develop a modest and quiet communication style. If locals avoid embarrassing events, they cannot be reminded of these when they see old classmates at Ala Moana Center. On the mainland United States, people often move from the communities where they grew up. If they made embarrassing mistakes, and learned from them, they don't necessarily encounter people who remember these clumsy errors.
This incident and analysis developed from conversations with Ben Kudo, an attorney in Honolulu, and with Jon Tang, MBA program at the University of Hawaii. They recommend that other methods for selecting among applicants be used in addition to interviews. For example, people knowing they will be entering the job market can seek internships. In such positions, they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills over a longer period of time than the one hour allotted for a job interview.
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