Culture Clash
Culture Clash
When is a ‘Thank You’
in the workplace expected?"One little word is thankyou and other little word is please!" This song that used to be played on a children's television show kept going through Sharon Colson's mind. Sharon worked in Los Angeles for an accounting firm. She was a good public speaker and was often invited by colleges to give presentations on the day-to-day work of accountants. Since she liked working with business students, her boss asked her to look after the college interns her company sponsored.
One of the interns was Dong Soo Park from Pusan, South Korea. He felt comfortable talking with Sharon and they would have lunch together at Korean restaurants. One day, he confided in Sharon that he had fallen in love with an American woman and that they hoped to settle in California or Arizona. He asked Sharon to write some letters of recommendation for him as part of his job search.
These requests came at the rate of three or four a month, and Sharon was conscientious about meeting the deadlines indicated in the various job announcements. What Sharon missed was any acknowledgement of the hours she spent on these letters and any words of gratitude from Dong Soo.
Sharon has encountered a cultural difference concerning the use of phrases like "thank you." In Korea, these phrases are used more often with people who do not know each other well. Once people spend time together and become close, they assume that favors and positive behaviors are appreciated. If they had to say "thank you" frequently, this would be a sign that the relationship is not particularly close. Dong Soo thinks of Sharon as someone close, as indicated by their shared lunch hours and by the fact that he confided to her about his girlfriend.
In the United States, people expect to be thanked and appreciated each time they help someone else. The social necessity of showing appreciation is part of childhood socialization, as indicated by the television theme song Sharon remembered.
There are individual Koreans who will be attentive to American expectations concerning appreciation. They may have seen enough American movies and television shows to learn this cultural difference. Or, they may have read an American etiquette book or a magazine article with a title like, "Showing appreciation for workplace favors." This a cultural difference where my advice is, Americans should expect less verbal appreciation, Koreans should try to offer more, and hopefully they will meet in the middle.
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