Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Workplace interactions
between genders
carry implications'I wonder if she would like to practice her English," Garth Davis thought to himself as he looked across the office floor and saw Hisako Yoshimura. Garth, from Baltimore, Md., had been hired by the Ichiban Computer Software Co. in Nagoya, Japan. Hisako worked there as a receptionist. Recently, Garth learned that Hisako had traveled extensively and had earned a college degree from Cambridge University in England.
Garth walked over to Hisako's desk, tried to engage her in conversation, but was completely unsuccessful. He wondered if he had made some kind of cultural blunder in recent weeks that would lead to difficulties interacting with Japanese colleagues.
Even though Hisako may want to interact with Garth, she may be reticent given her knowledge of Japanese culture. Generally, there is less opposite sex social interaction during teenage years in Japan compared to the United States. There are fewer school dances and much less one-on-one dating. Many Japanese young adults, then, do not interact smoothly in casual conversations with members of the opposite sex. When a specific male does interact with a specific female and the communication seems to be comfortable and pleasant, observers often conclude that the two are "a romantic item."
Hisasko may not return Garth's efforts at conversation since she does not want coworkers to come to this conclusion about their status.
Further, Hisako realizes that if she interacts frequently with Garth she may receive hints from her boss that it is time she got married. Japanese young adults often meet their future spouses in their workplace but spend little time interacting during the workday. Instead, they meet at restaurants that attract an interesting niche market comprised of dating couples who want to hide their romantic relationships from coworkers. These restaurants are often 20 miles away from their office and are chosen to limit the possibilities of being seen by coworkers and friends. If the restaurants are dark and crowded, so much the better.
This incident and analysis developed from conversations with Keiko Shimazu, Chaminade University. She points to other issues that women like Hisako face. If she received a degree from Cambridge, Hisako's English has to be very good. But if she is heard speaking English fluently with Garth, Japanese men in the organization may feel threatened. All Japanese students study English, but they learn more English grammar (e.g., prepositions and verb tenses) than everyday conversational skills. Hisako may want to hide her English language skills to increase her chances of interactions with Japanese men.
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