Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Willingness
to express opinions
varies by culture'Why didn't you speak up at the luncheon meeting?" Anne Jackson asked Seiko Tanaka. "The people were discussing savings rates among Japanese wage earners and I've heard you talk about this before. You are better informed than the others, but you said very little."
Anne and Seiko had just returned to their offices after a luncheon meeting in Honolulu. Anne, originally from Nashville, Tenn., had lived in Hawaii for five years. Seiko was from Osaka, Japan, and had accepted a job in Hawaii with a Japanese owned chain of department stores. Anne and Seiko shared an interest in American country music and had lunch together every two or three weeks. Anne was impressed with Seiko's knowledge of Japanese consumer behavior, family savings plans and the roles of husbands and wives in raising children.
At the luncheon with coworkers from company headquarters, one of the executives offered conclusions about Japanese family savings that Anne recognized as quite different from ideas held by Seiko. Anne expected Seiko to speak up, but Seiko quietly said, "You have an interesting perspective." Even when Anne encouraged her to share her ideas, Seiko added only that "Different people have diverse opinions about complex issues such as Japanese consumer behavior."
The cultural difference in this incident centers on the distinction between privately held positions and publicly expressed opinions. Anne comes from a culture where the distinction is less pronounced than in Seiko's culture. To Anne, if people have a private opinion in the workplace, and if sharing that opinion could enrich a discussion, then the person should speak up and share the opinion with others. To Seiko, there can be a sharp distinction between privately held opinions (in Japanese, "honne") and public presentations of the self ("tatemae"). Seiko can be quite comfortable holding a strong opinion but not telling others about it.
Reasons are often based on interpersonal concerns and sensitivities. Seiko may feel that she will interfere with the pleasant interactions among people at the lunch if she offers her disagreements. Her concerns about maintaining positive interpersonal relationships may take precedence over her need to express her well-thought out opinions.
Dating couples sometimes encounter this difference. A Japanese woman asked for my advice on a problem she was having with her American boyfriend. The boyfriend complained, "You are always so nice and never disagree or complain when we are with others!" My advice was to suggest that the boyfriend be thankful for the good fortune of knowing a woman sensitive to the needs of others.
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