Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Who protests against
the status quo?Eight years ago, Brad Summers was invited to Seoul, Korea, to speak about leadership development, the topic of his recent best-selling book.
One of his interpreters was In-Soo Cha, whose English was excellent. In-Soo, then 22 years old, was the son of a diplomat assigned to Washington, D. C., and he had attended American public schools as a child. In-Soo was a full-time college student, and he was a leader in the English Club at Yonsei University. He found his interpreting skills useful since he was able to meet various Korean businesspeople during his work assignments. Several recommended that he apply to their companies after college graduation and compulsory military service.
Brad and In-Soo found they had much in common since Brad had worked in the State Department in Washington. Brad also discovered that In-Soo was active in various student protest movements. At the time, students were protesting issues such as the poor qualifications of some political candidates, the future of North Korea, and overly cozy relations with the United States. Brad had done his share of protesting earlier in his life (civil rights, Vietnam War), and enjoyed hearing about In-Soo's experiences.
On a return trip last year, Brad was scheduled to speak at a high-technology firm in Pusan. He was given the names of probable attendees and he noticed In-Soo's name. Brad arrived at the firm early, hoping to speak with In-Soo. The two met, but In-Soo seemed to be a different person. Gone was the protestor of years past. Instead, In-Soo seemed to the the perfect company man: quiet, well dressed, very knowledgeable about high-technology developments in Korea and loyal to company policies.
Brad has encountered an interesting example of cultural roles. A role is a collection of behaviors and ideas that are associated with a title. Titles include husband, boss, politician, parent and student. In Korea, college students are expected to take on the role of pro-testors. They are expected to be "the social conscience of the nation" and are expected to call attention to the government's shortcomings. Other aspects of the protestor role are that organizers recruit large numbers of students and encourage them to wear similar uniforms while demonstrating. This shows unity and common effort for the students' recommended action.
All cultures have roles, and they change as people grow older. During his second trip, Brad encountered In-Soo as he approached his 30th birthday. His proper role is no longer "protestor against the government." His expected role now is to be a hardworking and loyal worker in his company. Further, he should be married and should have children. The role of protestor will be taken over by the current generation of college students.
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