Thought I’d get some advice as to what you guys think. I know there are some experienced folks that have worked with domestic companies loaded with Taiwanese employees.
We’ve got just a couple of foreigners in our office now. 3 of us (Swiss, German, Yank) and 3 Taiwanese females in a single big office. All the foreigners are here because we’re supposed to help out the marketing. But the corporate culture in this company is very much “I sit and do my work, you sit and do yours.”
The idea of collaboration really doesn’t exist. All the foreigners (myself included) are having difficulty with this hushed environment. We’re used to discussing ideas and trying to come up with useful solutions to the company problems.
The Taiwanese can speak English. After being here a while I realize that it’s not an issue of language, but of work ethic.
What should I do?
a. Leave it alone, just keep with the harmony.
b. Suggest that we get our own environment/office so we can help the company in our own way.
The boss isn’t one of the traditional types that says “my way or the highway” but I don’t want to step on any toes or offend anyone.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]For at least the first year…do nothing.
Grok the Chinese phrase:
Wu Wei Erh, Wu Pu Wei - something like, Through Not Doing, All Things are Done.
…really…I’m not kidding.[/quote]
Sound advice, TC, and duly noted. I don’t want to rock the boat as a newbie (i.e. 6 months)
However, I can’t seem to shake the feeling of how inefficient the current setup is and how they’re wasting the talent for which they are paying. As foreigners we do have special skills to add to the team, but if they automatically think that our minds operate like our Taiwanese colleagues…well that’s just not the case.
I guess I’m inexperienced at dealing with these kind of cross-cultural issues head on. Even after a year, how would one go about getting a separate area for the foreigners to collaborate? :help:
Rocky -
Maybe someone else can help you with this. I work for myself and don’t hae this specific problem.
I’ve seen some suggestions by others here who do work in office situations like yours. Maybe they can offer some of their experience and insights to help ya.
There’s nothing you can do, it’s like hitting your head against a brick wall. Just keep doing your thing and they’ll keep doing their thing. You are lucky you are working with a couple of other foreigners though. Anyway if the boss gets your ideas and works with some of them that’s good enough for teh moment. Sometimes Taiwanese don’t really appreciate foreigners getting paid more for doing less work (time wise). Mostly Taiwanese keep their head down and don’t show initiative at work, that’s what the boss does according to their thinking.
If you see the job as a means to keep you afloat in life (money wise), then I would play along, and follow the work ethic/culture. Irrespective of what you ask someone to do, they can fill the day up doing it. This is probably what the three girls are doing, cooperating may expose that.
I have made it a point when I ask somebody for help or to do something, to give me a time and date when they will have it ready, and then try to be either as casual or discreet as possible in testing them to see if that is how long it will take to do it. People get the message after awhile. Maybe a bit more of the stick than the carrot, but it works
If you want to develop yourself or a career in marketing, I am not too sure how much relevant international experience you get being exposed to such work habits, or what marketing experience you get in this company, especially if the company wants your marketing to be limited to writing/editing articles and manuals i.e “ I don’t pay you to think, I pay you to do”. Maybe you should work out what exactly the company expects from you, then follow that or try to change it
One last thing, you and the other foreigners are doing marketing. Correct me if I am wrong here, but while it is always good to see employees wanting to solve “the company’s problems”, would your time not be better applied to problems and solutions in marketing
Good thoughts on here. Thanks for the comments. I think the initial grievances were due to settling down as a team and getting used to sharing space.
[quote=“TNT”]
If you want to develop yourself or a career in marketing, I am not too sure how much relevant international experience you get being exposed to such work habits, or what marketing experience you get in this company, especially if the company wants your marketing to be limited to writing/editing articles and manuals i.e “ I don’t pay you to think, I pay you to do”. Maybe you should work out what exactly the company expects from you, then follow that or try to change it. [/quote]
Luckily the workload that’s given to me is pretty dynamic as there are lots of different angles that can be taken. One of the other coworkers is designated by our manager (TW) as the “idea guy”. I think that’s a lot harder because he’s got to produce things that are very difficult to measure.
[quote=“TNT”]
One last thing, you and the other foreigners are doing marketing. Correct me if I am wrong here, but while it is always good to see employees wanting to solve “the company’s problems”, would your time not be better applied to problems and solutions in marketing[/quote]
Yeah you’re right about that. I never said anything to anyone about this (except y’all). It really wasn’t a company problem, but just a readjustment period. Now all 6 people in the office have settled into the daily silent routine. Not sure if that’s good for productivity or teamwork, but I get my paycheck and work on things that interest me so don’t really worry about what the others are doing*.
… is this “do your own thing, and I’ll do mine” mentality prevalent in Taiwanese offices? The reason I ask is because it seems that the Taiwanese are a pretty dynamic, sociable and goal-oriented bunch. Not to mention mad greedy for money. Of course, I’m only writing out of personal experience… which amounts to about 7 months of living here.
I work for myself now, but, coming from a marketing background, I can sympathize with Rocky. Tough getting fresh ideas out of a team if you work in a mausoleum.
Then again, I used to work for a company where most people seemed to enjoy “collaborating” at endless meetings that ended up producing jack.
Anyways, I’m just wondering if it’s like that all over, just in case I decide to rejoin the mainstream work force.
I’m having an easy time collaborating with my Taiwan peers when the following conditions apply:
You give them credit for you’ve done;
A corollary is, you do their work for them; and
They will show up in meetings all the time if they can tell their boss how busy they are attending important meetings, and they don’t have to do anything (see No.2).
Actually, I could easily apply this to my peers in the US.
On second thought, if you’re doing well and making $ for the company, they will flock to you.
Maybe one of the old China hands can tell you, I’m forgetting the idiom, but along the lines of when you rise, they’ll tag along.
