Comparison Of Western And Eastern Business Culture

Eastern Business Culture

Western Business Culture

1. Relationship

The eastern business culture is considered successful only when the companies possess good relationship between each other. A good relation between the companies becomes an advantage in doing business for a long run. Companies of east usually prefer to develop good relation in order to develop trust and loyalty with the partners from other companies. Relationship helps in knowing the company and its people from its roots so that there is no chance of being dragged in any malicious activity. Hence, relationship management becomes an effective source of increasing business culture for the companies doing business in East (Fiske, 2010).

Western Companies usually do not rely on developing relationships with the companies they are doing or going to do business with. Therefore, companies usually work together for a short period of time. Relationship management in companies performing in west only takes place from business to business, where members of the company put their private life apart from business and does not really involve them in building any informal contact except business. They seek for working with multiple companies and loosing contact after doing business in a short span of time. It is common for them to avoid close relationships with people they work with.  They keep their relationships strictly professional.

2. Punctuality

Punctuality although is a concern in doing business effectively, yet it is taken lightly sometimes in eastern companies. Companies usually look for employees who are hard working and can effectively work for the betterment of the company’s business. Punctuality does not really matter to business, it is considered important but a little leniency is accepted by the companies. Arriving late to office can be acceptable if the employee but a regular practice to this activity could not be entertained. Company can be a bit easy to the employee for any good and serious reason for lacking punctuality.

Punctuality plays a very important role for western companies.  It is taken strictly by the employees and no leniency is allowed towards it. Being on time is something which is forever a benchmark for the members. Meetings in the western business culture are expected to start on timely basis. Many employees usually get fired due to their late comings. Lacking in punctual attitudes is considered unprofessional and shows lack of interest of the employee in working for the company. This makes the company seek for punctual employees who are active and hard working. Hence, punctuality is one of the major concerns for the companies who do business in east.

3. Authority

Hierarchy plays a key role in managing business culture. Employees have to consider the order of the seniors seriously.  Authorities in eastern culture are considered powerful and one has to obey and listen to what they say. They are the leaders of the company and take all the decisions. The leaders are responsible for making decisions for the employees and help them in whatever manner they want, as employee cannot go directly to the authority for any reason (Young, 2017).

Western managers are considered as the part of the team and are responsible for guiding others. However, any employee can approach to the authority for their problem and can discuss it with them. The leaders of the company generally treat every employee on a same platform as others. They interact with the employees from business to business.  They usually do not get into the personal life of the employees. The problem is solved only if it has its impact on business. The further contact of relationship is not entertained by the company. The authorities possess specialized skills and a lot of experience. The style of working can vary from individual to individual.

4. Questioning

Employees working in eastern companies are generally hesitant in asking queries.  They seek it as a challenge and do not really look forward in asking questions. However, asking questions is considered good by the companies. For employees it becomes difficult to ask questions as they consider it a negative thing of opposing on the command of the authority. Generally employees seek for asking questions that can be appreciated. Considering a silly question stops them in asking and ends up making them incomplete. They feel intimidated in asking questions to their authority. The fear of superiority rules over employees that stops them in questioning (Dawson, 2009).

Employees are often expected to question their authorities. This lets the leaders know about the interest that an employee show towards the company and also highlights the thinking and listening capability of the employee.  However, not questioning is seen as a negative aspect. It is one of the feature or rather a more relatable quality that employee must seek.  Questioning is taken as a serious aspect as it shows how well the employee getting mixed in the organizations and what is thinking ability does worker possess. Questioning is seen as a standard activity in western offices. Employees are less fearful and can easily ask for the answers raised in their minds (Harris, 2013).

5. Hard Work

Hard work in eastern countries in all about work and struggle. It is calculated with the amount of work the employees and the members put in. They consider more time and more hard work. The hard work which is done by the employee is appreciated with promotions, increment in income/ salary, entertaining packages, etc. The more time the employee gives to the company is considered as an effective way of doing business. The time and struggle of the employees shows their interest in doing work, but the outcomes are not assured. Employee can probably be killing time just by sitting the office due to any reason. This can therefore mislead the company (Kotter, 2008).

In western companies creativity is seen as hard work. The employees are expected to possess creativity.  The more creative they are the more they are considered putting efforts in business. Creativity is the most effective way which can bring good results in the company. Hard work does not assure success in the business, whereas, creativity helps in thinking about attaining good outcomes produced by the employees through their ideology. It is more effective and less time consuming than the way eastern companies work hard. A true manner of doing business is possessing creativity, which is seen in western business culture (Russell, 2013).

6. Communication

The communication gap is seen among the members of eastern companies as the workers have to follow a certain hierarchy. The employee cannot directly go to the authority for solving the issues. However, a leader is assigned at every level to help their subordinates. A step wise flow takes place when the subordinates want to communicate to their superiors. Communication gap is huge from employees to the head of business. Employees can discuss any issue that is giving them stress, as communication in eastern companies can be formal or informal. The leaders assigned at every stage solve their problem by guiding and motivating them (Coward, 2010).

Communication gap slightly changes in the business culture of western companies. A hierarchy is maintained in the company yet the employees can directly keep their problems in front of the business head without having to share it with anyone in between. Western culture gives advantage to its employees to step in with the problems and discuss them with their supervisors. Each and every individual is treated as his own leader. However, the communication can only take place formally in a professional manner. Being a formal communication, the personal problems that come in between the working of employees are not major concern of western culture (Abu-Lughod, 2008).

7. Business Mentality

The business mentality of eastern culture is to increase the graph of the company by increasing contacts with other self sufficient companies. They seek for developing good terms with the partners, its stakeholders, investors and other members of the companies. Eastern companies usually prefer a long term business contact with other companies. They continue to take the companies along whom they are associated with. Business mentality on and all refers to profit making of the business and growth of the individual. If the company is doing great and flourishing in market it ranked on the top (Naor, Linderman & Schroeder, 2010).

Western business culture says that it is creativity of the employees that takes the company to heights. They have a different style of working. They work artificially and are much more practical in working than eastern companies. They seek for profits and increased reputation in the market. They think of tying up with companies, getting their work done and then usually loose contact. They work for benefits and not developing relationships. They are direct and clear. It is the profit in the end that matters to any company (Porter, 2009).