After asking the question whether both Thai expatriate managers and Taiwanese employees do encounter the issues or problems of cross-cultural communication or not, this section discusses all those challenges that both parties have and face. There are many key concepts categorized into two main categories. All the information is being shown in table 4.3.
Table 4.3. The difficulties or problems of cross-cultural communication between Thai expatriate managers and Taiwanese employees
Research Topic Category Code Key Concept
3. The difficulties 1. Thai 3-1-1 The depth of language understanding or problems Government 3-1-2 Thais are more serious Not allow to over your boss’s head Indirect conversation
As the finding from table 4.1 and 4.2 have shown data concerning factors that influence communication in the workplace, table 4.3 then shows the data of difficulties and problems of cross-cultural communication between Thai expatriate managers and Taiwanese employees.
In the Thai Government representative organizations, there are many issues to be explored. The first issue that both Thai expatriate managers and Taiwanese employees have encountered in their workplace is that the depth of language understanding is not enough.
…Supervisors who may be impolite to us are those who have direct contact, relations with us. Maybe impoliteness isn’t his original thoughts. Maybe it’s because he can’t fully express what he meant, so what he speaks out wasn’t that polite… (Taiwanese employee:
1)
..It’s happening for my first 3 months. Sometime,s I cannot fully understand what they meant, such as ‘bu-quo (not bad), mei-cuo (right), hai-hao (acceptable) and hao (good)’, maybe I don’t know the in-depth meaning of them… (Thai manager: 1)
As the statements show that, in each language, there are different specific words used in their special usages. Thus, it is somehow difficult for an expatriate who has not lived in that country for a period of time; especially in those countries where English is not commonly used. Undeniably, a lot of studies concluded that to be able to use the language, which used in the host country, is such a basic requirement to help expatriates to live in the society easily (Chaidaroon, 2005; Cullen & Parbotteeah, 2005;
Sriussadaporn, 2006).
The next issue which was brought by the Taiwanese employees is that they see Thai peoples are more serious and overcautious. This factor can cause the communication problem, since one party might perceive that another party is always so serious, the communication barrier then occurs. Taiwanese employees mentioned that they have to be careful what they talk and what they express, not only during the working hours but resting time. Moreover, as Taiwanese employees see that Thais do pay attentions on ceremonies and formal procedures so much, whenever Taiwanese want to have conversation, they have to make sure that it is the right time to communicate; otherwise, it is considered to be rude.
From the interview data; as far as it can be seen, the Thai Government representative organization cannot avoid having the hierarchy concept. Taiwanese employees mentioned that Thai managers emphasize on hierarchy so much. Theoretically, as Robbins and Judge (2007) discussed that the more organizational level is, the more complex communications are; and of cause, Taiwanese employees confront the same situation.
With the hierarchy concept that Taiwanese employees have to be concerned, it later leads to the next issue which is that they do not feel free to talk with Thai expatriate manager.
Not be able to have such a free conversation with Thai expatriate managers; in the opinion of Taiwanese employees, there are not many two ways communication in the workplace. As Taiwanese told the researcher that they should do what they have been told, and have to follow what supervisors said, which indicate that it is just a one way communication; in other word, “top-down” communication. Generally speaking, top down communication is not effective (Adler & Elmhorst, 2002; Andrewa & Baird, 1986;
Goman, 2006; Grau & Grau, 2003; Hunt, 1980; Robbins & Judge, 2007; Siriussadaporn, 2006,).
From the interview, one concept that causes the communication problems is that the employees are not allowed to be higher than your boss, both in action and thinking (please refer to the key concept in table 3.1, you are not allowed to over your boss’s head). This phenomenon can be explained by using the concept of power distance, as Hofstede (1984, 1991) concluded that power distance in Asian society and culture are comparatively high among the nations. If employees are not allowed to say anything in to propose new ideas, there will not be any effective and efficient communication in the workplace, indeed.
The last difficulties or issues happened in Thai Government representative organizations is “indirect conversation”. As two cultures are very best known for “high-text communication” and “indirect communication”, everything that two parties (Thai and Taiwanese) do must be counted to pay attention. If we take a closer look at some incident happened during the observation, a lot of actions did imply many contexts; so, it is seemingly difficult for both parties to fully understand each other.
Apart from the communication difficulties, problems and issues happened in Thai Government representative, there are some difficulties, problems and issues in the private/ privatized multinational organizations as well.
The depth of language understanding, not many two ways communication and having indirect communications are the problems that also happen in private/ privatized multinational organizations. However, the degrees to those difficulties are quite low compared with those issues in Government sector. This can be explained that Thai expatriate managers who work in private multinational companies are trying to create such international atmosphere in the workplace, where everyone is free to talk, free to express what they think.
Once you don’t agreeing with me, please raise the discussion; feel free to bring up the unclear issue. In this organization, you have the right to discuss and disagree…it is our value to have such an international organization. (Thai manager: 4)
Most of the Thai expatriate managers noted that they do not prefer to have one way communication such as the local employees always agree with managers in order to please them. In some companies, it required new ideas such as those in the sale and marketing departments. With the believing of hierarchal concept, saving face and so on, Thai managers see Taiwanese employees are lacking of creativities and not trying to think out of the box.
“Creativity” is one of the most popular issues that many managers and human resource professionals are talking about. Robbins & Judge, 2007 defined creativity as
“the ability to produce novel and useful ideas” (p. 143). They also realize that most people have such a potential to think creatively whenever they confronted with the problems that required decision-making. From the interview data, it does not mean that Taiwanese employees do not have such a creative idea; it is just that the expatriate managers did not see it happens often.
Although it was mentioned that “creativity” issue is essentially important in multinational organizational cultures; in the Taiwan-based Thai private organizations, this is not an extremely serious problem or emergency issue, since Thai expatriates are
willing to support Taiwanese employees; even push them to think creatively as long as the atmosphere is internationalized; and of cause, it requires times.