Features of Thai Culture

Thailand is known as the land of smile. In every conversation making, Thai people would smile to each other.⁹ Some people are easy-going, fun and friendly (Kuwinpant, 2002). Thai people love to live with peach and harmony; even if they disagree with idea of others they would rather keep quiet.

Niratpattanasai (2000) stated that people do not make a quick decision, and also do not talk to each other during a meeting. Thai people are known as friendly, so they do not want to make any argument in the meeting, not only to pay respect but also not to break a good relationship.⁹ Raoprasert and Zeidan (2007) thought that there is less commitment during a meeting, whenever there is a problem they prefer to talk outside the meeting.

Thai people are not confrontational (Niratpattanasai, 2000). Research supported that it is the most feminine Asian country and would not defend themselves and would avoid aggression (Hofstede & Hofstede 2005).

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8 Source: www.worldbank.org

9 Source: The Thai culture and management style by Vathansri, M.

In Thai culture, face saving also influences the organizational culture (Thanasankit & Corbitt, 2002). Komin (1990) quoted that Thai society is ego-oriented, it is hard to separate opinion or idea from ego. Therefore, Thais would rather choose not to make people lose face.

Even having face conflict, negotiations seem to be the best way Thai people choose to solve problem (Sae Ngow, 2015). When employee faces an obstacle, he or she would not want to solve alone, but would want to get support from other (Nookoonungaree, 2012).

When people face problem, they would deeply hide the feeling of disagreement (Raoprasert & Zeidan, 2007). Thai employee is more likely to resist with what they face (Kamgoen & Duangkaw, 2008). Even though he or she does not satisfy with the work, Thai people would choose to be quiet and quit their job.

Sorod (1991) thought that in Thailand, relationship-oriented actions are more important than work-oriented actions. Employer chooses to interact with employees to keep good relation and make employees more willing to work.⁹ Most people love leaders who are warm and charismatic, show direction, relationship-oriented style and are flexibility in roles and tasks.¹⁰ In Thailand, most organization would come up with trust and build a good relationship among each other (Raoprasert & Zeidan, 2007).

Most business would be run in a clan culture, which is like a family, employee would listen and follow the leader instruction.⁹ Organizational culture seems to give everyone a feeling of family that transfers from senior to junior (Raoprasert & Zeidan, 2007).

In an organization, position is divided obviously in a hierarchical structure (Komin, 1990). Sae Ngow (2015) quoted that Thai people would respect hierarchy and honor those who are elders. Trompenaars (1993) thought that leader is like a father in Thai society.

Rohitratana (1998) thought that Thai people are more likely to have ‘superior-inferior’ concept. Employees cannot work effective without guidance from superiors (Thanasankit & Corbitt, 2002).

In Thai culture, power mainly comes from position, title or status (Thanasankit

& Corbitt, 2002). Holme and Tangtongtavy (1995) quoted that Thai organizations would only encourage top level of people to make decision. People choose not to take more responsibilities, as to avoid taking more risks that comes from the uncertainties.

Thai people have idea that knowledge gains from experience (Thanasankit &

Corbitt, 2002). Decision-making is usually involved with hierarchy in company (Raoprasert and Zeidan, 2007). Thanasankit (1999) thought that in Thai culture, decision-making is influenced by power and uncertainty. Rohitratana (1998) thought that they could not make any quick decision, except that decisions came from top leader decision-making. Superiors’ decision is the best decision (Holme &

Tangtongtavy, 1995). In Thailand, the relation between leader and follower in an organization is more likely to accept power (Hofstede, 1980).

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10 Source: Leadership and Organizational Culture in Thai Public Sector, by Natt Pimpa.

Raoprasert and Zeidan (2007) thought that in Thailand, an organization would emphasize trust and emotions. From the fact that Thai people love to have freedom in their life, therefore, people would not want to work with lots of rule and regulation that is unacceptable for them.

With a sense of relaxation, Thai people would rather choose to work in late evening than in early morning (Sae Ngow, 2015). Most circumstance for working over time is because he or she would get pay for working overtime fee. Therefore, it is obvious that employees can leave after work is over, even if they have not finished their job. Even though company willing to pay for over time fee, but some people would choose to leave punctually.

Sae Ngow (2015) viewed that although Thai people have to work to earn money, but work is not everything for them. In Thailand, family is most important things for Thai people. However, they need to work in order to get money, therefore, their attitude toward career and opportunity would effect on both organization and quality of life.¹¹

Even though people had to work to earn money, but working time is another important factor that has to be considered. According to Thai law, the regular working time should not be more than 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. But if job would impact on health and safety of employee, working time should not be more than 7 hours per day or 42 hours per week. Worker cannot work more than 5 hours without break, and break can be less than one hour, but in a day it should at least exceed 1 hour. When employee applies for a job, he or she would ask how many working days per week and from what time to what time he or she has to work. Employee would also ask for welfare that the company provide to him or her; such as how many day he or she can take leave. In Thai law, one important thing is that every company or organization should provide at least 13 traditional holidays to employees and inform employee before the year comes. Thai law also stressed that after working for more than a year, company should provide at least 10 days for an annual vacation, and allow employee to have 36 days for sick leave per annum. In general, most organizations would allow employees to enjoy more vacations than the law force.

Thai people would favor holiday, one of the reasons is because of migration. Some people come to Bangkok in order to get a job and earn more money than working in rural area. Therefore, if they have more holidays, they would be able to go back to their hometown in rural Thailand.

Summing it up, above is taking about Thai culture that has its own unique social belief, behavior, tradition norm, and politic rules.

2.4.2.1 Previous Studies of Job Satisfaction in Thailand

Previously there are many researches conducted about the job satisfaction of specific organizations.

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11 Source: Job satisfaction and Quality of Work Life, by Dr. Preeyanuch Chaikongkiet and team.

The results of one department store study showed that job satisfaction came from success in job, social support, opportunity to grow, personnel issue, welfare, manager, holiday, etc. (Chompoopong, 2010). However, the researcher concluded that employees wish to accomplish the task as the employer expect, praise them when they complete task, listen to their opinion, and offer training for them to gain more knowledge in order to improve themselves. They want to have autonomy in work and work on tasks that they specialized in. Welfare is one of the motivations for them to work. Employees expect to have a suitable pay, according to their education background and also enough for their monthly use.

The results of Thailand post study indicated that older people seem to be more satisfied in their job (Khumsin & Mungmee, 2010). For younger people, they would be more concerned to be on time and prioritized personal life over work. For divorced employees, they would be more satisfied with stability and chance to grow at work while others would satisfy more with working environment.

The results of Thai airway study showed that most important motivation in work is to be successful in work and social support (Nookoonungaree, 2012).

Research also indicated that people would want to find a new way of working. Most employees would want to complete their job, without problems coming afterwards.

Whenever problem occurs, it would be best if everyone could help them solve problem. To increase job satisfaction, companies should set acceptable rules and regulations, provide a good working conditions and pay a reasonable salary to worker.

The results of a Thailand airport study showed that in order to increase the job satisfaction, employees want to study new things and have challenges in work (Sukroesakit, 2011). They want to finish tasks on time, and proud of their work outcome. They also want to have an opportunity to study further and also want to involve in rule and regulation set up. It is important to know their responsibility, to get social support, to have a good working environment and to get consult whenever they need.

The results of a Thai bank study showed that most employees satisfied with their job, especially welfare they get (Jubprung, 2011). They proud to be part of the bank because they thought that job give them honor, prestige and acceptance from society. Most employees also satisfy with working condition, rule, regulation and stability in job. Even though it is hard to get chance to grow, but most people satisfy that they get treated equally.

The results of government officials and workers in justice court study indicated that they satisfy with work, stability, working environment, welfare, coworker and leadership (Kumnuan, 2011). Even though they do not have much chance to growth in job, but to be promoted they need to have more knowledge and experience.

The results of university study showed that they would be more satisfied if leader praised them (Kreehirun, 2007). Employees want to work on task that they are specialized in. And they want to get support from the leader, if any inequality occurs they would want to make it right. Employees are satisfied with the stability in their job. Another university result showed that they satisfied with acceptance in society

(Kitipraprukkul, 2010). They also satisfied with task that was assigned to them, because they got task they are specialized in. They proud to work in university and can balance working time and personal time.

The results of food factory study indicated that there are four motivations in job, which are the work itself, work responsibility, success in job, and acceptance by others (Samuckjit & Jarinto, 2012).

State owned enterprise would pay more attention to leadership, working environment, morality and social responsible (Koompai, 2010). Results indicated that a successful state owned enterprise pays attention to achievement oriented, customer oriented, innovation, leadership oriented, working environment, teamwork, communication, reduce controlling, human resource, and morality and social responsibility.

The above results are resulted from previous research. These circumstances showed that in different organizations, there are different kinds of organizational culture, which leads people to different kinds of job satisfaction and work outcome.