Interview results

In this study, I have completed my interviews with two interviewees who had lived in other countries before they work in Taiwan. Due to the verbal contract I consented with my interviewees, their names and their companies’ names are confidential in this study.

The following two sheets are the transcripts I have assembled from the notes I collected during the interviews.

General information of the interviewee Nationality: Canada

Job title: Magazine editor Interview questions

I. Work environment

i. How would you describe your workplace? How do you feel about it?

My office is a very practical one, it’s located right next the emergency exit of the floor. Honestly, everything is great about my office except it seems very plain.

ii. Do you think it was convenient for you to reach out your colleagues during your working hour?

My office is very transparent due to the glass walls, but it doesn’t provide me a convenient environment to discuss matters with my coworkers due to office partition panels.

iii. Is there any dress code policy in the company you worked for?

Not a very strict one, everyone has to wear business shirts in the office iv. Generally, do you like your work environment? Is there anything you would

like to change regarding your work environment?

I’m really pleased with my office, but I would love to have open-office with my coworkers, so that I can save my time on looking for my coworkers.

25 General information of the interviewee Nationality: Canada

Job title: Magazine editor

I am only speaking for my job, because my job is about collaboration with my coworkers.

v. Do you think cultural impact affect the work environment you have?

I am not judging the culture in Taiwan, but I’m not pleased with the idea of using cubicles. I can tell my local coworkers don’t seem to be bothered by cubicle setting. However, these office partition panels impede the communication between my coworkers and me.

II. Work condition

i. What do you think about your working hours?

My office hours are from 9AM to 6PM, with one hour break starts from 12PM.

I wish it could be more flexible where everyone can get home as soon as they finish their jobs.

ii. What is your thought on the company policy?

I think my company has the legitimate ones; there is nothing much for me to talk about.

iii. Generally, do you like your work condition? Is there anything you would like to change regarding your work condition?

If I had a chance, I would love to make the working hour a little bit more flexible.

iv. Do you think cultural impact affect the work condition you have?

Not a personal one, I just don’t seem to understand why my coworkers always like to stay longer and work unpaid overtime. This was definitely a cultural shock to me when I came to work in Taiwan. I have known the reason later on, it seems like most of the employees want to show their loyalties to the companies by staying longer; and at the same time, they have lesser chance of getting layoffs.

26 General information of the interviewee Nationality: Canada

Job title: Magazine editor III. Work relationship

i. What do you think about your work relationship with your colleagues?

They are generally pretty shy but warm up once you make the effort. I do tend to mix with mainly other expats elsewhere, but at work I have only Taiwanese coworkers so I feel I mix it up pretty often.

ii. What do you think about your work relationship with your supervisor? (ex.

power distance)

Unless you're lucky, your boss will have a very different idea of your relationship with them than you might be used to back home. Taiwanese bosses are far more authoritarian than in Canada. I think it’s important to understand your legal rights as a foreign employee, but also to have an open mind and remember that you’re working in a different country where things work a little differently. That’s why you’d come, isn’t it?

iii. Generally, do you like your work relationship? Is there anything you would like to change regarding your work relationship?

I generally really like my coworkers, but the concept of friendship here is sometimes very different from mine. Most of my close friends are other expats and I prefer it that way, although it really does depend on your own attitude.

iv. Do you think cultural impact affect the work relationship you have?

I think language might be the culture barrier in this case; I could be friends with my Taiwanese coworkers easily if we could share more common tones.

Sheet 1. Transcript for the interview#1

27 General information of the interviewee Nationality: Australia

Job title: programmer/technical writer Interview questions

I. Work environment

i. How would you describe your workplace? How do you feel about it?

I mostly spend my time in the lab, and it is well decontaminated. The laboratory has almost every single utility I needed for testing my software on hardware products. In general, I love my workplace.

ii. Do you think it was convenient for you to reach out your colleagues during your working hour?

The founders of the company built very convenient communicational system for each office/room, so I say I have no issues when it comes to finding my colleagues.

iii. Is there any dress code policy in the company you worked for?

Not specifically for my position, I just have to wear my lab coat and name tag.

As for other positions, most of them have to wear business suits.

iv. Generally, do you like your work environment? Is there anything you would like to change regarding your work environment?

I am totally satisfied with my work environment; it would be fantastic if there is a fridge in lab where I can grab some snacks.

v. Do you think cultural impact affect the work environment you have?

In my case, I didn’t really feel any cultural impact in my work environment.

Since I was working in the lab back and I am still working in the lab over here

28 General information of the interviewee Nationality: Australia

Job title: programmer/technical writer II. Work condition

i. What do you think about your working hours?

I have eight hours of work starting from 9AM to 6PM with one hour lunch break. I think it’s about the same agenda for every company in Taiwan.

ii. What is your thought on the company policy?

I agree with most of the company’s policies, but there is one I am not consented with, which is the overtime pay policy. The company doesn’t seem willingly to pay extra wage for employees’ endeavor.

iii. Generally, do you like your work condition? Is there anything you would like to change regarding your work condition?

If possible, I would like to change this overtime pay policy. Everything else about company policy seems fine to me. I personally think overtime pay policy is a huge player in terms of employees’ morale, which might give the company a good push in long run.

iv. Do you think cultural impact affect the work condition you have?

From my perspective, this has a lot to do with Taiwan’s culture. Over my past few years in Taiwan, I have noticed that most of the local employees I crossed by underestimate their values and rights as employees. If I were them, I would give more shots at changing the employers’ mind.

III. Work relationship

i. What do you think about your work relationship with your colleagues?

Most of my coworkers are friendly to me and I am glad I didn’t experience any discrimination with them in terms of religion. I also don’t feel any discrimination as a woman but I think there’s a local standard for how women are supposed to be like here.

29 General information of the interviewee Nationality: Australia

Job title: programmer/technical writer

ii. What do you think about your work relationship with your supervisor? (ex.

power distance)

The bosses in Taiwan have much more sway undoubtedly. For instance, when the boss is talking, you just have to listen; which is very different from back home where if the boss is talking, it’s because you’re having an interactive discussion with your boss.

iii. Generally, do you like your work relationship? Is there anything you would like to change regarding your work relationship?

I love working with my local coworkers and having friendships with them if possible. I was interested to learn more about their culture and language, which leads me to have better relationship with my Taiwanese coworkers. They appreciate it when you make an effort to learn their language. Most of my friends are actually locals though I have a few expat friends. If there is one thing I could change, I just want to have a more hospitable relationship with my supervisor.

iv. Do you think cultural impact affect the work relationship you have?

This would take aeon to answer properly. I think the power distance between employees and employers has a lot to do with Taiwanese culture. I will summarize it in one word—guanxi. For employees in Taiwan, having better guanxi with your supervisor is the best shortcut to success. In order to do that, they just have to obey their bosses by all means. I don’t mean to exaggerate it, but this sort of relationship really sounds like master-slave relationship to me.

Sheet 2. Transcript for interviewee#2