Cultural Differences

There are significant cultural differences between countries in the APAC region and Europe. Starting with the exchange of business cards, it is important to hand over the card with both hands. After receiving, read the card of the counterpart attentively, and eventually ask a polite question. Even in cases where language is not an issue there are culturally conditioned communication problems that can lead to misunderstandings and, in some cases, to the termination of negotiations or partnerships.

Based on extensive experience in Asia some core issues can be outlined as follows:

The structure of logical thinking in Europe has partly developed from Greek and Roman roots. Greek thinking is logically sequential. If A + B = C, then A or B is always smaller than C.

When an Asian responds with “Yes,” it may not mean the same as in the European context (agreement); instead, it indicates that they understand the wishes of the other party.

While a European uses a clear “No,” a Japanese person will likely use phrases like “kangaeteokimasu” (I will think about it).

European thinking and communication tend to proceed in a linear fashion, whereas Asian thinking and communication often follows a more circular approach. In particular, when dealing with complex tasks, Asian colleagues tend to approach the problem from different perspectives and may ask similar or identical questions on multiple occasions. They anticipate that repeating the same response will provide further details, thus facilitating a more profound comprehension of the matter at hand. An unprepared German may become irritated and, in the worst case, prematurely end the conversation.

The ability to discern when it is appropriate to seek further clarification from an Asian colleague in order to avoid any potential misunderstandings develops gradually over time.

The concept of time is a further challenge in Asia, where there is often no clear distinction between past, present and future. Instead, the context is used to describe what is meant.

A European, shaped by Christian thinking, is likely to have a fundamentally different understanding of time compared to an Asian influenced by Buddhist or Hindu traditions. The latter might believe that not everything needs to be accomplished in one lifetime.

This is less of an issue when dealing with employees in large, internationally EPCs (like e.g.: Technip, Suez, Hitachi, Samsung, etc.), where precise time management and commitment are expected in project meetings.