“I prefer hiring candidates from ethnicity A because those from ethnicity B are generally lazy and unproductive.” “Ladies do not make good bosses because they’re typically mean, controlling and moody all the time.” “Oh no, I’ve got a Millennial on my project team. These Millennials always feel they are so entitled!” Whether we like to […]
Cultural Intelligence – The Cure to Stereotyping Read More »
When you notice two people speaking very loudly and gesturing animatedly, would you assume they are arguing or just having a normal conversation? Or when someone comments negatively on the work you produce, does that affect you emotionally as a person? Do you welcome disagreements or challenges to your idea in front of your fellow
When Is Conflict not a Conflict? Read More »
During a regional management meeting several years ago, Donald (an Australian manager working in Singapore) delivered his progress update and unashamedly claimed full credit for the data gathering and completion of a particular project. The irony was that the actual contributors (Malaysians and Singaporeans) to the project of whom he was taking credit away from
Dealing with Conflict Across Cultures Read More »
After a month of waiting, my car is finally back in commission following a replacement of a defective automotive part. My customer service experience was fraught with long waiting periods, lack of progress updates, unanswered calls and the general we-can’t-help-you-much-and-you-will-just-have-to-wait attitude. Even though my car was finally ready for collection, I had to personally follow
Leveraging Our Treasured Malaysian Cultural Values to Elevate Customer Service Standards Read More »
Many organizations today recognize the value of providing training to their staff on an on-going basis. Among the many benefits that training programs can provide are opportunities for staff to acquire new skills, keep up with changing industry standards, improve work performance, increase morale and meet new people from different industries and backgrounds. It is
Are You Getting the Most out of Your Training? Read More »
Culture Boleh Global Training PLT is licensed to administer and conduct debriefing for CQ Self-Assessment Pro, a cultural intelligence (CQ) assessment developed by Cultural Intelligence Center, LLC. As a part-time blogger for Culture Boleh, I was given the opportunity to take this assessment and am excited to be documenting my experience of the whole process
CQ Self-Assessment Pro – Part 1 Taking the Assessment Read More »
As with many Asian countries, Malaysia is known to be a face saving culture. Although the term is not commonly used in everyday conversations among Malaysians, the concept is deeply ingrained in our cultural makeup and affects everything that we do. To save face means to preserve one’s reputation, credibility or dignity and this is
The Concept of Saving Face in a Malaysian Cultural Context Read More »
Ever been stuck in an elevator ride alone with the big boss, nervously wondering if you should engage in small talk or give in to your instinctive desire to whip out your phone and pretend to be busy? Or seated at a friend’s wedding dinner amongst strangers who were as awkwardly silent as you were?
Small Talk in Malaysia Read More »
As a non-Malaysian, have you ever conversed with a Malaysian in English and found yourself confounded? You thought you heard some English words used, but couldn’t understand what was being said? Well, don’t be too quick to dismiss us as uneducated and backward for you have just been exposed to an entirely unique version of
Manglish – A Truly Unique Malaysian Language Read More »
In the workplace, it is essential to have trust. Mutual respect and trust form the foundation for strong workplace relationships. However, in a workplace where employees and employers may come from different backgrounds, cultural differences may be misunderstood and foster distrust. One such cultural difference is that of the way people view honesty. Some may
Honesty-The Malaysian Cultural Perspective Read More »
