Wai Keat is busy at his desk when he hears a knock on his door. His American boss, Frederik, extends an invitation to his house for a barbeque this weekend. Wai Keat has made plans for the weekend, so he begins to say, “Ohh…err…I got something to do…” Frederik jumps in and insists that he […]
Ways Malaysians Say No Read More »
Have you ever briefly interacted with someone new and deduced that the individual must be in some form of a leadership role? Even though you hardly know that person, you connect some of the attributes displayed by that individual to what you view as good leadership qualities. Such a phenomenon is known as Implicit Leadership
Implicit Leadership Theory – What Makes a Good Leader, to You? Read More »
Double-voiced discourse is a phrase coined by the Russian philosopher and linguistic theorist named Mikhail Bakhtin. While we may not often speak of this term, some of our everyday actions would fall under its very definition. As opposed to single-voiced discourse (where a topic is expressed in a straightforward way), speakers who practice double-voicing speak
What is Double-Voiced Discourse and How Does it Affect Us at the Workplace? Read More »
In this final part of our CQ Self-Assessment Pro series, we will consider the benefits that result from participating in this cultural intelligence assessment. Designed to measure an individual’s capability for working and relating across cultures, the outcome will certainly prove to be useful insight for individuals and corporations looking to improve their effectiveness in
CQ Self-Assessment Pro – Part 3 Benefits of the Assessment Read More »
In this second part of our CQ Self-Assessment Pro series, we will discuss the processes involved in debriefing participants after the assessment has been taken. The debriefing session will be conducted by a trained facilitator, whose goal is to help participants fully understand their existing cultural intelligence (CQ) capabilities (drive, knowledge, strategy and action) and
CQ Self-Assessment Pro – Part 2 The DeBrief 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 »
Your boss has given you an important project with a set deadline. In the days that follow, would you prefer if your boss touch base with you periodically or would you rather your boss frequently drop by your desk to check on your progress and direct your every move? No doubt most people’s first inclination
Do Malaysians Like To Be Micromanaged? Read More »
The delicate art of giving feedback to Malaysians is one that many expat managers might regularly struggle with. “Should I praise/shame him in public? Do I wait until the annual performance review to give feedback? How do I motivate her to improve in a particular area? Maybe if I just ignore the issue, he’ll figure
The Art of Giving Feedback to Malaysians Read More »