Asia is both emerging' and 'developed', embracing technology A and and tradition against a backdrop of practices and beliefs that have been carried forth and distilled over time. At the workplace, the dynamics of hierarchy, title and age play out in terms of how one behaves and is expected to behave.
Let's take the example of Arisa, a senior leader of Thai origin who spent her formative years in Europe and moved back to Thailand. some years ago. It's interesting to hear her impressions when she moved back 'home' and how she dealt with the cultural nuances of her country of origin:
When I started work in a Thai company, the first thing that struck me was the importance of hierarchy in terms of the organization structure. Despite being in my mid-thirties, I had a senior role, which people respected. It was a bit of a culture shock to see how my colleagues would perceive anything I said as sacred and immediately try to follow it, even if it was an offhand comment!
While my title gave me status in the organization, I needed to be cognizant that age also mattered. For instance, when I didn't do a wai (the Thai greeting) to one of my colleagues, it was seen as not showing respect to an older colleague who was a long-timer in the organization. Respect was displayed in salutations such as 'khun' and 'phi' for an older person and 'nong' for a younger one. Initially, I would feel uncomfortable when people would call me by these greetings; I was used to working in professional environments where people addressed me by my name and not according to one's age.
