Introduction
Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) supports the importance of cultural awareness and recognizes that it operates in the most diverse workplaces in Canada. In particular, the food and beverage manufacturing industry which represents Canada’s top employer within the Temporary Foreign Worker program, supports landed immigrants from many global regions in the food processing industry, and provides employment for Canadians whose families have lived in Canada for many generations. With a labour force from around the world it is critical that all cultures can work, perform and thrive in their positions within this industry. Given that 1 in 8 Canadians are employed in the food and beverage manufacturing industry. it is essential to maintain a global leadership position through the best skills development and training.
Effective relations among employees and their leadership leads to maximum efficiency, satisfaction. sustainable health and well-being within the workplace. While Canada continues to experience labour market shortages in key sectors, seeking workers from outside of Canada will continue to grow. As this shift in the employee profile changes for the food processing industry, there will be an increased need to deal effectively and appropriately with diversity in the workplace, whether that be ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural. Doing this as an informed practice will become even more paramount to organizations, and for the continued standing of Canada’s food processing industry as a global leader.
The purpose of this handbook is to provide a convenient and easily accessible foundation of knowledge of selected cultures which are predominate in Canada’s food processing industry across five global regions: East Asia & The Pacific, South Asia, Europe & Central Asia, Latin America & The Caribbean and Middle East & North Africa.
This handbook will provide information to allow you to engage more effectively within your organization. It will also help to find common ground as a community and be aware and responsive to differences.
This resource has been organized for convenient access by selected region and country. An over-arching section on culture shock is provided at the beginning of the handbook, as this applies across cultures and the human condition. Each country description follows with a bulleted summary of country facts (including food production), a cultural orientation, information on food from within that country, interesting facts, and additional strategies to promote a welcoming and inclusive work environment in Canada.
Benefits to a food processing workplace that is culturally aware includes:
- Increased trust amongst staff members
- Increased productivity
- Increased trust between staff and management
- Increased morale
- Increased communication
- Decreased staff turnover
- Decreased stress and anxiety
- Decreased accidents and mishaps in the workplace
Culture, as defined in this handbook, is the shared traditions, beliefs,
customs, history, folklore and institutions of a group of people. Culture is
shared by people of the same ethnicity, language, nationality or religion.
It is a system of rules that establishes the foundation of our identities and
affects how we express ourselves as part of a group and as individuals
on a daily basis.
Approximately 60,000 foreign agricultural, food and fish processing workers coming to Canada each year.
Therefore, being culturally aware requires a foundation of knowledge
about other cultures. This awareness includes recognizing conscious and
unconscious bias, and the diversity of personal cultural attitudes, stereotypes
and generalizations of diverse cultures and habits that exist within the food
processing industry workplace.
Successful communication is between individuals not cultures. The
success of your interactions depends on you and the quality of information
provided. To be effective in another culture, people need to be interested
in the other culture, be sensitive to cultural differences and then be willing
to modify behaviour as an indication of respect or sensitivity.
Historically there has been approximately 50,000 to 60,000 foreign agricultural,
food and fish processing workers coming to Canada each year under the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It is therefore of utmost importance for
an organization to understand the signs, symptoms and solutions of culture
shock. This handbook begins with an overview of culture shock to assist
organizations as they welcome and settle new staff into their workplace with
as much success as possible, and with the goal of creating a high quality
and sustainable workforce for the food processing industry.
It is important to note that Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) has
attempted to capture current and accurate information about each
culture; however, it is by no means an exhaustive list nor does it present
or exemplify every person from that culture. As with all cultures there are
exceptions to every rule.
The handbook provides a broad understanding of norms and behaviours
that would be familiar to people of that culture and is not intended to
stereotype an individual based on the country of origin. There are also
many microcultures within countries that may not be represented and
may differ from the broad descriptions provided. Cultures also continue to
evolve and with that Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) will take utmost
care to update and revise where required.
Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) has also made every effort to give the
most relevant information and advice on how to interact effectively with a
culture. This may involve providing social, political and cultural opinions of
a particular group in order to offer a better understanding of that culture.
Any perceived political opinions described within this handbook do not
represent the positions of Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC).
Culture Shock
What is Culture Shock?
Culture shock is a term used to describe the physical, emotional, and mental stress experienced when an individual begins living and working in a new environment. It is a common, and often poorly understood, occupational illness for many employees who have been suddenly transplanted from another global region and are experiencing stress and coping challenges that affect behaviour, performance and cognition (Furnham and Bochner, 1986).
What are the causes of culture shock?
Stress brought on by the following changes:
What are the Symptoms?
Most people don’t think culture shock will happen to them, and for some it
may be very mild, but for others the symptoms will range from mild irritation to
extreme trauma. The symptoms may present themselves in your organization
by a colleague mentioning the new employee’s uncharacteristic behaviours,
including but not limited to poor work habits, rudeness, and/or irritability.
According to Laroche and Rutherford (2007), below are some common
symptoms to watch for in your new recruits:
- Helplessness: “This is too much for me”
- Loneliness: “Where are my family and friends?”
- Frustration: “Why is nothing simple here?”
- Anger: “That’s the craziest things I’ve ever heard?”
- Negative attitude: “These people are so demanding. They don’t care about me.”
- Homesickness
- Withdrawal from others
- Boredom
- Stereotyping of Canadians or other ethnic backgrounds
- Exaggerated cleanliness (e.g. excessive hand washing)
- Excessive fatigue or depression
- Unanticipated hostility towards colleagues or leadership
- Patronizing behaviour
- Change of appetite
- Decrease in work performance
- Physical health or well-being issues
- Irritability
Excessive fatigue or depression are common symptoms of culture shock.
Four Stages of Culture Shock
Every individual will react differently when moving to a new environment; however, the following four stages of culture shock are most commonly experienced (Naeem, Nadeem, Ullah Khan, 2015; Oberg, 1960).
- Arrival Stage / Euphoric/Honeymoon Stage: During this stage new
employees are excited about their new lives. Everything is wonderful
and they are having a great time learning about their environment. - Culture Shock Stage: Crucial stage for awareness by both the person
suffering from culture shock and the people in direct contact with
them. If they do not come out of this stage the tendency is that they
go home. The differences between the new culture and the culture of
origin become more apparent. People feel overwhelmed at this stage.
There is so much they do not understand about their new surroundings.
They are frustrated because they can not communicate and are
bombarded with unfamiliar surroundings, unreadable social signals
and an unrelenting amount of new sounds. People suffering from culture
shock may seem sleepy, irritable, disinterested or depressed. Some may
become aggressive and act out their frustrations in this stage. - Recovery/Integration Stage: New employees start to navigate
the differences between the culture of origin and new cultural
norms. They learn to integrate their own beliefs with those of the
new context. Some new employees will start to replace the familiar
values with new ones. Others will begin to find ways to exist within
both cultures. - Adaptation/Acceptance Stage: New employees are now able to
enter and prosper in the new culture. They accept both cultures
and combine them into their lives. Some will adopt the new culture
at work and follow the values of the home culture outside of work.
Some people may stay in a particular stage for a longer/shorter time
than another. In addition, culture shock may arise again in a settled new
employee due to life situations, weather, holidays, etc. Generally, culture
shock is expressed through an S-curve.
What are the Solutions?
- Be aware of culture shock and its stages.
- Provide a thorough orientation to the new staff on organization, including information on your product and services, how to access the building, supplies, resources, supports, safety and security.
- Provide an orientation to the job including duties and responsibilities, standards for judging performance, reporting relationships, expected interactions with coworkers, suppliers, clients, wage structure, benefits, incentive pay, anticipated training and development.
- Translate any orientation documents.
- Provide culture orientation including factual background to the city, and country, city logistics, cultural values and behaviours, business norms.
- Provide a settling-in mentor to help with basic questions about navigating around the workplace.
- Prepare and support coworkers and managers of culturally diverse employees so that they can be in a more advantageous position to understand and assist them.
- Schedule ongoing meetings to discuss cultural integration within the organization.
- Be flexible in allowing the newcomers time to take care of settling-in activities.
- Provide opportunities for social and team building activities (Laroche and Rutherford, 2007).
- Provide a package that connects newcomers to the community which includes information and orientation to life in Canada. The package can include babysitting services, information on banks in the area, emergency contact number (police, hospital, fire department), place to buy furniture and clothes inexpensively (Frenchie’s, Salvation Army, etc.), transportation options (contact information for buses, shuttles, taxies, etc.), schools and how to register children, essential public services and programs, YMCA’s, gyms, ESL, etc.
Interesting Facts:
- In some cases, people overcome culture shock over time; however, if left unresolved, the employee may experience decline, and abruptly end the contract and seek employment elsewhere or return home early.
- It is the responsibility of both the employer and new employee to ensure attempts are made to overcome culture shock. Understanding culture shock and its patterns can help employees flourish.
- If both parties are aware of the issue and work together to overcome it, there is most often a smooth transition into the new cultural experiences within Canada.
I learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Africa
Africa, as a continent, has 54 countries of vast diversity.
Nigeria was one country from the region selected for this employer guide as the predominant country that is contributing to the workforce in Canada’s food processing industry.
NIGERIA
Country Facts
Population (2020): 206 million Area: 923,768 square km – 11 times smaller than Canada Capital: Abuja Currency: Naira (1 CAN $ = 250 Naira) Climate: Varies; tropical rainforest in south, semi-arid in north Language(s): English (official), Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, and over 500 indigenous languages Ethnic groups: Over 1000 different ethnic groups. 4 largest of these groups are the Hausa and Fulani (29%), the Igbo (17%) and the Yoruba (21%). Religion(s): Muslim (51.6%), Roman Catholic (11.2%), other Christian (35.7%), other (0.6%)Public Holidays:
- January 1st – New Year’s Day
- April 10th – Good Friday
- April 13th – Easter Sunday
- April 23rd–May 23rd – Ramadan*
- May 1st – Labour Day
- May 23–25th – Eid al Fitr*
- May 29 – Inauguration Day
- June 12th – Democracy Day
- July 30th–August 1st – Eid al Adha*
- October 1st – Nigerian Independence Day
- October 28th – Prophet’s Birthday
- December 25th – Christmas Day
- December 26th – Boxing Day
Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world.
Education:
Literacy rate 62%. Compulsory education from ages 6 to 14. Three different sectors:
basic education (ages 6–14), post-basic/senior secondary education (ages 15–17),
and post-secondary education (four to six years, depending on the program of study).
Government:
Federal Presidential Republic
Chief of State: President
Head of Government: President
Elections:
Every four years
Natural Resources:
Natural gas, petroleum (Africa’s largest producer and sixth largest in the world),
tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land, forestry
Agriculture:
Cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams,
rubber, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and fish
Food Production:
- Largest consumer and producer of rice in Africa and also the largest importer of rice in the world.
- Largest producer of cassava in the world.
- Capture fish declining but aquaculture is a significant potential. 60% of fish still imported currently.
- Domestic production of livestock products is far below the national demand, resulting in large imports of livestock and livestock products.
Communications:
50 newspapers, 112 million Internet consumers, 172 million mobile phone consumers,
70 TV stations and 60 radio stations.
Economy:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $558 billion CAN. Largest economy in Africa.
Cultural Orientation
Communication Styles:
Verbal:
- People of the south tend to speak more frankly and directly.
- Raised voices may sound agitated but usually just signs of passionate discussion.
- Indirect and may rely on non-verbal cues. Many use gestures and body language when communicating.
- People of the north tend to speak more quietly.
- Nigerians start with the general idea and slowly move into the specific, often using a somewhat indirect route.
- A common beckoning call is a hissing or kissing sound which may be misinterpreted as offensive.
Non-Verbal:
- Prolonged eye contact from an individual of lower status is considered disrespectful. Indirect eye contact is used to demonstrate respect for the other person. It is common to gaze at the forehead or shoulders of someone not familiar.
- A smile may be used to mask true feelings, especially when disappointed or confused.
- More relaxed about physical contact but standard distance apart is similar to Canada; about an arm’s length.
- Tactile when communicating with same gender. Often touch other’s arm or back.
- Physical contact between genders is less common, particularly within Muslim culture.
Value Systems:
- Status is important
- Family relations play a very important role in Nigerian culture. Generally, families in Nigeria have a patriarchal structure.
- Polygamy amongst members of the Muslim community is not uncommon.
- Family bonds help to achieve social status while nepotism is a major issue in Nigeria even though it is illegal.
Workplace Strategies/ Problem Solving:
- Rank is important.
- Employees will remain loyal if they feel the management treats them fairly, pays them regularly, and fulfills their obligations.
- Job satisfaction, good working conditions, and achievement are also motivating factors.
- Nigerians have a different orientation to work from that of Canadians’ rigid distinction of work and break periods. It is not uncommon to encounter workers resting or chatting and laughing together if a supervisor has not assigned them work. Supervisors can also require their staff to work long hours in unpaid overtime.
- Nigeria is a multi-religious and multicultural country. Attempts to get to know and understand which religion or culture the people you are working with belong to will assist in maintaining a positive work environment.
- If intimidated to confront a work issue directly, they may withdraw completely or take to gossiping among other colleagues.
- Expect a certain amount of emotion and small talk when negotiating. Negotiations reflect a larger attitude on social interactions.
- Bargaining and haggling are common.
- Do not confront Nigerian coworkers in public when there is an issue. Do so directly and openly but in a private setting so as to not undermine their credibility. This may impair the likelihood for a successful solution.
Employees will remain loyal if they feel the management treats them fairly, pays them regularly and fulfills their obligations.
Punctuality
- Punctuality and clock-watching are rare, in part because of the unpredictability of the infrastructure, transportation and communications: travel delays result from frequent mechanical breakdowns, fuel shortages, road accidents, police checkpoints, and traffic jams. Communications are disrupted daily by power outages, public strikes, rioting, etc.; although mobile phone coverage in many places has improved matters.
- Tardiness does not have the same stigma as in Canada.
Greetings
- Standard greeting is a handshake, generally held longer than average Canadian handshake
- Greeting are an important aspect of social interactions. Numerous questions are asked about family and health during a greeting.
- Physical contact when greeting between men and woman is discouraged amongst Muslim Nigerians. Women generally will not initiate a handshake in Muslim cultures.
- Moving swiftly from handshake to business is considered rude.
Gift Giving
- Fruit, nuts or chocolates are appropriate gifts.
- Gifts should be given using the right hand only or both hands. Never use the left hand, as it is considered unhygienic.
- At Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims to give gifts of food and fruit.
- Gifts from a man to a woman must be said to come from the man’s mother, wife, sister, or other female relative, never from the man himself.
- Gifts should be wrapped, although there are no cultural taboos concerning paper colour.
- Muslims consider dogs to be unclean. Do not give gifts with images of dogs.
- Gifts are not always opened when received.
Gestures
- Bowing to superiors or elders is common.
- Inhaling air through teeth to make “tsk” sounds signifies annoyance.
- Snapping fingers starting from shoulders and motioning downwards with arms signifies exasperation.
- Hands on head signifies frustration.
- Finger pointing to head signifies “use your head”, “think carefully”.
Dress
- Physical appearance is the first sign of status in society
- Men and women in most urban areas wear standard Western style clothing.
- There remains a rich heritage of traditional dress worn in more casual contexts with women wearing long flowing robes and headscarves in bright colours.
- Traditional style of dress for women is called “iro and buba”(pronounced ee-ro boobah): buba is a top or blouse and iro is the wrapper or skirt made of colourful material that wraps around waist and is traditionally ankle length, worn with a head scarf (gele)
- Traditional dress for men is an agbada - long loose-fitting shirt or robe (half-way down the thigh) worn with pants. A fila is a traditional cap worn by men.
Taboos
Nigeria is a multi tribal country with different ethnic nations having very different cultural values. Most cultures have been greatly influenced by foreign religious beliefs (Islam and Christianity) and Westernization. Cultural related taboos in the large cities like Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt are rare but this may not be the case in most rural areas.
- Whistling.
- Consuming pork for practicing Muslims.
- Impolite to use left hand to give or receive anything as it is considered unhygienic.
- Sale and use of alcohol are prohibited in regions of predominant practicing Muslims.
- Depicting the Prophet Muhammed in art form.
- Dogs are considered unclean in Muslim faith.
- Discussion of Boko Haram, militant group.
Food
- Food is an important part of Nigerian life. With so many different cultures and regions, food can vary greatly.
- Seafood, beef, poultry, and goat are the primary sources of protein.
- Rice is eaten throughout the country.
- In southern areas a variety of soups containing a base of tomatoes, onions, red pepper, and palm oil are prepared with vegetables such as okra and meat or fish.
- Beans and root vegetables are universal in most areas.
- In northern areas grains such as millet, barley and wheat are a large part of the diet.
- Many dishes are flavoured with onions, palm oil, and chilies.
Interesting Facts
- The population of Nigeria is expected to grow to 392 million by 2050 which will make it the 4th most populated country in the world.
- It has the largest population and economy in Africa. Referred to as “The Giant of Africa”.
- Nigerians are very title conscious and the most sought-after title is chief.
- Nigeria was the first African country to host a television station and now has the largest network in the continent.
- World’s largest diversity of butterflies.
- Often confusion between Nigeria and neighbouring country of Niger. Nigeria is an Anglophone and coastal country and Niger is a smaller Francophone, landlocked country (22.5 mil).
- Nigeria sends the most students overseas for post secondary education of any African country.
- Most of the national heroes of Nigeria are no longer alive. They are national heroes because of their struggles for independence and democracy:
- Present day national heroes are influential both in Nigeria and internationally: Prof. Wole Soyinka: Nobel Prize winner for literature; Prof. Gabriel Oyibo: Nobel Prize nominee for Physics; Dr. Philip Emeagwali: Inventor and one of the fathers of the internet; Sade Adu: International Musician and Multiple Grammy winner; Adebayo Ogunlesi: one of the top five bankers in Wall Street; Prof. Rilwanu Lukman: President of OPEC; Cardinal Francis Arinze: likely to be the next and first black Pope of Roman Catholic church; and Mrs. Okonjo Iweala: Vice president World Bank and Hakeem Olajuwon: Formally of Houston Rockets NBA.
- Nigeria and Canada share a lot in common as former British Colonies and countries that operate with federal constitutions. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
- Nigeria recognises the role Canada played in demanding democracy during the days of military dictatorship.
- Many educated Nigerians have fond memories of being taught by one of thousands of Canadian volunteer teachers that were posted throughout the nation from the 1960s into the 1980s, with organisations such as CUSO and WUSC.
- Canada is highly regarded for having led the Commonwealth nations’ condemnation of the previous military regime’s widespread human rights abuses.
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES: Additional strategies to promote a welcoming and inclusive work environment
- Inquire about family.
- Provide opportunities to maintain contact with family in Nigeria and other parts of the world, e.g. use company Wi-Fi to communicate, provide discounted calling cards.
- Provide a separate Halal food prep area in lunchroom (i.e. separate microwave for non-pork items).
- Provide private area for prayer, if required.
- Provide off hour activities and include family: potluck picnics, sports tournaments.
- Acknowledge national/ religious holidays, birthdays.
- Translate training documents if required.
- Create spaces for socialization during breaks.
- Provide mentorship program – match newcomer to employee of similar culture.
- Provide cultural information to other employees.
- Provide information to newcomers on African grocery stores or stores which may carry African foods
East Asia and Pacific
East Asia and Pacific, as a region, has 37 countries of vast diversity.
China and the Philippines were selected for this employer guide as the
predominant countries in the region that are contributing to the workforce in
Canada’s food processing industry.
CHINA
Country Facts
Population (2020): 1.4 billion
Area: 9,596,960 square kilometres. Approximately the same size as Canada
Capital: Beijing
Currency: Chinese Yuan or renminbi (RMB) (1 CAN $ = 5 Chinese Yuan)
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Language(s): Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Ethnic groups: Han Chinese (91.6%), Zhuang (1.3%), other (7.1%)
Religion(s): Buddhist (18.2%), Christian (5.1%), Muslim (1.8%), folk religion (21.9%), Hindu (0.1%), Jewish (0.1%), other (0.7%), unaffiliated 52.2%
Public Holidays:
- January 1st – New Year’s Day
- February 12th – Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (2021)
- April 4th – Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping)
- May 1st – Labour Day (May Day)
- June 25th – The Dragon Boat Festival
- October 1st – The Mid-Autumn Festival
- October 1st – National Day
Education:
Literacy rate 96.8%. Compulsory education from ages 6–14. Three different sectors: primary (ages 6–11), junior middle school (ages 12–14), senior middle school (ages 15–17), and post-secondary education, vocational, and technical.
Government:
Government Type: Communist party-led state
Chief of State: President
Head of Government: Premier
Elections:
Every 5 years by indirect election for unlimited terms
Natural Resources:
Coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world’s largest), arable land.
Agriculture:
Rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, apples, cotton, pork, mutton, eggs, fish and shrimp.
Food Production:
- Produces one fourth of world’s grain and provides one fifth of world’s population with less than 10 percent of world’s arable land.
- China ranks first in the world in terms of the production of cereals, cotton, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs and fishery products.
- First and largest exporter of tea in the world.
- Leading producer of mushrooms in the world.
- China produces more than 100 million tons of 5 food commodities.
- 130 million farm households will benefit from industrialized organization in agriculture. Large dairy farms of 100 plus standing animals will account for 38% of all farms; 50% of swine farms will be large with slaughter population of over 500.
- China’s growing urban class has created a change from traditionally grain-oriented diets to the largest consumers of meat in the world.
- Corn is the most produced food commodity in China followed by rice and fresh vegetables.
- Pork is the most produced animal protein followed by beef and chicken.
- In response to changing needs, the central government has encouraged intensive agricultural production.
Communications:
Approximately 1,871 newspapers, 731 million Internet consumers (largest Internet market in the world), 1.6 billion mobile phone consumers (largest 5G market in the world). All broadcast media owned, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China. No privately owned television or radio stations. State-run television has over 2,000 channels. People increasingly accessing online and satellite television.
Economy:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $19 trillion CAN.
China is the first and largest exporter of tea in the world.
Cultural Orientation
Communication Styles:
Verbal:
- The Chinese language is one of the oldest and most complex languages in the world.
- There are many dialects of Chinese, but only three are spoken widely throughout the country.
- The official dialect is Mandarin and is the language taught in most schools, used on TV and in the media.
- Cantonese is the second most common language and is used widely in Hong Kong.
- The language is so complex and vastly different than many other languages that translation and interpretation proves extremely difficult.
- Speech is often ambiguous in order to maintain harmony or avoid loss of face.
- Seldom give a direct “no” or negative response even if they don’t agree.
- Men generally speak louder than women.
Non-Verbal:
- Although the verbal languages cannot be understood by all Chinese, the written language can be understood by all who comprehend Chinese.
- The alphabet is made of over 40,000 characters.
- Most importance is placed on the eyes when expressing or recognizing emotions.
- Direct eye contact is favoured as non-verbal cues are communicated through their eyes.
- Common to display happiness but to keep anger, criticism and sadness inside and share only with family or close friends.
- A smile or laugh is not uncommon when relaying bad news to diffuse uncomfortable situations.
-
Most comfortable standing just over an arms’ length from each other. Meeting strangers the distance will be farther.
-
Silence signifies politeness and respect. Pausing before giving a response indicates thought and consideration.
Value Systems:
- Core value is harmony.
- Age is most respected.
- Respect and honour is relied heavily upon.
- Family is very important. Obedience to parents is integral to a sense of security and stability.
- Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the three main practicing belief systems.
- Due to the vast ethnicities in China, people hold many other religious beliefs.
- Luck is a widespread belief.
- Faith in the Communist government is subsiding with some Chinese looking for other ideologies.
- Group takes priority over the individual.
- High uncertainty avoidance — meaning that following rules and norms is best as there is less risk of failure and more predictable outcomes.
- Leadership is very important; personal qualities of a supervisor are important but not as important as leadership abilities.
- Money is the most important motivator of job performance.
- Hard work and productivity are valued.
- Failure is owned by the individual. If you fail, you are to blame.
- Class hierarchies in China exist and are dependent on education, occupation, and most significantly financial status.
- Women have equal status in name and the government is striving for gender equality, but it is still a male-dominated society.
- Personal relationships are extremely important but take time to foster.
Workplace Strategies / Problem Solving:
- Staff are used to having guidance from a supervisor, so it’s important to clearly explain the importance of independent work.
- Very different learning style and work approach. Leaders are there to motivate workers, so when a leader is not present, tardiness and absenteeism may occur.
- Avoid directly criticizing or pointing out mistakes.
- Be discrete and indirect when discussing a workplace problem.
- Rushing a conversation may result in uneasiness and lack of information exchange.
- Best way to navigate both ambiguity and get to the underlying meaning is to check for clarification several times.
- The Chinese term for negotiation, tan pan, means “to discuss/to judge” and is seen as a method for building trust and harmony.
- Allow time to communicate; avoid filling in silence or interrupting.
- Nodding may not mean agreement — it may just indicate understanding.
- Government plays a significant role in daily activities, and the general expectation of widespread surveillance and fear of being watched may carry over in Canada. This may result in hesitation to express opinions or speak negatively about issues in China, Canada, or in the workplace.
Taboos
- Whistling.
- Writing in red pen.
- Conversations about sensitive China/Taiwan relations, air pollution, family planning, mental health problems.
- Do not draw similarities between China and Japan as East Asian countries are distinct and comparisons may appear insulting or ignorant.
- Criticizing the government or society.
- Casual posture as a leader, e.g. sitting on a table or slouching in a meeting.
- Public displays of emotion.
Public displays of emotion are taboo.
Dress
- Neutral colours
- Conservative and formal in workplaces.
- Casual wear still somewhat conservative but jeans are acceptable.
Gift Giving
- Tea, wine, gourmet food items or high-end liquors, high quality pens are examples of appropriate gift items; although food is not brought to a dinner party-implies host cannot provide enough.
- Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver and often declined three times to not appear greedy.
- Gift of white, black or blue are considered bad luck.
- At Chinese New Year it is tradition to give a gift of money in a red envelope to children.
- Gifts are given and received with two hands.
Punctuality
- Punctuality is very important for both work and social functions. Cancelation or lateness is a serious insult.
- Time is something that should NOT be wasted.
- Chinese write the date differently than in Canada. Year first, then month, then the day: August 29, 2020 would be 2020/08/29.
Cancelation or lateness is a serious insult.
Greetings
- Nodding or bowing slightly is the standard greeting but a light handshake is also common for both male and women.
- Eye contact is important in greetings.
- Traditionally there is no close contact in public and touching kept to a minimum.
- Introductions tend to be more formal than familiar.
- Names are listed in a different order that Western names: Surname, given name, given name. Surname usually one syllable, and given names often joined. E.g. Li Jintao (Li=Surname Jin=given name Tao=given name)
- Address each other by full name. Respectful to address someone by surname and title. Disrespect and uncommon to address someone by given name only. A supervisor may address subordinate with given names.
- Highly regard status and titles and will not be comfortable calling a supervisor by first name.
- Westernized names may be adopted upon arrival to Canada for ease of pronunciation, e.g. Tony Li
- 270 million people have 1 of 3 popular surnames Li, Wang, Zhang.
- Visitors to factories or schools are often greeted with applause.
Food
- The concept of Chinese food in Canada is very different from the cuisine typically eaten in China.
- Rice and noodles are the major staple food eaten daily.
- All animal meat is consumed; pork is most popular.
- Foods rarely seen in Western cultures but consumed in China are snake, frogs, chicken feet, pig ears, intestines, dog meat, scorpions, bamboo shoots, tree fungi and lotus pods.
- Alcohol is consumed; mostly spirits or beer.
- Scallions, green onions, bean sprouts, cabbage, and ginger also staple foods.
- Communal eating is the norm with shared dishes placed on table.
- Bite sized pieces so no knife or fork required. Chop sticks used.
- No removal of bones in meat or fish.
- Tea is had at most meals.
- Dessert is generally sliced fruit.
Interesting Facts
- China is the oldest civilization (approx. 6000 BC).
- World’s longest used written language.
- Largest population in the world (over 1.4 billion people).
- Third largest country in the world. Canada is the second.
- The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made structure in the world, extending 8,850 km.
- Fortune cookies are not actually a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented by an employee in the Hong Kong Noodle Company in San Francisco.
- China has been the source of many inventions and innovations: compass, gunpowder, papermaking and paper money, printing, mechanical clock, earthquake monitor, silk, acupuncture, iron smelting, row crop farming, movable type printing.
- China has only one time zone.
- Vast discoveries in math and science have been made by the Chinese.
- In China, every year is represented by one of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
- Since 1957 there have been 13 Nobel prize winners from China.
- Many historians think that soccer began in China around 1000 BC.
- Ping-pong was not invented in China, even though it is one of China’s most popular games.
- Stamp collecting is the number one hobby in China.
- Instead of black, white is the Chinese color for grieving and funerals.
- Famous Chinese and Chinese American actors include Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Bruce Lee, Chow Yun, Jet Li, and Zhang Ziyi, pop singer Cui Jian.
- The celebration of the Chinese New Year lasts 15 days.
- Chinese mathematics have made early contributions to the field, including a place value system.
- The thirteenth floor is usually left out from hotels, buildings, and vehicle licence plates, and the number four is not used in phone numbers due to bad luck associated with these numbers.
- Karaoke is a very popular pastime.
- Most popular sports of interest are badminton, soccer, ping pong, basketball and baseball.
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES: Additional strategies to promote a welcoming and inclusive work environment
- Inquire about family.
- Provide opportunities to maintain contact with family in China or other parts of the world, e.g. use company Wi- Fi to communicate, provide discounted calling cards.
- Acknowledge national/ religious holidays, birthdays.
- Provide off hour activities and include family: potluck picnics, ping pong tournaments, karaoke parties.
- Translate training documents if required.
- Provide cultural information to other employees.
- Create spaces for socialization during breaks or inquire as to any activities to do during breaks, e.g. ping pong, chess, mahjong, playing cards, etc. and attempt to source these items.
- Source books, magazines, newspapers in Mandarin to place in the break room.
- Provide mentorship program – match newcomer to employee of similar culture.
- Provide information to newcomers on Chinese grocery stores or stores which may carry Chinese foods.
PHILIPPINES
Country Facts
Population (2020): 109 million
Area: 300,000 square kilometres – 33 times smaller than Canada. An archipelago made up of 7,107 islands
Capital: Manila
Currency: Philippine pesos (PHP) (1 CAN $ = 36 Philippine pesos)
Climate: Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Language(s): Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; eight major dialects – Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Ethnic groups: Tagalog (28%), Cebuano (13%), Ilocano/Ikokana (9%), Visaya/Bisaya (7.6%), Hiligaynon (7.5%), Bikol (6%), Waray (3.4%), Chinese Filipino (2.5%), Other (22%)
Religion(s): Roman Catholic (80.6%), Protestant (8.2%), Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (2.7%), National Council of Churches in the Philippines (1.2%), other Protestant (4.3%), Muslim (5.6%), tribal religions (0.2%), other (1.9%), none (0.1%)
Public Holidays:
- January 1st – New Year’s Day
- February 12th – Chinese New Year (2021)
- April 9th – Maundy Thursday
- April 10th – Good Friday
- April 13th – Easter Sunday
- May 1st – Labour Day
- June 12th – Independence Day (from Spain in 1898 and July 4th, 1946 from US)
- August 21 – Ninoy Aquino Day
- August 31st – National Heroes Day
- November 1st – All Saints Day
- November 2nd – All Souls Day
- December 25th – Christmas Day
- December 26th – Boxing Day
Education:
Literacy rate 98%. Compulsory education from ages 7 to 12. Three different sectors: primary (ages 7–12), junior high school (ages 12–16), senior high school (ages 16–18), and post-secondary education; university, technical/vocational.
Government:
Government Type: Federal Presidential Republic
Chief of State: President
Head of Government: President
Elections:
Every six years
Natural Resources:
Oil, natural gas, coal, fertile land, geothermal energy and hydroelectricity, copper, timber, nickel, silver, gold, cobalt and salt.
Agriculture:
Rice, fish, livestock, poultry, bananas, coconut, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, pineapple, cassava.
Food Production:
- 9th largest producer of rice in the world.
- One of the largest coconut producers in the world.
- Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for 25–30% of the labour force.
- Farming and fishing industries face high levels of food insecurity due to natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes and floods.
- Decades of conflict have intensified poverty and food insecurity in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the country’s poorest region.
- Food production accounts for almost 50% of the entire output of the manufacturing industry in the Philippines.
- The food manufacturing industry has been recognized as a priority industry for attracting foreign investments.
Communications:
Over 100 newspapers, 56 million Internet consumers, 134 million mobile phone consumers, 400 TV stations, 1500 cable TV providers and 2 million subscribers, and 1400 radio stations.
Economy:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $441 billion CAN.
Cultural Orientation
Communication Styles:
Verbal:
- Love to converse but speak in quiet gentle tones.
- Revere harmony; likely loud if excited and happy.
- Ask personal questions, e.g., age, marriage, children, salary, how much you’ve paid for something (out of concern you might have been cheated).
- Open to ideas and information but attitude may not change readily.
- Eager to please so likely to say “yes” to various offers. Don’t want to offend with a “no” so “yes” could mean several things: “maybe”, “I agree”, or “no”.
- To ensure a yes, confirm in writing.
- The cell phone is the number one means of communication.
Non-Verbal:
- Fond of non-verbal communication.
- Hand gestures, pursed lips, raised eyebrows or eyes are used to communicate.
- Less dependent on spoken words.
- Have an intuitive sense called pakiramdam for what is implied and not stated.
- Smile constantly; however, not indicative of pleasure or amusement. May laugh or smile in situations that may be considered inappropriate. Smiles hide embarrassment, nervousness or feelings of insecurity.
- Smile may indicate non-commitment to answer a question.
- Signs of resentment are shown through non-verbal communications; reduced interaction, absence in work-related social gatherings.
Value Systems:
- Family is the main source of support and stability. A whole family could be shamed by the action of one member.
- Adherence to tradition provides stability, particularly rituals that maintain relationships.
- Matriarchal society. Women hold high positions in society, politics, academics and the professional world.
- Level of education is highly regarded.
- Deeply religious, with a large majority Roman Catholic. Sunday is a day for religion and family. It is considered disrespectful to ask someone to work on this day.
- Favour democracy, individual freedom, education and freedom of the press.
- Status conscious; however, everyone is deemed worthy of respect. The more important the person, the more modest and generous the expectation.
- Class system is categorized as upper, middle and low. The upper class comprises a small percentage of the population but owns or earns the majority of wealth.
- Social contacts are more important than business ones.
- Privileges and favouritism are expected among Filipinos but not among non-Filipinos. Established from values and beliefs of bayanihan (cooperation) and pakikisama (one with the group). Also, utang na loob (a deep sense of gratitude) to show appreciation or return a favour to someone and padrino (godfather); using a person of influence or position to get things done faster.
Workplace Strategies / Problem Solving:
- Defined by work. Important to motivate by recognizing work well done. Criticism of work may be taken as a personal failure.
- People who lose temper are not respected. Shameful to show anger in public.
- Reprimand calmly and privately.
- Provide feedback confidentially and constructively for areas of improvement.
- Individuals act in the context of a group, with family being the most important group.
- High value on consensus. The group must be consulted for decisions or problem solving.
- Low uncertainty avoidance; behavior exhibits flexibility and adaptability. The letter of the law is not strictly adhered to and there are not regulations that cover every situation; however, companies do adopt extensive in-house regulations for their employees.
- Tendency to become personally involved in problems rather than using rules and laws to solve them.
- Most truth comes from direct feelings.
- Display a unique sense of humour. Able to laugh or make jokes in good or bad times. Can laugh at their own mistakes.
- Generally cautious and not risk takers.
- Not comfortable giving feedback for fear of hurting a person’s feelings.
- Value work and look up to their superior to provide guidance. Ability as a manager to provide guidance and feedback without being critical is appreciated.
- Prefer to save face than feel shame (hiya) and may not speak with a manager about difficulty had in the workplace.
- Team members may often be living away from family and friends and forge strong bonds with their workmates. Important for a manager to understand this dynamic and foster a supportive work environment.
- To minimize dissension, it is important to engage with staff, build trust, foster strong relationships. More likely staff will speak openly about problems within the work environment if trust is built.
- Be firm, transparent about expectations, operational procedures and standards, and praise good work.
Gestures
- Filipinos grow up in extended families and are rarely alone; therefore, solitude may make them uncomfortable. The gesture of joining someone sitting alone at work, on a bus, at the cinema is common.
- Most North American gestures are recognized by Filipinos.
- Indicating “two” is done by holding up the ring and little finger.
- Beckoning someone with the index finger and palm up can be considered rude. Palm down and make a scratching motion is used.
- Pointing is considered insulting. Indicating with a glance, slight nod or pursing lips towards an object or a direction is used.
- Standing with hands on hips can be interpreted as aggressive.
- Touching someone’s elbow lightly is used to attract attention. Not tapping on the shoulder.
Dress
- Daily wear in the workplace is often informal and casual due to heat and humidity of the country. In places without uniforms, dark trousers and a white, short-sleeved shirt for men; without a tie and white, long-sleeved blouses for women and skirts or trousers for women. Despite the simplicity, clothes are neat, clean and fashionable.
- Very style conscious in social gatherings.
Gift Giving
- Gift giving is an important part of society.
- Flowers and food are the most common gifts.
- The custom of not opening gifts in the presence of the gift giver.
Taboos
- Public displays of anger or other outbursts of emotion are not acceptable.
- Being direct and straightforward.
- Questioning elders and authorities.
- Addressing authorities and elders on first name basis.
- Criticizing anything related to the country, people and culture.
Punctuality
- Punctuality is practiced in the workplace. Social gatherings tend to have less stringent rules for punctuality.
- May have difficulty saying “No” to work assignments. Assess capability first and clarify deadlines, expectations and progress along the way.
Greetings
- Standard greeting is a handshake, acceptable for male and women except for Muslim women.
- Traditionally there is no physical contact between men and woman in public. Men should wait for a Filipino woman to offer her hand.
- Close female friends hug and kiss upon greeting and close male friends may exhibit extended physical contact of their male friends such as holding hands or leaving an arm around friend’s shoulder.
- May greet each other by making eye contact followed by raising and lowering eyebrows.
- Most Filipinos have nicknames which they use in the workplace and may invite others to address them as such.
