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WHAT MAKES AN ASIAN MANAGER DIFFERENT?
JAN 21, 1996 -
THE STAR
By S. Hadi Abdullah
SPEAKERS at the recent Asian Association of Management
Organisations (AAMO) Conference in Singapore brought up the
topic of the "Asian manager." One of them, Dr David Li of Hong
Kong, was of the opinion that there was not a drastic
difference between the Western and the Asian manager.
Who is an Asian manager? The only difference there might exist
between an Asian manager and his Western counterpart is in the
"softer" aspect of management.
Modern managers in both parts of the world use methods,
systems and technologies. Having experienced the Industrial
Revolution and scientific development much earlier, Western
managers, of course, use more technology whereas Asia with the
exception of Japan and, to some extent, South Korea, seems to
lag behind.
Large parts of Asia are in the early stages of development.
Even Japan is behind in the areas of computerisation and "ser-
vice" industry, compared with those of America and Europe.
Although companies like Fujita have made breakthroughs in
technology, operating 70-tonne earth movers and tractors by
remote control, Japan as a whole is behind in modern
technology, especially in information technology.
The automobile industry is often quoted as an example of
Japan's superiority. Much of it is still true, but companies
like Fard and Chrysler are beginning to produce cars that are
as good. Studies have shown that output per worker is far
greater in America than in Japan.
Another recent study has shown that 87 per cent of Japanese
business was globally uncompetitive. This has made Japan
review some of its practices in order to compete effectively.
In the service industry, the Westerners are more advanced.
Their customer consciousness and needs aspect is superior to
others. However, we should take note that in the hotel
industry, hotels like the Oriental Bangkok and Raffles
Singapore consistently top the list in rankings.
As for the airlines industry, Asian airlines, especially SIA
and MAS, seem to excel. These are exceptions.
Pure scientific research, the discovery of new products, say
in pharmaceuticals, show the Westerner's superiority. Although
Asians could argue for their herbs and roots of traditional
medicine, companies like Johnson and Johnson, Du Pont and
Glaxo are far ahead.
Wall Street seems to rule the financial markets everywhere.
Their portfolio managers, investment analysts and consultants
appear to be able to make many a stock market rise and fall
according to their "predictions."
To the Western manager, the bottom line seems to lie in
profits, salaries, perks and share options. We see technology,
science, quantitative analysis, methods, and the bottom line
"dictating" the Western manager's concerns.
Is the Asian manager far different? He too practises the same
methods and is fast catching up. Many of the Asian managers
have been educated in the West, or have learned from
syllabuses used in the West although there has been a rise in
"Asia" consciousness lately.
How about the "soft" aspects of management? We should not
forget that the early American settlers were those who had
strong religious convictions. The pioneers endured much
hardship and uncertainty.
Just a hundred years ago, the English were wearing four-piece
ankle-length costumes. Modernisation and economics, indeed,
seem to have made a lot of change to that, and more.
The development of their democracies were influenced by people
like John Stuart Mill, who placed such importance in the
individual's right that even today the individual's right
reigns supreme in Western democracies.
Western managers were also influenced by people like the Nobel
Laureate Milton Friedman who was all for "economic freedom"
and efficiency. He believed that the strongest players should
win and that the only reason companies are around is to make a
profit and nothing less.
This individualism and market economy have influenced Western
managers so much that they have often been accused of giving
scant attention to people and feelings. This has led economist
Kenneth Galbrith to say that he would rather measure a
country's success by its GNH (Gross National Happiness) than
by its GNP (Gross National Product).
Asians may have to compromise here, the greater community will
have to take precedence, although with a nation's maturity the
individual could ask for more freedom.
Asians can be said to be more culture and family bound; we
have not come to the stage where our parents need to ask our
permission to visit us. But in Asia today, there are more
nuclear families as against extended families although the
proportion would be much higher in the West; similarly with
single-parent families.
There are cases of well-to-do people putting their parents in
homes for the aged. Singapore has passed some rules about
looking after the aged. Malaysia believes that it is the
responsibility of the respective families to look after their
aged parents.
Asians have a sense of community spirit; however, voluntarism
by proportion is higher in the West than in Asia.
It could be argued that the Asian manager tends to pay more
attention to the well-being of his staff and would be careful
not to hurt other people's feelings. This may be true in most
instances but some feedback shows that Asian managers "chew
up" their subordinates as much as the Western managers.
A recent study in Hong Kong shows that subordinates prefer an
American manager to an Asian one. However, Hofstede's study
shows that, generally, Asians prefer Asian managers.
The more traditional Asian managers would talk of harmony,
balance, loss of face, respect for elders, the spirit of
caring and sharing, love, and foremost family. The Asian, by
nature, respects authority and those who are older. While this
is a plus factor, managers should bear in mind that it should
not curb creativity from the young.
Another Asian characteristic can be said to be patience (a few
years ago, Time magazine described patience as an Asian word).
This should not be equated to slowness but the ability to wait
for the opportune time.
The above could be the major differences between the two types
of managers with the Asian manager leaning a little towards
paternalism. Examples of the latter type of Asian managers
are Stan Shih of Acer Incorporation and Akio Morita of Sony.
Lucian Pye of Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that
this will deliver "the efficiency of benevolence." This is the
very area that is fast eroding among Asian managers, while
they go for "high tech," they should not forget the need for
"high touch."
Ethics and community consciousness should be in its proper
place. While encouraging "fast trekkers" in an organisation,
we must be wary of letting rising individualism kill the
dynamics of the team. It is this factor that could make the
Asian manager excel, or break him.
While noting the differences, it cannot be denied that as
humans we (Asian and Western managers) all love our families
like to prepare for the future, believe in God (although some
societies are becoming very secular).
History has made the Westerners "dominate" many areas of the
marketplace, resulting in today's lopsidedness. It is hoped
that there will come a time when we can talk of our
commonalities and not our differences, where the Western
manager looks at his Asian counterpart as an equal.
This can be achieved if we diligently learn to use the science
of management while practising and upholding traditional
values and using it to help us synergise and grow.
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