“For American Workers in China, a Culture Clash - New York Times” plus 4 more |
- For American Workers in China, a Culture Clash - New York Times
- Console families of military suicides, lawmakers urge Obama - CNN
- National Conference of Editorial Writers: What do you think? Are these ... - TCPalm
- Pro-Con | In the wake of the police shootings in Washington state ... - Kansas City Star
- Cultures clash among classmates at SE Minn. schools - Marketplace.publicradio.org
| For American Workers in China, a Culture Clash - New York Times Posted: 23 Dec 2009 06:15 PM PST As more Americans go to mainland China to take jobs, more Chinese and Americans are working side by side. These cross-cultural partnerships, while beneficial in many ways, are also highlighting tensions that expose differences in work experience, pay levels and communication. In the last few years, a growing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s have been heading to China for employment, lured by its faster-growing economy and lower jobless rate. Their Chinese co-workers are often around the same age. "The tight collaboration of the two countries in business and science makes the Chinese-American pairing one of the most common in the workplace in China," said Vas Taras, a management professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a specialist in cross-cultural work group management. But the two groups were raised differently. The Americans have had more exposure to free-market principles. "Young Americans were brought up in a commercial environment," said Neng Zhao, 28, a senior associate at Blue Oak Capital, a private equity firm based in Beijing. "We weren't. So the workplace is a unique learning process for my generation." People in Ms. Zhao's generation were born around or shortly after Deng Xiaoping opened up China to the West, so China has evolved from a government-regulated economy to a more free-market system in their lifetime. Therefore, they can face a steeper learning curve. Sean Leow, 28, founder of Neocha, a social networking site based in Shanghai, says young Chinese employees often enter jobs with less hands-on preparation. They may also have less understanding of client services, he said. In addition, he said, "I know a lot of my Chinese colleagues did not do internships in college," in contrast to United States students. Managers hiring workers in China appear to be paying a premium for Western experience. Foreigners tend to earn 10 to 15 percent more than their Chinese counterparts in similar positions, said Michael Norman, senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, an American firm. That imbalance does not go unnoticed by Chinese workers. "There is definitely the perception that Americans get paid more for the same work," said Ting Wang, 25, an associate at WildChina, a travel company based in Beijing. The difference is a function of supply and demand, Mr. Norman said. "If you need the foreigner for their specialized knowledge of the West, companies are willing to pay a little more." On the other hand, Chinese workers have a deeper understanding of the influences, like Confucianism and Communism, that play a part in their country's culture and economy. It is imperative for Americans working in China to adjust, said Mr. Norman, who works on management and work force issues for multinational companies operating in Asia. "In the West, there is such a premium on getting things done quickly, but when you come to work in China, you need to work on listening and being more patient and understanding of local ways of doing business," he said. Ming Alterman, 25, a senior account executive at Razorfish, a Shanghai-based digital media firm, is the only American among 40 employees. He says Americans need to understand the importance of building so-called guanxi (pronounced GWAN-she). The word means relationships, but has implications beyond the obligatory happy hour, occasional lunches with the boss or networking. "In China, it's really expected that you become friends with your boss and you go out and socialize in a way that doesn't happen in the U.S.," Mr. Alterman said. The Chinese now rising in the work force were raised and educated in a system that tended to prize obedience and rote learning. Their American counterparts may have had more leeway to question authority and speak their minds. This can affect workplace communication. When Corinne Dillon, 25, was working at a multinational company in Beijing, she noticed that her Chinese colleagues were sometimes hesitant about expressing their opinions, which she thought was rooted in views about hierarchy. "Because foreigners are often in higher positions in companies, or even when they are not, there is sometimes an implicit respect given to them that makes Chinese people not want to directly disagree with them for fear of being perceived as impolite," said Ms. Dillon, who is now director of sales and marketing at That's Mandarin, a language school based in Beijing. The difference cuts both ways. Ms. Zhao, of Blue Oak Capital, recalled her first experience working for an American at an American-run agency in Beijing. What her American boss perceived as directness left her feeling humiliated, she said. "I remember I was so embarrassed when my American boss told me he didn't like something I was doing, right in front of me," she said. "The Chinese way would have been much more indirect." Communication styles, Professor Taras said, can create workplace challenges. "Americans often perceive the Chinese as indecisive, less confident and not tough enough, whereas the Chinese may see Americans as rude or inconsiderate." This, he said, "can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings, but also affect promotion and task assignment choice, and ultimately performance." What is similar, though, is that both the Americans and the Chinese perceive a glass ceiling. "Most expats don't speak good enough Chinese, so their promotion prospects are limited, and on a social and cultural level, young Chinese feel there are barriers that are hard to get past," said Ziyu Wen, 28, who works with Americans in her job as a communications manager in Beijing. Despite the tension, the Chinese-American pairing holds many economic and political benefits for both countries. "China needs workers who understand China and the West, so they can develop a business presence and influence in overseas markets," Mr. Norman said. "Likewise, America needs people who truly understand the Chinese, in order to compete and cooperate." Having Americans working alongside the Chinese in China, he said, "is one of the best ways to cultivate and internalize this understanding for the future." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Console families of military suicides, lawmakers urge Obama - CNN Posted: 23 Dec 2009 06:08 PM PST Washington (CNN) -- President Obama should end a longstanding policy of not writing letters of condolence to families of troops who commit suicide, dozens of lawmakers urged him in a letter Wednesday. The lawmakers warned that "our armed forces are in the midst of a suicide epidemic." U.S. Army statistics show that more than 200 troops have killed themselves this year, more than in 2008, which was a record year. "By overturning this policy on letters of condolence to the families of suicide victims, you can send a strong signal that you will not tolerate a culture in our armed forces that discriminates against those with a mental illness," the lawmakers wrote. The White House has begun a review of the condolence policy, which the 46 members of Congress said should be completed as soon as possible. They also argued the policy of treating suicides differently from deaths in action flew in the face of military funeral procedure, which treats both the same. Service members who kill themselves get "a full military burial, complete with flag-draped coffin and 21-gun salute. We have not heard of any reports that military morale and discipline have waned as a result," they wrote. They also argued that letters of condolence are "as much about respect for the personal loss that a family experiences as it is about an acknowledgment by our nation that we have lost a soldier." The White House said two weeks ago its review of the policy should "hopefully" conclude shortly. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president himself asked for the review. "If the president didn't care, the policy would remain unchanged and unexamined," Gibbs said at a December 9 news conference. Despite this year's rise in suicides, Army officials said a recent trend downward could signal progress in programs intended to reduce the problem. Between January and mid-November, 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves, as did 71 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers. That's a total of 211 as of November 17, when Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, briefed reporters about the problem. But he said the monthly numbers are starting to slow down as the year nears its end. "This is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," Chiarelli said. For all of 2008, the Army said 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves, while 57 Guard and Reserve soldiers committed suicide, totaling 197. While the lawmakers cited attitudes toward the mentally ill, the Army is still trying to tackle why soldiers are killing themselves. "We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior. The reality is, there is no simple answer -- each suicide case is as unique as the individuals themselves," Chiarelli said. He also said there were troubling new statistics showing an increase in suicide rates among young soldiers who have never deployed, another factor puzzling Army researchers. CNN's Adam S. Levine, Larry Shaughnessy, Mike Mount and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| National Conference of Editorial Writers: What do you think? Are these ... - TCPalm Posted: 23 Dec 2009 08:03 PM PST 
Dramatic political polarization was sparked in 2000 in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Who could forget Broward County canvassing board member and judge Robert Rosenberg using a magnifying glass to examine a disputed ballot, perhaps checking for a hanging chad? (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File) 
Just how much has trust in U.S. institutions, from banks to the government, changed? Massive amounts of foreclosures changed the way Americans viewed financial institutions. In 2007 in St. Lucie County, Nancy Bennett, a supervisor at the county clerk's office, worked in her office behind a stack of foreclosures issued over just two days. File photo A discussion on the Listserve of a national group of editorial writers and columnists about the most important commentary topics of the 2000s spurred many ideas. Frank Partsch, former editorial page editor of The Omaha World-Herald, took that feedback from members of the National Conference of Editorial Writers and combined into 10 topics. Which topics do you think were the most important? Feel free to send your comments to the address at the bottom of the Opinion page, or complete an online poll at TCPalm.com/Opinion. Here are the 10 topics, as written by Partsch (who supervised reporting in Vero Beach many years as a member of the Miami Herald): Jihad, terrorism, war and profiling. Ripples of Sept. 11, 2001, affected national self-image, religious discussion, domestic politics and even civil rights. America in an Asian century. Recession, diplomacy, global scientific issues, copyright competitions, trade and geopolitics all fell under the umbrella question of whether the era of American supremacy is past. Preparing our kids for survival. A 19th century agrarian-based school system faced a shrinking world of high technology and assertive competitors, with an American advantage no longer to be taken for granted. Navigating the information whirlpools. Democracy and culture were subjected to profound change from an information explosion and a decline of authoritative voices of information. Preserving human values. Events called into question our commitments to human respect (illegal immigration), compassion for the suffering (health care reform), charity (aid to developing countries) and even our toleration of divergent opinions. DNA testing uncovered shocking prosecutorial abuse, freshening the capital punishment debate. Government: Friend or foe? Political polarization cast a harsh light on actions of the federal government, illuminating such events as the Bush vs. Gore Supreme Court case, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Obama administration's climate initiative. Science regained, science lost. The 2008 election brought hope that science would regain respect lost during the Bush years. But a lot of Americans still consulted astrology charts, argued against evolution and campaigned against the use of fluoride in their drinking water. Sharing the freedom dream. Gay rights became the civil rights issue of the decade. Questions arose about the lifetime denial of a former felon's right to vote, the lifetime stigmatization of a reformed sex offender, the lingering job discrimination against a reformed youthful offender. Facing a changing culture. A more diverse population brought traditions under more scrutiny. The public celebration of Christmas became more secular, and not without controversy. Institutions once reflexively trusted — banks, the police, the clergy — saw their standing eroded. Commentators had plenty of opportunity to examine and evaluate the evolution of sexual mores, entertainment, educational patterns, career expectations, "the breakdown of "(fill in the blank)." Follow the money. The bursting of high-tech, housing and banking bubbles thrust many middle class Americans into long-term economic uncertainty. State governments struggled with near bankruptcy. Americans wondered if they had any hope of escaping perpetual indebtedness to financiers in the rest of the world. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Pro-Con | In the wake of the police shootings in Washington state ... - Kansas City Star Posted: 23 Dec 2009 08:17 PM PST Related:YES I've been thinking about gun control laws since the morning I awoke to the news that four police officers were gunned down inside a coffee shop. Yes, I've read the Second Amendment, but no right is absolute. If restricting the flow of guns or making it more difficult to buy guns eases our minds, we should consider it. It is true that a vibrant gun market would exist outside the confines of the law. Nonetheless, we could all rest easier knowing the rules of law extend even to gun ownership. Officials in Washington state and Arkansas are arguing over who could've done the most to keep Maurice Clemmons in jail. But I'm looking beyond Clemmons. How do we stop the others who share his disregard for life? These guys, or anyone they might turn to for help, ought to find it as difficult as possible to get their hands on a gun. You'll never deter all crimes, so targeting the tools criminals use is a way to prevent or at least make criminal activities more difficult. After 9-11 many Americans agreed with security changes that altered our freedoms … to offer a modicum of public safety. So it ought to be with guns. | Lynne Varner, The Seattle Times Editorial Board NO In this case it looks as if the people in the corrections system knew enough about Maurice Clemmons to know not to let him out of prison. And yet they did. If this case tells you to fix something, it tells you to fix that. Fix the individual mistakes; don't curtail the rights of everyone. I used to be in favor of gun control. I lived in Hong Kong for a while. The only way an ordinary citizen could have a lawful gun was to keep it at a target-shooting club. In Hong Kong the weapon of choice was a knife, and the homicide rate was about one-quarter the U.S. rate. I came back to Seattle in 1993, when the U.S. crime rate was at about a 60-year high. There was a drive-by shooting at Ballard High School, and a student killed (not even the one the shooter intended). And I thought: This is ridiculous. And if I were designing a society from scratch — a society on Mars, maybe — I would do that. But we don't start with a blank slate. A right to own small arms is deep in our culture, and is protected in the U.S. Constitution and even stronger in the 1889 Washington Constitution. I revere those documents for all the rights they protect, and I don't want to cut any more holes in them. | Bruce Ramsey, The Seattle Times Editorial Board Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Cultures clash among classmates at SE Minn. schools - Marketplace.publicradio.org Posted: 23 Dec 2009 07:20 PM PST Somalis in Minnesotaby Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public RadioRochester, Minn. — Abdalla Mursal moved his family from Atlanta to southeastern Minnesota a decade ago to raise his four children in an area with good schools and low crime. "This city is a very peaceful city and everybody who lives here likes it," Mursal said of Rochester. "I like this city." But in recent months, Mursal and other Somali parents have discovered that their children's schools aren't so tranquil, as Somali youngsters have been in fights with white and African American students. On Oct. 14, another student teased Mursal's son, Abdirahman, a high school junior, and hit him with a baseball bat at school. "Somebody hit him with a baseball bat in the back, but immediately the police handled the case. So, I let the police and the school handle the case for the matter," Mursal said. "Fortunately, there was no injury and he was okay." School officials would not say if they suspended the student who hit Abdirhman, but police investigated the incident and charged the student with second- and fifth-degree assault, and disorderly conduct. The assault is one of a handful of recent incidents in southeastern Minnesota schools. In late November, about a dozen students started fighting in the cafeteria of another high school in Rochester. The fight was between a group of Somali and African American students. No one was hurt, but the incident received a lot of public attention since it involved so many young people. Police have sent this case to county prosecutors and submitted disorderly conduct and riot charges for eight of the students. Again, district officials would not say if they suspended the students, but after the brawl, school officials held a closed-door meeting with Somali and African American community leaders to talk about the fights. Somali parents like Mursal say the incidents are more about cultural misunderstandings than race. But they say it's hard to pinpoint exactly what triggers these fights. Police also can't point to a particular cause for tensions between other students and Somalis. "They don't seem to like each other," said Capt. Brian Winters of the Rochester Police Department. But whenever teenagers fight, Winters said, it should be taken seriously. "Any time you have behavior that is perceived by others to be motivated by bias, it is not a 'kids being kids' situation, or it shouldn't be tolerated as 'kids being kids' situation," Winters said. "These things should be looked at as serious events." Several fights also broke out in November at Owatonna High School between white and Somali students. Owatonna Police Chief Shawn LaDue said the problem there began when two white students wrote papers for class he described as inflammatory and disrespectful to the Somali culture. He said the papers started circulating around the school and on the Internet. "You've got Facebook, your social networks, you've got texting and all these other things people have got. And it's just been really difficult to keep up with," LaDue said. "It's something that we're not familiar with and up to this point, we've gotten along really well in this community with the diversity that does exist in our community." In all, eight students face charges, ranging from fifth-degree assault to disorderly conduct. LaDue said the recent fights are the worst he's seen in the last five years in terms of the number of kids involved. The problem extends out of the schools and into the city, where more kids are also getting into fights. "This is not just a school problem," he said. "It's not a city problem. It's not a police department problem. It's a community problem." African refugee populations are not new to Owatonna or Rochester. In both cities, youth groups promote cultural understanding, minority groups have developed a stronger voice, and city leaders make a conscious effort to create on-going diversity education programs. "There are a lot of African American students and Somali students who do get along," said Suzanne Griffin-Ziebart, who directs the school improvement and accountability program for Rochester schools. She said the recent incidents do not necessarily represent a trend. "There are always unique instances where we have students groups who may have disagreements over one issue or another," Griffin-Ziebart said. "But I'm not sure we can jump to a conclusion based on one incident at a school system that there's an ongoing difficulties between student groups. I'm just not sure we can go there." Mursal agrees for the most part. The incidents remind him he needs to help move the discussion about diversity forward. Talking about these differences, he said, is the best way to stem the conflicts. Broadcast DatesFive Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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