IBS220 Assessment: Business Culture in Australia and East Asia

This report provides a comparative analysis of business cultures in Australia and East Asia, focusing on key differences to provide insights into how these differences impact business practices. The report examines varying work styles, including work hours and employee interaction, contrasting the early start times and emphasis on work-life balance in Australia with the often later start times and potentially longer hours in some East Asian countries. It also explores the differences in hierarchical structures and employee feedback mechanisms, highlighting the more direct communication and flatter organizational structures common in Australia versus the more hierarchical structures and indirect feedback methods often found in East Asian business environments. Furthermore, the report touches on office design and work environments, noting the more creative and personalized office spaces in Australia compared to the potentially more traditional layouts in East Asia. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding these cultural nuances for effective international business management and successful cross-cultural interactions.

Business culture in Australia and East Asia
Business culture in Australia and East Asia
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Business culture in Australia and East Asia
Introduction
Business culture is the manner or style in which business operations are carried out within a
country. It influences decision making management and all business operations ranging from
production to accounting and selling. This paper analyses business culture and how it differs in
Australia from East Asia.
First and foremost, workers in Asia prefer to turn up for work during midday hours and work till
late in the night while in Australia workers prefer to start early. In India for example, workers
prefer to spend morning hours with their family and doing chores and then work till midnight.
The same is witnessed in Singapore where folks turn up for work at midday and work until
midnight (Chang 2018). However, this is not the case in Australia as people prefer to start work
early and leave early so that they can spend evening hours with their family.
Secondly, the interaction of junior employees with their seniors is advocated for in Australia
contrary to the case in East Asia. The manager or supervisor is often found amongst the
employees in Australia while in East Asian countries he/she often occupies a separate and
distinct office. The concept of hierarchy and equal treatment of employees is not so much
embraced in India and Singapore as in Australia. In addition, Employees in East Asia seldom
give or take feedback contrary to employees in Australia. Australian societies assume clear
differences between who a person is and his ideas thus if an individual’s idea is criticized, his
self-esteem is not affected (John 2018). In East Asia however, there is no clear boundary
between an idea and the individual whom the idea is from. Bad ideas are often followed by
negative personal judgment (The conversation 2018).

Business culture in Australia and East Asia
Lastly, the offices in Australia have a more creative design layout as compared to offices in East
Asia. It is common to find Australian offices furnished with small touches such as kangaroo
prints, faux koalas and Australian maps in meeting rooms (Andrea 2018). Australians embrace
the idea of letting the inner personality fly free. Although the offices in East Asia have local
touches as well, their design is not as creative as the ones in Australia.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the business culture differs in various ways in Australia and in East Asia. It is
therefore vital to consider these factors when dealing with employees from both regions.

Business culture in Australia and East Asia
References
Chang, O. (2018). The biggest cultural differences between companies in Australia and Asia,
according to an Asia Pacific executive. [online] Business Insider Australia. Available at:
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-intuit-exec-shares-the-5-biggest-cultural-differences-
when-doing-business-in-australia-and-asia-2016-4#b1PKZxi7MKV5lbPZ.99. [Accessed 8 Aug.
2018].
The Conversation. (2018). Four cultural clashes that are holding East Asian employees back.
[online] Available at: http://theconversation.com/four-cultural-clashes-that-are-holding-east-
asian-employees-back-72661 [Accessed 8 Aug. 2018].
John. (2018). Asian Culture Facts and History - Interesting Information About Asia. [online]
Available at http://www.7continentslist.com/asia/asian-culture-facts-and-history.php [Accessed 8
Aug. 2018].
Andrea, R. (2018). Australian Culture, Values And Customs. [online] Available at:
https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/courses/study-tips/australian-culture-values-and-customs
[Accessed 8 Aug. 2018].