A cultural comparison of business practices in Thailand and Japan with implications for Malaysia

This paper compares some business practices in Thailand and Japan using a cultural model. The focus is to assess the validity of using a ‘western’ model in the context of a changing south-east Asia and Japan, and the contextual global implications for change. The model considered was developed by Hofstede in his famous cultural dimensions theory. The model concentrates on five cultural dimensions across over 100 countries of the world. This paper’s aim is to identify and interpret features of the cultures of Thailand and Japan when juxtaposed with what is obtainable in the Western World and draw conclusion on its implications for Malaysia. The relevance of a western model in two very distinctive ethnic contexts was X-rayed and the most suitable for these Nations were discussed. Hofstedt’s five cultural dimensions are: power distance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and short- and long-term orientation. The two most suitable for developing Countries like Japan and Thailand are: power distance and uncertainty avoidance. After analyzing these two cultural dimensions, it is argued that a western interpretation takes insufficient account of the different ethnic and social contexts in plural and homogenous societies. The hegemonic western perspective may thus be challenged when comparing non-western cultures. Similarities and dissimilarities for the cultures of Thailand and Japan were inferred and discussed. A preliminary assessment is undertaken of the implications of the paper for globalizing the engineering profession and business in Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia