Executive summary
Everyone citizen belongs to a number of unique groups that maintain certain values. These values remain unconscious to those who hold them and are the core thing in culture. Being broad tendencies, which prefer particular state of affairs, they vary from country to country or populations to populations. This report is prepared to focus on the comparison between Canada and Thailand. In the report, key concepts are analysed through a comparison of the two different cultures in these two countries.
Introduction
Culture is extremely essential in the organization of groups of people. People usually carry several mental programming, which usually corresponds to various levels of culture. This may include national level, regional or ethnic or religious, generation level, gender level and social class level. The focus of this paper is to create an understanding of different aspects of culture and cultural practices between what is done in Thailand in relation to what is carried out in Canada. This is followed by a descriptive comparison of various factors relating to culture and how they relate to life in the two countries.
Similarities between Canadian culture and Thailand culture
People usually differ in social status, level of education and the environment they are socialised as they grow. This makes them acquire different culture that is characterised by values. However, some cultures and cultural values have significant similarities in the two nations. In both countries, family relationships are held closely. Matters of how you relate with your family member are always a concern as it is assumed your life depends on the values you share as a family. Talks of how related families run their operations are also present in these cultures, as families would like to compare their progress with what other families are doing (Brent 26).
However, it is taken to one of the basic needs, food culture and cultures surrounding is seen to be a common thing between Canadian and Thailand cultures. Citizens from these two countries bond more within set ups where there is something to be shared for the stomachs. A notable case is where there is meeting. The type of food being eaten and how it is prepared is always an area of interest. Canadians attach value in sharing meal when friends or families are meeting same with Thailand citizens who would also further inquire where it was from.
In both cultures, to display emotions in public is quite acceptable for close friends. There is usually public display of emotions. However, this is not common where you are dealing with strangers (Sydie 42). Even though public display of various emotions is accepted, anger is an exceptional case. Even though there is a justification for it, both cultures view this as disintegration in relationships.
Differences between Canadian culture and Thailand culture
In Thailand, chauvinism is very much in existence. A clear evidence of this is in power and leadership. Male figures have been always in power and it is well noted the non-existence of a queen heading the kingdom (Sydie 42). Even though women participate and play great roles in the economy and dominate certain professionals, sexual equality has a long way to go in all respects in Thailand. However, on the other hand Canada represents contrary opposite of this, as there is openness in their culture regarding gender identities and sexuality (Khokher 123).
Past statistics have shown that approximately 95% of Thailand population are Buddhist. The belief in them is that Buddhism represents way of life to them therefore it allows everything that related to Thais do or think. To determine whether someone is wrong or right, his or her actions are weighed against the teachings in Buddhism. In Canada, although there is Buddhism, Christianity is also highly regarded, unlike in Thailand.
It is commonly known that ethnicity is widely crucial in matters of relationships in Canada (Khokher 123). This is different in Thailand where there are minimal ethnic issues. Even though the population is represented by ethnic groups such as the Chinese, the Muslim and Thai, which are the native, there are few ethnic problems.
Integrating in Canadian religion would bring so many difficulties. Canadians are not so much into Buddhism as compared to Thai. In Thailand, Buddhism is not just a religion but a way to life. We believe in rituals and ceremonies to have big influence in our workplace. Integrating in culture that is partly ruled by Christianity principle may not go well on us.
Key issues when doing business in Thailand
An entrepreneur willing to succeed in business industry must learn and tackle the business secrets in Thailand. Part of these sensitive issues include-
Identifying permanent priorities
According to McKenna (12), there must be a constant track of crucial area in business, which includes winning goodwill in the market and learning how to maintain customers. This starts from understanding customers’ needs and promoting the business products to satisfy customers’ needs. The flow of money in and out of the business needs to be put into consideration when doing all this as poor planning can make it difficult in arranging funding for various activities.
Improving efficiency
This involves investing your time and business money in effective business systems and tools that have much more benefits. Incorporation of appropriate technology and information helps to improve business efficiency, as the business will generate more benefits considering minimal inputs in terms of time and other resources.
Strategic planning
Success in business requires taking up a bigger picture of important activities that will help improve general operation of the business. Identifying business goals is essential in this. Normally, a business entails having short-term and long-term goals. Right identification of factors that will guide business operations is crucial, as it is through these techniques that the performance and overall health of the business will be established.
In Thailand, the risk facing business may hinder achieving objectives as planned. However, proper mitigation can counter all this and ensure business run as intended. Taking care of core activities and complying with legislation forms the basic risk mitigation mechanism.
Consistency in core activities avoids deviation from business objectives while ensuring all laws covering business are adhered helps in facing business challenges from many angles. Taking in advice from different stakeholder will also help in facing circumstances that have been faced previously from those who have been in the industry for long.
Change
Change is described as adoption of new way of doing things. Often, there is resistance to change, as people do not understand the change. In most cases, this is so because there is no much awareness of the relevance of the change as some are rigid and would like to maintain old ways of doing things (Brent 26). There is also fear in adopting the change, as there is also fear of the consequences accompanying change.
There exists several change strategies of that help understand and improve change. Some of the most highlighted strategies are:-
Empirical-Rational strategy: In this strategy, the assumption of people being rational beings is taken into consideration and that people follow their self-interest. It is assumed that successful change depends on how information is communicated. People are reasonable, this make it easy to be persuaded and reasoned with.
Normative Re-educative strategy: As social beings, people will adhere to cultural values and norms. For change to be successful there must be redefining and consequent reinterpreting the present values and norms. Development and commitment to new change is also a basic step. People would always want to fit in and go along what they prefer. The remedy to this is to figure out the flow of what people want.
Power- Coercive strategy: As compliant beings, people generally prefer doing what they are made to do or what they are told. The main aim of this strategy is decreasing people`s options and not increasing. This option is preferred many at times in Thailand and will readily face this approach with much acceptance. This is more so when people feel threatened as few know how to approach the situations (Brent 26).
Culture plays a major role where it comes to matters relating to change. Thailand`s culture is usually a grip of information that goes around and there is so much spirit of cooperation. The culture in Thailand can be described as change minded culture as it creates a platform for change. This has merit in situations, which involve considerable risk.
Works Cited
Brent, R. Culture Typing versus Sample Specific Accuracy. 2009. Print
Khokher, P. Work culture within the hospital context in Canada: professional versus unit
influences 2010, Organization culture and Management. 2010). Print.
McKenna, S. The cultural transferability of business and organizational re-engineering:
examples from South-east Asia. 2008. Print.
Reimer, B. Social welfare policies and rural Canada. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
2010. Print.
Sydie, R. Perceiving Gender Locally, Globally, and Intersectionally. Emerald Group
Publishing Limited. 2009. Print.
Hundley, G. Institutional and Cultural Limits. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 2008. Print.
