…a compilation & adaptation from leadership management institute,Paul Tokunaga’s talk, & personal/ ministry experiences.
Disclaimers: general & stereotypical—not all items do not apply to all Asians/ Asian Americans or westerners; Not an exhaustive list…
EAST VS WEST VALUES & WORLDVIEW
EAST
WEST
COLLECTIVE
- Family, group, team
- Others shape identity
- Uniformity (nail that sticks out…)
- Attention devalued
- Belonging to group
- Collaboration
- Others’ input
- No permission to op out, critique
* oldest child responsibilities
INDIVIDUALISM
- Self
- personality/interests shape identity
- uniqueness
- attention valued
- own person
- own contribution
- own opinion
DUTY & OBLIGATION
- to collective community/ others
- group achievement
- loyalty
- compliant
- need-driven
RIGHT & PRIVILEGE
- personal development
- for time-being
HIERARCHY
EQUALITY
DEFERENCE
- Modesty & self-effacing
- Nominate others
- Give input/ lead in appropriate setting, when invited
- Share complete thoughts
- Ascribed authority
SELF-ASSERTION
- Leadership
- Volunteer self
- Express when have an idea
- External processing
- Earned authority
RESTRAINT
- Don’t make a scene or show emotions
- Formality
- Speak when spoken to (proper)
- Tolerate crisis/ fatalism
EXPRESSIVENESS
- Self-expression
- Casualness
- Social skills important; small talk
- Promote flexibility & change
EVENT/ PEOPLE-ORIENTED
- People/ relationships/ events are priority
- Rude to leave event/ person or to say no
TIME-ORIENTED
- Punctuality is priority
- Rude to be late
WHOLISTIC
- Big picture
- Circular
- Inter-relationships (medicine)
- Long term perspective
- Synthetic
PARTICULAR
- details
- linear
- isolation
- immediate perspective
- analytic
INDIRECT
- subtlety
- direct asks can shame someone
- not confrontational
DIRECT
- obvious
- indirect asks are frustrating, annoying, & confusing
- confrontational
HARMONY
- conflict-avoidance
- cooperative; compromising
CLARITY
- prefer knowing what someone wants/ thinks
- assert opinion
HUMILITY & SACRIFICE
- Most respected leaders: modest, sacrificial, serving (level 5 leader)
LEADERSHIP/ ASSERTIVENESS
PERCEPTIONS OF ASIAN BEHAVIOR
- Quiet => not interested, lack knowledge
- Not assertive => lacks leadership, authority
- Limited facial expression => lack feeling or vulnerability
- Avoid eye contact => lack interest or confidence; don’t catch verbal cues
- Not complain => exploitable; everything is working
- Not social in work/formal settings => not social, prideful
- Not risk-taker => lacks leadership & ideas
- Speaks w/ accent => not credible or knowledgeable; can’t understand English
- Physically small => lacks maturity, ability, leadership
ASIAN VALUES IN WORK/LEADERSHIP SETTING
QUALITIES
HELPFUL
CHALLENGE
- HARMONY
- AUTHORITY
- SHAME*
- HUMILITY
- TRADITION
- FAMILY
- EMOTIONAL RESTRAINT
* shame vs guilt…
- Cooperative
- Respectful / loyal to superiors
- Sensitive to others’ feelings
- Not boastful
- Conform to rules, structure
- teamwork & loyalty
- strong performer; enduring
- Unassertive
- Reluctance to voice disagreement (passive aggressive, or withdrawal)
- Overconcerned w/ mistakes, avoid risks
- don’t get credit; avoid power
- don’t think outside the box; inflexible
- attachment to family; their voice/ influence is strong; pressure
- lack of freedom
GIFTS:
- Friendship/ community
- Loyalty & endurance – defer gratification
- Hospitality
- Bridge people (AA’s)
- Education
- Gift of Pain – identify w/ others, w/ Jesus’ suffering…
- History
CHALLENGES:
- Parental expectations => int’ls – added pressure of government etc
- Family – not express love; distant esp w/ fathers; lack affirmation but strong criticism (role of extended family)
- Painful family history (in language)
ASIAN AMERICAN DISTINCTIONS:
- Ethnic identity development:
- varies from person to person (degree of western influence & shame in past etc…)
- torn between two cultures
- some begin to embrace ethnic i.d. in college/ later in life
- unaware of ethnicity (what’s Asian about them)
- struggle w/ shame / specific aspects of culture
- dissociate w/ “FOB” identity
- Model minority myth – added pressure or rebellion against stereotype
- Immigrant families (role reversal w/ parents)
IMPLICATIONS:
- Deference to elders => take much more initiative in summer…
- Relationships over time /gradual introductions & lifelong friendships => Ginny’s lab experience…
- Lack of value for small talk: don’t talk to strangers => challenge in meeting new friends, esp outside of ethnic circles/ need “formal” or structured settings
- Family: take care of their own => why many prefer ethnic churches (what makes Mormon church attractive) why some AA’s found IV unwelcoming compared to other fellowships
- High degree of shame/ perfectionism => many barriers to “leading”
- AA’s & others volunteer their leadership => how can int’ls lead in this context?
Application?
- Sign-up’s to make asking for help easier
- Brainstorming-give internal processing time/ think ahead
- Cast vision
- Invite them to head toward potential