Cultural Diversity History Post

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In this week's class, I had the chance to reflect on how cultural backgrounds shape our values in the workplace.

One of the most engaging discussions centered on what factors we prioritize when choosing a job. For me, company culture and values matter a lot. I want a workplace where being myself is accepted. In China, though, visible self-expression—such as dyed hair or piercings—is often discouraged, and wearing uniforms is commonly required. I shared my thoughts hoping someone would relate—but surprisingly, a girl from Western cultures said it’s totally fine in her country. That moment reminded me there's such a strong premium placed on norms in Asian workplace culture. 

On the other hand, Western companies often emphasize open discussion and debate, where everyone—regardless of title or age—can share ideas without much fear of judgment or career risk. I admire this model because I believe real progress happens when people feel safe to share ideas, challenge each other, and even disagree. 

To conclude, in today's fast-paced, globalized, and complex world, balancing cultural values like hierarchy (common in Asia) and open dialogue (prioritized in the West) is key. While respect and harmony matter, fostering an atmosphere—where diverse voices and the freedom to question and explore are encouraged—drives true innovation. 

评论

  1. Aboodi2025年5月19日 23:20

    I completely agree with you! I also believe that a mix of both respect for hierarchy and the freedom of expression is the way to go, if you go to either extremes then you can have cases like in Japan where the younger employees can’t ever offer their ideas or how a lot of company workers in America don’t give any sorts of respect to their co workers because they are all trying to one up the rest in pursuit of higher salaries which is also pretty bad in my opinion.

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  2. Emiliano2025年5月19日 23:22

    Thank you so much for your post, missed you today.
    I was amazed when you told me that, I think it's really important to be accepted in the company you will spend your days working in, I was amazed of the requirements of uniform. And the strictness.

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  3. Maximiliano2025年5月19日 23:24

    Hey Gemma! I really liked your words on this topic and I find it really interesting. Coming from a western country like Mexico I can really understand your concerns and your surprise when you learned that in western jobs we can wear many accesories or dyed hair, that doesn’t really matter, actually if someone fires you because of your style, you can share this on internet and everyone is going to hate this company and things could go really bad for them, so it’s actually risky to limit someone’s appearance in western cultures nowadays, however, I also believe that we should preserve some things that Asian countries have, for example I believe strict rules are kinda necessary, at least a few. I studied in a military school and I had to wear uniform all the time, short hair and practice military and religious ceremonies, even if this is unnecesary, it’s discipline after all, and many young western people don’t want to follow rules anymore, even if it’s just basic reasonable rules.

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    1. manxuan2025年5月23日 22:58

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts—I really enjoyed reading them! The social pressure online does make companies think twice before judging someone by their appearance. And you're right, I completely agree with you about the value of discipline. Some structure is necessary. Your experience at a military school sounds intense, but I can see how it helped build character and self-control.
      Maybe the ideal is somewhere in the middle: flexible, but not chaotic; structured, but not rigid :)

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