{"id":1059,"date":"2017-04-02T11:00:31","date_gmt":"2017-04-02T04:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.cimigo.com\/?p=1059"},"modified":"2025-10-20T12:08:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T05:08:50","slug":"choptsicks-asian-cultures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cimigo.com\/en\/trends\/choptsicks-asian-cultures\/","title":{"rendered":"Chopsticks and Asian cultures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vietnamese differs greatly from their neighbours in South East Asia<\/a>. \u00a0Unlike Thais, Malays and Indonesians, the Vietnamese dine with the help of chopsticks. Yes chopsticks. Chopsticks help define Asian cultures in many ways. Vietnamese are culturally closer to their northern neighbour in China and other chopstick wielding Asians in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.<\/p>\n

Chopstick nations produce \u00a0Asian cultures that are far more;<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Assertive<\/strong> \u2013 chopstick cultures are far more assertive in the desire to get ahead of their peers<\/li>\n
  2. Confucianism\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 chopstick cultures are heavily influenced by Chinese Confucianism; respect for; \u00a0parents especially, elders generally and teachers specifically.<\/li>\n
  3. Nuanced<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 the difference between public and private facades are more extreme.\u00a0 Values and behaviour in public are far removed from private behaviour and opinions. \u00a0A great challenge\u00a0for market research.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The influence of chopsticks on Asian cultures is visibly stark in Vietnam, with those in Hanoi being far\u00a0more assertive, pious even and most certainly nuanced compared to those in HCMC, which is 1,500 kilometres further south of historical\u00a0Sino influences, albeit a mere two hour flight today.<\/p>\n

    I recently read Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map<\/a>. An insightful book I sooooo<\/strong> wish I had read on arrival in Asia 25 years ago. \u00a0 The constructs of Erin’s Culture Map help us understand\u00a0how to interpret different cultures’ behaviours relative to our own. So together\u00a0with my Vietnamese team at Cimigo<\/a>, we debated where Vietnamese sit on the maps relative to the US and Japan.<\/p>\n

    \"Vietnam
    Vietnam on the Culture Map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    When communicating with the Vietnamese, the nuance certainly requires some listening to the air. <\/em>Not to the\u00a0extremes of Japan, but close. Providing feedback to the team is subtle and indirect. A debate and formal presentation is not theory first, nor commercial application first. \u00a0It is far more holistic and to me (a UK national) rather long winded.<\/p>\n

    My own early attempts at being egalitarian\u00a0have never born fruit and are completely irrelevant in a culture that respects a top down hierarchical\u00a0leadership style. Decision making in Vietnam is the polar opposite of Japan’s consensual style. The Japanese concept of nemawashi<\/em> consensus building ahead of important meetings is\u00a0completely alien here.<\/p>\n

    In Vietnam relationships are absolutely key to building credentials and trust. Conflicts are largely avoided, this was a construct that the team and I most struggled to reach a clear conclusion. \u00a0So much depends on the relative status of the person with whom the conflict exists. \u00a0In general conflict is avoided but not to the same extent as in Indonesia nor Japan. \u00a0Finally in Vietnam meeting times are rather flexible, not as flexible as Indonesia, but leeway certainly exists.<\/p>\n

    For anyone working across Asian cultures, read The Culture Map<\/a> and save yourself\u00a0a great deal of pain!<\/p>\n

    Visit AskCimigo<\/strong><\/a> and interrogate the report with our AI assistant.<\/p>\n

    \n