Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

This particular incident took place a couple of years ago when I was doing my overseas vacation internship in Beijing, China. During one of the weekend afternoons, I was brought to the Beijing Zoo by my internship mentor and a colleague. The whole unpleasant incident started after my zoo visit when I realized that the sole of my shoe had come off. Then, my mentor suggested buying a new pair from a wholesale clothes and accessories market opposite to the zoo. Unexpectedly, this particular visit to the “Dong Wu Yuan” (the name of the shopping place) became the most memorable incident of my entire internship.

At the start, I was told by my colleagues that this shopping place is always very crowded during the weekends as it is a favourite with the locals for the cheap bargains. He also mentioned that one needs to be able to bargain well in order to get good deals. True to his words, the place was very messy like a “war-zone” and noisy with people actively promoting their sale items. I soon found a pair of sneakers to my liking and began to haggle with a lady shopkeeper over the price. Realizing that I was not as eloquent at bargaining as her, I stopped arguing with her over the price and asked to try the shoes first. However, upon trying the shoes, I found the material to be very stiff and uncomfortable and then decided to leave the shop. To my utmost horror, the shopkeeper then pulled me back into the shop by tugging at the strap of my bag. I was shocked at her demeanor and continued to walk away. Suddenly, two fellow shopkeepers came forward and stopped me from leaving. Fortunately, my colleagues spotted me in this fix and came forward to confront these unruly shopkeepers. These shopkeepers then claimed that I had “discussed” the price with them and hence it was only right that I pay for the shoes. However, I maintained that I did not confirm that I was going to take that pair of shoes as they were uncomfortable. Those shopkeepers then continued to hurl nasty words at me and my colleagues and even claimed that we have no money to pay for the shoes. They continued to pull us back and scold us ferociously for reasons out of this world. It was only when my mentor called up the local authorities to report on this matter that the shopkeepers stopped following us and retreated back to their shop (grumbling along the way).

After we got back to our residences, my mentor explained that this was an incident of “overboard forced selling”, and he added that those shopkeepers were pretending to be very fierce to scare me as a foreigner into buying something that I don’t want. Then, he added that it was fortunate that I didn’t retaliate when they pulled my bag as it could give them more opportunities to “hold against” us. Then, he also apologized for not warning me earlier that most locals will usually try on the items after agreeing on the sale price. Thus, when I asked to try the shoes, they probably thought that the deal was confirmed. However, we agreed that this doesn’t mean that I cannot refuse to buy the item and it certainly does not warrant for the "physical attacks" at our bags and T-shirts.

All in all, I have come to understand that cultural differences are part and parcel of mankind in the numerous global living spaces and knowledge will (in most cases) enable us to effectively embrace this interesting social phenomenon everywhere.

An Application Letter (Draft 1)

This application letter is for the following position at the Ministry of Health (MOH) Singapore:

Job Title: Health Policy Analyst (Healthcare Infrastructure Delivery)

Job Description: You will plan and develop healthcare facilities for the two public sector healthcare clusters, including obtaining the necessary approvals, securing the sites, overseeing project implementation and budget utilization to ensure timely delivery of adequate cost-effective facilities to meet future healthcare needs.

Job Requirement: Good Honours Degree, strong analytical and interpersonal skills, resourceful and good organizational skills.

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Kenny Mok Chew Seng
38 Cashew Avenue
Singapore 671888
Phone: (65) 9731 0895
mokchewseng@gmail.com

6th Feb 2010

Ministry of Health
College of Medicine Building
16 College Road,
Singapore 169854

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the position of Health Policy Analyst (Healthcare Infrastructure Delivery), which I happened to chance upon during the NUS Career Fair 2010. I believe that this position is a good fit with my education, experience and career interests and I will be most delighted to join your team at the Ministry of Health.

I am currently a fourth year Bioengineering undergraduate in the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to joining NUS, I graduated from Hwa Chong Junior College with the Distinguished Scholar Award for my excellent GCE A Levels results. Recently, I also led a group of six as the project leader and  my team emerged as the runner-up for a Biomedical Engineering Design competition to design a wrist prosthesis. We also won the Prestigious Director Award, which highlighted my capability in bringing about group cohesion and overseeing successful project implementation.

I am actively involved in co-curriculum activities in NUS and is currently the Chairperson of the NUS Students’ Union Computer-Based Learning Centre (NUSSU CBLC). Previously, I was also the Vice-Chairperson and Marketing Manager of NUSSU CBLC, in charge of liaising with various corporate sponsors for our club projects. During my freshman year, I was also the Publicity Head of NUS Bioengineering Club and served as the bridge between the school administration and the students. All these university assignments and projects have helped to forge my interpersonal and project management skills and have also given me invaluable experience in dealing with national and school authorities.

My previous working experience included working in Wallenius Wilhelmsen, an international ship services company, as a customer service officer in summer 2007. My job scope included liaising with the purchasers of global shipping vessels and our logistics and service department. During this stint, I managed to develop my communication skills while mingling with personnel from worldwide suppliers and port operators.  During summer 2008, I also did an overseas internship in Tsinghua University (Beijing) as a research assistant. I was involved in the optimization of the existing Fluorescence Molecular Tomographic (FMT) systems with the implementation of evaluation tests and the analysis of scientific data. More recently, I was an Engineering Intern in a public-listed company, KS Energy Services and was actively involved in the management of a few key regional oil & gas supply projects. Through this attachment, I learnt about procurement of lead items, budgetary planning as well as project pipeline management in order to fulfill deadline objectives. I believe these skill sets will enable me to fulfill the requirements of a health policy analyst at MOH.

All in all, I believe that I will be an asset to your organization as I have the tenacity to work cordially in a team and also to work independently when the occasion calls for it. I am inquisitive, creative and love to solve intriguing problems. I also particularly enjoy and have vast experience interacting with people from all walks of life. I will love to arrange a meeting with you to discuss further on my career aspirations and also to learn more about this opportunity. Please feel free to contact me anytime at your own convenience.   

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to talking to you.

Yours Sincerely,
Kenny Mok

A probable solution to this interpersonal conflict

Hi all,

Thank you so much for all your responses.

To sum it all up, I think person A can try to call for an emergency meeting with all the committee members to sort things out. He or she can first set the background of the meeting by acknowledging the current situation in the club and invite the rest of the committee to have a truthful and “non-withholding” discussion. This is also where A can share his honest feelings about this situation and let his co-workers understand his plight and concern. The success of this meeting will then depend very heavily on the tone and the setting which A will have to effectively manage and "tread meticulously".

In addition, I agree that A can quickly call for an emergency club election to elect for a suitable stand-in vice-chairperson. This will greatly relieve some of the heavy workload that a leader of club has to bear. In this sense, perhaps A would then have more time to join in for some of the social activities of the committee to build a stronger rapport between committee members.

Also, to probe further, there could be some lapses in successful delegation on A’s part during his or her helm. He or she must understand that while one can delegate some responsibility, the leader cannot give up on the ultimate accountability. There must be continuous support being provided. Then, A should also ensure the successes of the club’s activities through ongoing communication and monitoring with the provision of suitable resources and credit.