Filipino And American Cultures That Are Being Practiced In A Workplace

Work Culture in the Philippines

 Filipinos are hospitable – They always make the newcomers feel that they are welcomed to the company.
They plan to invite them to have a meal or a drink after office hours, tour them around the place, and even
introduce them to their colleagues. It won’t seem that it’s just their first meeting because of the treatments.

 Filipinos are warm and friendly – They always say “Good Morning!”, “Hello!”, and show their genuine
smiles for greetings and they will greet you more than once. They also ask simple questions to make you
feel that you are not alone. Even though it is a tiring day, it will always end up with a happier one.

 Filipinos have a unique communication style – They show respect to their seniors by using “Ma’am”,
“Sir” and even “Po” and “Opo”. They are very polite to every person in the company. They are also
mindful to the feelings of the people when communicating with them that’s why it’s better to ask clarifying
questions to ensure that they both understand the situation.

 Filipinos value camaraderie and belongingness – They treat their colleagues as a family. They make their
“Buddy System” stronger and welcome newcomers to the team. They also value all the people in the
company and even give them special treatments. It’s like another home from another place. And it can
make a person’s life to be more meaningful and motivated to everything.

 Filipinos are generous – When someone did a great job at work, they tend to prepare something as a sign
of celebration. They give souvenirs to their colleagues when they go somewhere on a holiday. They also
prepare gifts for special occasions and make sure that no one is being left behind. They make their
workplace a happy and comfortable one.

 Filipinos are hardworking – Working overtime is popular to Filipino workers. They do not mind if they
are still working beyond the office hours because they know that it can help them to get more money. They
are creative and resourceful which encourage them to work harder. Even though they have a lot of tasks to
do, they still manage to offer a hand to their colleagues who need help.

Work Culture in the United States of America

 Americans’ hierarchy – their organizations have quite a flat organizational structure but with a clear chain
of commands and detailed instructions. Superiors and managers are very hands on with their employees.
They motivate and inspire them to work harder to achieve their organizational goals.

 Americans’ decision making: “Yes, we can!” – They say exactly what they mean, they are always direct
to the point and with no hesitations. They make decisions with competitiveness and are very result oriented.
And they are praised by other people for having high performance orientation.

 Americans are always on time – Punctuality is very important to them because it is one of the factors for
achieving success. Five minutes late with an apology is acceptable but more than that is warned. Being late
in a meeting is a sign of disrespect. They tend to arrive at the given spot or place atleast fifteen minutes
before the actual meeting.
  Americans’ appointments – They always plan a head of time. They keep appointments once they are
made. It may seem that their meetings are quite relax but they are taking it seriously. And they always work
with effectiveness.

 Americans have dress codes – They consider appropriate clothing as a factor of being responsible for their
works. Most of the companies encourage their employees to maintain an official dress code. And it also
represents the company that they are working with.

References
Dimayuga, P. J. (December 2016). Navigating the Filipino Culture [Infographic]. Retrieved from
https://manilarecruitment.com/manila-recruitment-articles-advice/filipino-work-culture/

Agten, B. (February 2016). Work Culture in the United States. Retrieved from
https://careerprofessor.works/work-culture-united-states/