Work culture
Aug 18th 2014, 8:16 am
#16
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,688
Re: Work culture
I work for a very large company in the UK. My experience of the Canadian office is that they do not want to be involved in anything global or outside Canada. Any initiatives or problems raised by the UK office, the response is "we're fine, butt out" or "things work differently in Canada, we have our ways, keep out of it". Very resistant to change. Everybody in my department in that office followed the same career path, too. None of them seem to have studied of worked abroad, in vast contrast to our office here.
If people are resistant to change it is because you have failed to persuade them that what you are changing to is better than what you are changing from. A Brit is not going to change a Canadian corporate culture if they have not put the time and effort into understanding what is done and why it is done. Things than seem wrong or out of place at first start to make sense when you begin to understand the cultural context.
I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not open to change if you can show them how to make more money for less effort. I have not met many who are open to change just because that is how it is done in the UK.
Aug 18th 2014, 8:22 am
#17
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Location: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Posts: 3,232
Re: Work culture
But they are right. Things do work differently in Canada. Resistance to change is a human condition, not a national one. Many newbies seem to translate "different" as "not as good as" but that is making a value judgement based on familiarity, not quality.
If people are resistant to change it is because you have failed to persuade them that what you are changing to is better than what you are changing from. A Brit is not going to change a Canadian corporate culture if they have not put the time and effort into understanding what is done and why it is done. Things than seem wrong or out of place at first start to make sense when you begin to understand the cultural context.
I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not open to change if you can show them how to make more money for less effort. I have not met many who are open to change just because that is how it is done in the UK.
If people are resistant to change it is because you have failed to persuade them that what you are changing to is better than what you are changing from. A Brit is not going to change a Canadian corporate culture if they have not put the time and effort into understanding what is done and why it is done. Things than seem wrong or out of place at first start to make sense when you begin to understand the cultural context.
I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not open to change if you can show them how to make more money for less effort. I have not met many who are open to change just because that is how it is done in the UK.
Aug 18th 2014, 1:38 pm
#18
Banned
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 36
Re: Work culture
In IT for examples a lot of Canadian companies struggle with things like PCI compliance (a set of standards you adhere to if you want to process card based payments online). This is because it requires a stricter work ethic. The UK workplace adapts because it's more open and basically more of a free for all. In Canada everyone just waits for the manager to deliver the law and they nod in agreement, no one wants to tip the applecart.
Aug 18th 2014, 6:08 pm
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 268
Re: Work culture
But they are right. Things do work differently in Canada. Resistance to change is a human condition, not a national one. Many newbies seem to translate "different" as "not as good as" but that is making a value judgement based on familiarity, not quality.
If people are resistant to change it is because you have failed to persuade them that what you are changing to is better than what you are changing from. A Brit is not going to change a Canadian corporate culture if they have not put the time and effort into understanding what is done and why it is done. Things than seem wrong or out of place at first start to make sense when you begin to understand the cultural context.
I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not open to change if you can show them how to make more money for less effort. I have not met many who are open to change just because that is how it is done in the UK.
If people are resistant to change it is because you have failed to persuade them that what you are changing to is better than what you are changing from. A Brit is not going to change a Canadian corporate culture if they have not put the time and effort into understanding what is done and why it is done. Things than seem wrong or out of place at first start to make sense when you begin to understand the cultural context.
I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not open to change if you can show them how to make more money for less effort. I have not met many who are open to change just because that is how it is done in the UK.
We are talking about getting involved and sharing ideas. We have had more luck with the US, UAE, Brazil, Turkey than with Canada
Aug 19th 2014, 7:07 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 181
Re: Work culture
I always have or had the impression that managers in Canada seem to value employees more by "are they on time", "are they at their desk", rather than "do they get the desired results".
Overall I had the experience that the UK is more results oriented.
