East Asia is one of the fastest changing areas in the world. Beginning with the Four Dragons of the mid-1980's, super-speed economic development has continued progressing. Change in economic condition is one of the major causes of recent changes in people's values systems. How can we catch up with the speed of change in East Asian cultural values? Despite the attention that has been focused on the area, there continue to be many misunderstandings about the region. Cultural Detective East Asia will guide you to an understanding of the current East Asian mindset, and help you to enjoy interactions with East Asians.

Cultural Detective East Asia does not limit its focus by geographical location, but includes the region influenced by the Chinese character, primarily China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. It will highlight the similarities shared in the region, and the shades of variance that distinguish each individual country.

Cultural Detective East Asia contains the following stories and critical incidents:

• Reporting Bad News to Headquarters:

  A Chinese team and a U.S. American supervisor find a flaw in an engineering drawing.

• No Loyalty?:

  A Korean manager is surprised by his Chinese employees’ behavior.

• Confident or Modest?:

  A US American executive is confused by a Chinese consultant’s sudden change of attitude.

• Don’t Cause Inconvenience to Others:

  A Japanese student’s definition of “close friendship” differs from her Korean roommate’s.

• Forming a Diverse Group:

  Issues arise during a multicultural teamwork assignment at a Korean international business school.

• He Asks the Same Questions Again!:

  An Australian expatriate teaches global standards to Japanese staff members.

• He Doesn’t Listen to Me!:

  A Thai corporate trainer experiences difficulty with her Chinese co-facilitator.

• Inviting a Chinese Mayor:

  A Japanese manager is perplexed by planning for the grand opening of a factory in China.

• Lunch at His Desk:

  A German country manager in Korea encounters long working hours and seeks to maintain his own work-life balance.

Cultural Detective East Asia was authored by Alex Eunkyeong Yu, Zheng Wei and Dianne Hofner Saphiere.