Being a multiracial country, it is pretty common to find diverse company cultures in Malaysia. From private limited companies to GLCs (Government-Linked Companies), we can experience different work cultures based on the company we work for.
Recently, a Malaysian shared his thoughts on the differences working for a Chinese company and GLC. Having working in both for quite some time now, he compiled a list and shared it on Facebook.
The post started off with Chef Daniel Hadi mentioning that he has worked with both a Chinese company and multiple GLCs. “I worked with a Chinese company for a long time. After some time, I adopted a Chinese-like attitude. So, when I worked for a GLC that is 99.9% Malays, I had a culture shock.”
Then the local proceeded to state the 10 differences between working in Chinese companies and GLCs:
- In the Chinese company, no one would be rushing to go home until 7pm. As for the GLC, they would be tidying up their table at 4:30pm. And 5pm sharp, everyone would have left.
- In the Chinese company, we want to save construction costs. At the GLC, it’s like no one cares if it’s expensive and producing a loss.
- In the Chinese company, HR reminds us to work well so if the company profits well, we get bonuses too. At the GLC, even if the company suffers a loss, the staff would still ask for bonuses.
- In the Chinese company, we see the bosses and direction of the company. At the GLC, we call it a company without a boss. Everything is on autopilot.
- In the Chinese company, there are a few staff but they get a lot of work done. At the GLC, there little work but overstaff.
- In the Chinese company, people can’t afford to be lazy. At the GLC, the lazy ones are everywhere.
- While Chinese company encourages their to ask more questions in order to learn, GLC apparently discourages that.
- At GLC, if you show that you’re a hard worker, others will accuse you of showing off .
- While Chinese companies typically set their target for next year in June, GLC will only set next year’s target in December.
- It’s hard to apply for a holiday in the Chinese company. The boss has to make sure that there is a proper rotation during the year end. At the GLC, everyone can apply leaves (at the same time).
The Malaysian concluded his post by noting, “I’ve worked with a few GLCs. I didn’t mean to put their name to shame. If you want to know why Chinese companies perform better, you need to look at their work culture. It’s not that we Malays are not good, but the work culture is just really bad.”
Netizens also have different thoughts on Daniel’s experiences:
- “GLCs cannot be compared with Chinese or Malay companies. There are so many great Malay companies anyways. The advantage of Malay companies is that the bosses and staff can differentiate between halal and forbidden actions in the business. That’s the advantage of Malay companies.”
- “From the writing above, the Chinese company looks good in terms of work. But, from another’s perception, is it really good to have a work culture like the Chinese? That is the question. For me work is just work.”
- “I love the European work culture, there’s a work life balance. Besides work, we also have time for family.”
Source: Facebook
