Differences in Workplace Culture between Canada and Vietnam

By: Trang Tran, Vancouver Island University

When I came to Vancouver Island University, I wanted to gain, not only higher education, but also experience in Canada. I have got a part time job to support for myself in Canada, and I recognized that it is a good opportunity for me to improve my time and stress management skills as well as effective communication, and make up for my lack of direct experience in Marketing and English.

There are some differences in workplace culture between Canada and Vietnam I have noticed when I have studied and worked at Vancouver Island University as a Marketing intern.

The first difference is how people communicate. Vietnamese people would prefer to speak indirectly while Canadians would like to get straight to the point.

Secondly, appearances are very important to Vietnamese. Vietnamese people can judge through someone’s appearance at the first impression. In Vietnam society, if people do not trust you, they will not work with you until you build and show that your appearance is not relative to their perception of your ability to be hard working. For the most part, Canadian clothing style is simple and elegant while Vietnamese prefer the variety of official dresses.

Furthermore, some Vietnamese businessmen often sign a contract or an agreement during a lunch or dinner while Canadian businesspeople would like to sign a contract at the meeting, and then go out for a dinner. Vietnamese people may want to talk about business, give suggestions at work, and talk about your social life and so forth. They may ask you some private questions such as your relationships and your wages while Canadians try to avoid asking them. In Vietnam, officials would like to go out for a dinner, and then go to a karaoke restaurant to sing. Time is unlimited, the invitation can come at the last minute, and it depends on their feeling at that time. To invite a Canadian partner go out for a dinner, you will need to make appointment a few days in advance, so they can make room in their schedule.