“I had culture shock” – M’sian Shares Differences Between Working for Chinese Companies Versus GLCs

It’s no secret that different companies in Malaysia have different cultures and values.

Having worked in a Chinese company and a Government-linked company (GLC), a local man is know sharing deeper insights into what makes the two different.

Chef Danial Hadi took to his Facebook page to break it all down in a list.

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He wrote, “I have worked with the Chinese for a long time. After a while, I had a Chinese-like attitude. When I worked with a GLC that was 99.9% Malay, I had a culture shock.”

Here’s his list: 

• At the Chinese company, as long as it is not 7pm, no one is trying to leave. At the GLC, at 4:30pm, they’ve cleared their desk. At exactly 5pm, everyone is leaving.
• At the Chinese company, we want to save on construction costs. At the GLC, it’s like no one cares if it’s expensive or causing a loss.
• At the Chinese company, HR reminds us to do a good job and if the company makes a lot of profit, we get bonuses. At the GLC, the company loses every year but the staff is busy asking for bonuses.
• At the Chinese company, we see the bosses and the direction of the company. At the GLC, we call it a company without a boss. It’s all autopilot.
• At the Chinese company, less staff do more work. At the GLC, the work is little but the staff is a lot.

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• At the Chinese company, almost everyone works hard, not many are lazy. At the GLC, there are more lazy people than hard workers.
• At the Chinese company, you can share a lot and you’ll be good as you want to improve the company. At the GLC, if you share too much, you will be branded by the boss and other staff.
• At the Chinese company, we are noisy in ensuring work gets done. At the GLC, if we make a lot of noise, they’ll say you’re showing off as though you’re the only one doing work.
• At the Chinese company, we have a meeting to set the next year’s targets in June. At the GLC, we meet to set targets for the next year in December.
• At the Chinese company, it is difficult to take time off. The boss has to make sure there is a rotation at the end of the year. At the GLC, a department is paralysed as everyone is on leave. The boss can approve everyone’s leaves.

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“I have worked in several GLCs. I’m deliberately withholding names because I don’t want to cause embarrassment. If you want to know why Chinese companies perform better, you have to look at their work culture,” he added.

Many have since agreed with his list while others believe it’s all purely personal experience.

What do you think about his comparison? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section but please do remember to be respectful.

Also read: M’sian Shares How Property Agent Insisted on ‘Viewing Deposit’ of RM200 to Just View a House