Dynamics of Asian Workplaces.

This essay reviews the highlights of five individual papers written independently for the special issue on East Asian dynamism of workplaces, raising the question of what are the factors that enabled the countries in the region to attain a rapid economic growth. It explores Asian, as distinct from Western, features linked to productivity in firms, such as Confucian ethics, familism, and group orientation. Asian societies, however, are now in great transition. Thus we are concerned with changes in work-related ethics and values among Asian workers. Confucian tradition, for examples which had been prevalent among Asians, has much weakened. Moreover conflict is emergent though consensus and harmony are still emphasized. Taken altogether this essay suggests that greater international scholarly dialogue and collaborative work are needed to enhance the understanding of intersocietal differences in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]