Insight Education Consulting - Case Study
From the Asialink Business Thailand Country Starter Pack
Greg O'Neill experienced the cultural sensitivities of doing business in Thailand when setting up Insight Education Consulting in Bangkok.
Greg O'Neill had an early run-in with the cultural sensitivities of doing business as a westerner in Thailand when setting up his company, Insight Education Consulting, in Bangkok 18 years ago.
"We employed a lawyer to do the business administration, got all the documents, ran through a checklist then fronted up to the Ministry of Commerce. We had an organisational chart which had me sitting at the top with the other Thai directors a few rungs below. And a middle-level bureaucrat says 'look, I don't like this organisational chart. Can you put the westerner a bit further down?' So I just moved me down a few notches."
O'Neill acknowledges he was "confused and bewildered" by the Thai way of working, with its "sometimes rubbery" regulations and reliance on contacts and patronage. Having good, trusted Thai staff to be "eyes and ears" is vital, he highlights.
"There are times to put a Western face out in front of the company and other times when it might be best to put a Thai face out there," O’Neill explains. "At the initial stages of negotiation I might go in and be introduced as the CEO of the company and might talk a bit about big-picture stuff, then sit back and let one of the less senior Thai staff take on the conversation, the nitty gritty."
O'Neill's company works with Thai universities, colleges and schools on education projects including teacher training and curriculum development, helps Thai students wanting to study overseas, and foreign universities seeking partnerships in Thailand.
"There are times to put a Western face out in front of the company and other times when it might be best to put a Thai face out there."
He says humility is "really important" to keep in mind when doing business there. "There’s a fine line between being seen to be an expert in something and coming across as condescending or patronising. In this part of the world, and particularly if you're a Westerner, you don't want to be seen coming in and saying, for us in terms of education, our system is superior to yours and this is how you should do it."
Cultural sensitivity is important in the workplace too, O'Neill outlines. "When giving feedback or being critical of staff you've got to be extremely careful about people's feelings. Delegating those kinds of things to Thai staff is important to understand right from the get go. For trivial issues like lateness, it's much better to have my office manager mention it rather than me say something because there's much greater sensitivity to it purely because I'm a foreigner. It's partly a language thing and partly a cultural thing."
Looking to grow your knowledge and capabilities for success in Thailand? Download this case study and discover the training opportunities and Asian business events on offer to help you on your way.