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Age

One of the consolations of getting older is that one gets wiser, or so the saying goes. So why is it that in the West old trips off the tongue so easily as a term of abuse, such as when people mutter silly old fools and white heads under their breath when older people drive slowly and cautiously, can t understand their cell phones, or dither in front of ATM machines? Perhaps we react like this because Western society depends on constant technology-based change, and the young adapt quickest to new developments. Or perhaps it s because youthfulness, beauty, and good health ”all things the elderly don t often have ”are so highly valued in the U.S. and in many other countries .

Japan is also a technology-driven culture, but there Respect the Aged Day is a national holiday when young people are encouraged to remember the contributions older people have made to their lives. But in the West, who would want to be aged even if it did bring respect with it? We want to be admired for the money we ve made, our brains , or even our good looks ”but not respected for our age or wisdom (and what an uncool word that is). Perhaps we don t go so far as to hope we die before we get old, in the words of The Who, but we d like to die before we start to look or feel old.

But in many Asian countries, like China, Japan, and South Korea, age is seen as an outward sign of wisdom and is accorded a high status. In the Confucian heritage everyone in the family has a role, and the roles with the highest status go to the oldest members of the family. This hierarchical system, with its network of duties and obligations and with the emphasis on unquestioning obedience to the head of the family, is carried over to the workplace. Up-to-date technological knowledge is valuable , of course, but less so than a general knowledge of the business as a whole, a thorough knowledge of the people who run it, and the ability to get the best out of them. The rashness of youth and the risk-taking that is part of it are seen as natural but not admirable, because they can disturb the harmony that is the hallmark of a smooth-running and efficient organization.

Age is not something we actively work toward, of course, it just happens. It s this inevitability that is so hard to accept if we come from cultures in Northern Europe, the U.S., or Canada, where we believe that we should exercise control over as much of our lives as possible.

In such cultures gestures of respect aren t always appreciated by the elderly. My father, in his eighties, was nonplussed the other day when a youngish woman on a bus in England offered him her seat. He s not really sure he is ready for that much respect. I sympathize with his unwillingness to be relegated to the status of the old, a group regarded by many Western societies as a financial burden , and one seen as taking from society but giving nothing worthwhile in return. As a character in Anthony Powell s A Dance to the Music of Time said, Growing old s like being increasingly penalized for a crime you haven t committed. In Western cultures, the punishment for this crime is the same as for other criminals ”a place in an institution ”but in this case it s a home for the elderly rather than a prison . In Asia, Africa, and South America such institutions are rare, and adult children take their responsibilities to look after their parents at home very seriously.

One Finnish manager I know moved to the city from the country many years ago, leaving his mother in her hometown. When I spoke to him recently he had been back there on a visit to her, to see her in her new nursing home. He was full of admiration for the staff, especially for a group of new workers. They were middle-aged female immigrants from Africa who had started to work there, and they were very popular with staff and patients alike. At first I was surprised ”the cultural differences between African immigrants and old Finnish country folk would surely mean that they had very little in common. However, these immigrants came from cultures where elderly relatives were usually looked after at home and where the old were very much respected and valued. The African staff liked and were genuinely interested in their Finnish patients , and the old people flourished in their care.

LETTER 119

Parents and children may inhabit the same country but different worlds , for within a generation cultural patterns in a country can change dramatically.

Generation gap Letter 119

FROM THE U.K. ABOUT RUSSIA

We are a British company trying to get a foothold in Russia. We are considering entering into a partnership with a Russian company but have a real problem finding the right people to talk to. The more experienced managers don t seem to understand business, and the younger ones have no practical experience.

With the rapid decline of communist control in the 1980s, state-owned enterprises came to an end and were replaced by a market economy. Instead of a centrally run, politically steered system of control, companies had to start thinking in terms of pricing strategies, efficiency targets, and profit margins. Younger people, especially those educated abroad, may well be familiar with these concepts and the principles behind them, but to employees who were managers before the communist collapse, concepts like service and profits were foreign and may still be equated with servility and profiteering. The result is an enormous generation gap, where theoretical knowledge about the market economy is the (almost exclusive) property of the young, while practical experience of managing fellow Russians is the province of the middle-aged and elderly. Furthermore, each generation may be skeptical about the value of what the other knows .

This is a problem for many Western companies operating in the former communist bloc, and although there are many multinationals operating successfully in Poland, Hungary, and other Eastern European countries, getting these partnerships started has been far from painless. In Russia the problems are compounded, as free enterprise and capitalism are relatively recent foreign imports and tend to be treated as scapegoats by the older generation for the hard times that many Russians have experienced since the collapse of communism. The only way forward is to find a Russian intermediary familiar with representatives from both generations, but this will not be an easy task.

LETTERS 120 “121

Age is often a consideration when it comes to employment.

Don t ask Letter 120

FROM INDIA ABOUT THE U.S.

We are going to be opening a subsidiary in the U.S. soon and will need to employ local staff. I heard interviewers aren t allowed to ask questions about age during job interviews there. Is that correct?

It certainly is. Companies in the U.S. are very anxious to avoid accusations of being ageist. This may be because they realize that if they don t have a good age mix in the workplace their businesses will be turning their backs on an enormous amount of valuable wisdom and experience. But it is also because of the simple fact that discriminating against anyone on the grounds of age is illegal, and ignoring this fact could lead to an expensive lawsuit. Anti-ageism laws are being introduced in other countries too, and recent laws in Australia and Canada provide legal protection for older workers. Europe is moving in the same direction. A European Union law guaranteeing older workers basic rights coming into force in 2006 will prevent more experienced people from being discriminated against in the workplace.

However, if you really think that it is important to know someone s age before offering them a job, it is often possible to read between the lines of someone s resume to deduce, more or less, how old they are, and there is usually a face-to-face interview before you make your final choice.

Age a handicap? Letter 121

FROM SWEDEN ABOUT TURKEY

I have heard that there is a tremendous respect for older people in Muslim countries generally . I m a male manager in my early thirties and about to take up a post in Turkey. Do you think my age will be a handicap?

It need not be a handicap, but it certainly won t help. The Muslim tradition tends to be strongly patriarchal, which means that the status of men is higher than women, and older men are more highly regarded in the family and the workplace than younger ones. In this, Muslim cultures are no different from those of East Asia, India, or non-Muslim Africa. In fact, you can say that the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Northern Europe are the exceptions in their encouragement and ready acceptance of the whiz kid boss who may be intelligent and highly educated but, inevitably, does not have a lot of experience. The assumption in Turkey is that age brings both status and wisdom. This makes it hard, for example, for an older manager to report to a younger one, as this might cause the older employee to lose face.

However, as you are from Sweden, you will inevitably find yourself in the role of outsider in Turkey and will not be judged by local standards. Also, as you come from the home of the parent company, you will automatically have a high status, and as a manager you will be seen as having the weight of headquarters behind you. This does not mean, of course, that you can afford to ignore local traditions and values, so be particularly tactful when dealing with older employees. Make an effort to build good relationships with them, and listen to what they have to say, because they will have a lot of valuable information and insights that will be useful to you. By demonstrating respect for these older individuals, you will also indirectly be showing respect for the Turkish culture as a whole.

LETTERS 122 “124

How respect is shown varies greatly. In Asian and African cultures respect for age is particularly marked .

Showing respect? Letter 122

FROM AUSTRALIA ABOUT SOUTH KOREA

I will be visiting a small South Korean firm next month and will be meeting the family who owns it. I know I m supposed to show special respect to older people there and want to know how to go about doing it.

It s certainly important to observe hierarchy, for this social order is what holds society together and defines the position of the individual within it.

When meeting older people, address them by their title plus surname (e.g., Managing Director Kim or Madam Lee). Bow, unless they extend their hands first. The rules of conversation are mostly common sense and apply even in societies where old people do not have such an elevated status. In fact, when you were a child, your parents probably ran through similar rules before taking you to visit your grandparents.

Listen politely to whatever older people have to say, defer to them, don t contradict, don t ask difficult questions (although questions about health are acceptable), and don t speak too loudly. When eating , elders will be served first, and most Koreans will wait for them to begin and will not leave the table until they have finished. You shouldn t smoke in front of older guests unless invited to do so. Finally, if you are drinking in front of an older person, turn your head away as you drink to demonstrate respect.

Can t treat people like this Letter 123

FROM HUNGARY ABOUT MULTINATIONALS

A large U.S. American multinational took over our production plant six months ago and now it has started to lay off large numbers of workers, myself included. I have worked loyally for this company for thirty-five years, and I am losing my job while young kids with less than five years experience are staying.

This is a sad but unfortunately common story repeated in many countries of the world. Most large multinationals, wherever their headquarters are located, are ruthless about keeping costs down, and if this involves cutting jobs, so be it. These are impersonal institutions and they don t give any consideration to how long an individual has worked for the company (especially if there are new owners ) or how much he or she has left to contribute. The ties of mutual loyalty that may bind employer and employee in a small family-run firm, or the political ideology that determined how organizations were run in totalitarian or communist states (Poland and Russia, for example) do not apply here any longer. Instead, the interests of efficiency and productivity are paramount, and measuring performance by these yardsticks means that older people may be at a disadvantage . This is particularly hard to accept in cultures where traditions of employer-employee loyalty have been or remain strong, such as Japan, China, South Korea, and Latin America.

How old is he? Letter 124

FROM POLAND ABOUT CHINA

I feel a bit stupid asking this, but how can you tell how old someone is? A group of us will be going to China for the first time and we ll be meeting a corresponding group of Chinese managers. We ve heard that it s important to give special respect to older people, but what if they re all old? How will we be able to tell who is the most senior?

Luckily there s a simple answer to this that doesn t involve counting wrinkles . The most senior-ranking person will enter the room first in China, and also in Japan, and will be introduced first, probably by the interpreter. When you are seated, he (rarely she) will be seated in the middle of one side of the negotiating table. You will also notice that the other members of the party defer to him, and that he is offered refreshments first. He may not speak much himself, but make sure you speak to this person directly when addressing the group.

IN A NUTSHELL: Age

GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARD

Special courtesy and consideration for older people are good manners everywhere. It is especially important that business-people from North America, Northern Europe, and Australia, where older people are often treated with scant respect, remember this.

Argentina: The fact that it has a very young population and that a high value is placed on an attractive personal appearance may work against older employees (especially women). However, within the extended family the status of older members is high. (See Letter 123.)
Australia: Legislation makes it illegal to discriminate against older employees. What you achieve rather than your position outside work is important. Status diminishes both inside family and in the workplace as people age. Youth is frequently valued above experience. Managers may be very young. (See Letters 120 and 122.)
Austria: The European Union will make ageism in the workplace illegal in 2006. Legislation is partly the result of Europe having an aging population. (See Letter 120.)
Belgium: See Austria. (See Letter 120.)
Brazil: See Argentina. (See Letter 123.)
Canada: See Australia. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
China: Everyone in the family has a role, and the roles with the highest status go to the oldest (male) members of the family. This is reflected in the workplace, where managerial roles depend on seniority and the decisions of elders are obeyed. Age is seen as an outward sign of wisdom and older people are treated with great respect. Youthful risk-taking and the desire for change are not encouraged. (See Letters 121, 123, and 124.)
Denmark: See Austria. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
Finland: See Austria. What you achieve rather than your position outside work is important. Status diminishes both inside the family and in the workplace as people age. Managers may be young. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
France: See Austria. Educational qualifications may outweigh seniority when it comes to management positions . (See Letter 120.)
Germany: See Austria. Educational qualifications may be just as important as seniority when it comes to management positions. (See Letter 120.)
Hong Kong: See China. Third-highest life expectancy in world: 79.9 years. (See Letter 121.)
India: In Muslim and Hindu traditions, elders have higher status in the extended family. India has a young population with many young graduates. Well-educated, bright young managers may attain high positions in high-tech industries. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
Indonesia: Muslim tradition ensures that older men have high status within the family and at the workplace. Respect must be shown to older coworkers and managers; their right to decide is undisputed by the young. (See Letter 121.)
Italy: See Austria. (See Letter 120.)
Japan: See China. Highest life expectancy in the world: 81.5 years. (See Letters 121 and 123.)
Mexico: See Argentina. (See Letter 123.)
Netherlands: See Austria. (See Letter 120.)
Norway: See Austria. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
Poland: There is a significant generation gap, where theoretical knowledge about the market economy is the property of the young while the middle-aged and elderly have extensive practical experience of management in a socialist economy. (See Letters 119 and 123.)
Russia: See Poland. (See Letters 119 and 123.)
Saudi Arabia: See Indonesia. (See Letter 121.)
South Africa: In black African cultural tradition, elders of both genders have high status. (See Letter 121.)
South Korea: See China. (See Letters 121, 122, and 123.)
Spain: See Austria. The Spanish population is relatively young when compared to some of the countries around it in Europe. (See Letter 120.)
Sweden: The European Union will make ageism in the workplace illegal in 2006. Status diminishes both inside family and in the workplace as people age. Life expectancy is the second highest in the world: 80.1 years. Youth is frequently valued above experience. Managers may be very young. (See Letters 120 and 121.)
Switzerland: See Austria.
Taiwan: See China. (See Letter 121.)
Thailand: See China. (See Letter 121.)
Turkey: See Indonesia. (See Letter 121.)
UK: See Austria. What you achieve rather than your position outside work is important. Status diminishes both inside family and in the workplace as people age. Youth is frequently valued above experience. Managers may be very young. (See Letters 119, 120, and 121.)
US: See Australia. (See Letters 120, 121, and 123.)
Venezuela: See Brazil. (See Letter 123.)