An Exploratory Study of Cultural Differences in Behavior and Intentions in Workplace Apologies: With the Perspective of Responsibility

Abstract

In recent years, globalization has increased the opportunities to work with workers of other nationalities, and it is predicted that interpersonal conflicts will arise in many aspects of the globalized workplace due to differences in values. Although appropriate apologetic behavior is necessary to solve this problem and maintain stable interpersonal relationships in the workplace, previous studies have suggested that there may be cultural differences even in apology behavior and intention. In this study, we focused on cultural differences in apology behavior and intentions in the workplace, taking into account the situational factor of responsibility as a distinctive factor in the workplace. We conducted a web-based survey of 413 corporate employees in three countries: Japan, China, and Malaysia. The results showed that Chinese are more likely than other countries to recognize guilt but are less likely to offer a direct apology or explanation of the situation or cause. In contrast, Japanese tend to be reluctant to propose measures to prevent recurrence or to offer compensation for loss. Furthermore, while Malaysians are more likely to apologize with the intention of seeking a settlement of the situation than other countries, this tendency is more pronounced in situations where they are responsible.