As the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region continues to expand its global economic influence, APAC countries have an opportunity to become leaders in diversity and inclusion. Fostering cultural diversity and inclusion in Asian workplaces can be challenging and rewarding. On one hand, Asia is home to a wide range of cultures, each with unique values, beliefs, and practices, making it difficult to create a cohesive and inclusive work environment. On the other hand, embracing cultural diversity can bring several benefits to organizations, including increased creativity, improved problem-solving skills, and a more engaged workforce.
Overcoming Deeply Embedded Cultural Norms
The rich cultures and ethnicities of APAC countries, including Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and dozens more, are assets driving the region’s growing economic power. China and India are also classified as APAC countries, but their sheer population sizes and many ethnicities and local cultures lend themselves to a different discussion. However, DEI are global principles. APAC is home to more than 60% of the world’s population, making diversity and inclusion essential for the success of people and communities, and fostering these principles in the workplace can potentially accelerate progress. In some cases, social norms have not made room for the full inclusion of particular groups, like people with disabilities, various ethnic and religious groups, and LGBQT+, so they may be excluded from workplaces.
The challenges to increasing DEI in Asian country workplaces are many. One is the cultural differences. The variety of ethnicities, cultures, and religious beliefs in Asia can create challenges in creating a cohesive and inclusive work environment. In some countries, a type of caste system persists in terms of bias against particular groups of employees. There are cultures that consider their citizens as superior to other Asians and cultures that support gender inequality.
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