Explicit culture

In a vastly international team, most people are unable to imagine the realities from which different individuals may come. Especially when brought to work together in the same workplace different cultural norms will become obvious.

It's important to understand that eastern culture lends itself to organizational structures in which loyalty and respect are paramount. Western structures focus more on transparency, openness, and speaking up. 

Cultures are so radically different our policy is not to assign one or the other as correct, but only to say that our culture is limited to what is explicitly written down. 

Cultural differences

If from a Scandinavian country, you may find a team leader from India authoritative. And if you're from China, you may find the radical openness of Western teams chaotic. 

The key is to have openness to understand that something you consider normal may not at all be normal here. Reading through our guidelines is the best way of referencing what Boundless considers normal. 

If you find yourself flustered by how any particular team is run, the best thing you can do is speak up with an open mind not assigning any malice but working from the same position to create cultural clarity within the norms of your team.