CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE: A CASE STUDY OF THAI-MYANMAR LABOR IN RETAIL BUSINESS SONGKHLA PROVINCE

Abstract

The objective of this research is twofold: 1) study the conditions and challenges of cross-cultural work between Thai and Myanmar employees, and 2) propose guidelines for developing cross-cultural psychology in workplaces where Thai and Myanmar employees collaborate. The primary informants are retail business operators and Thai workers who work with Myanmar workers. The criteria for selecting informants include having worked with Myanmar workers in the establishment for no less than three years, the establishment must be registered with the state for employing foreign workers, and the informants must have a good understanding of working with Myanmar workers. A total of 15 informants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings indicate that retail business operators in Songkhla province have a good understanding of the cross-cultural aspects of Thai and Myanmar workers, both in terms of work and cross-cultural dimensions. The problems arising from cross-cultural work between Thai and Myanmar workers include communication differences, differences in values and behaviors, conflict management issues, and difficulties in adapting to organizational culture. These issues can lead to challenges in adapting to a diverse organizational culture. Approaches to developing cross-cultural psychology in the workplace can incorporate individual-level factors such as ethnic beliefs, cultural intelligence, and cross-cultural competence; interpersonal factors such as cross-cultural communication, workplace relationship building, and conflict management; and organizational factors such as organizational culture, leadership, and human resource management.