Contemporary Issues in Cross-cultural Business Interaction amongst Office and Managerial Staff in Thailand

Studies on cross-cultural management have been a prominent theme in international management research. Nonetheless, most studies primarily focus on expatriate managers, without detailed descriptions of local practices and contexts. With the aid of narratives from in-depth interviews, this article addresses the issue of cross-cultural adjustment to an unfamiliar work environment by highlighting routine features of business interaction in Thailand. It shows how cultural differences can be the source of miscommunication and conflict and explores how office and managerial staff rely on shared reference points in their mutual sense making activities. It investigates how staff deploys specific communication strategies for smoothing and handling differences in day-to-day interaction, as well as the limitations many face in terms of altering working practices.