Asian postings offer rewards and challenges, says Fuji Xerox's head of IT, Terry Gatward. First published in MIS Australia, November 1999, by Kim Gilmour
Blending in
The scenario was catastrophic at Fuji Xerox's regional headquarters in Singapore. Terry Gatward's predecessor couldn't stand the heat - and had abruptly quit his job. Gatward, head of IT at Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific, knew it was going to be a hard slog when he moved to Singapore in 1994 to manage the company's IT overhaul throughout nine countries. There were only five PCs in the Singapore office. No network, no efficient support staff. Staff couldn't name - and hadn't even established contact with - the other eight all-important regional IT managers.
The expertise of Australian IT managers is well regarded in Asia, with many being handpicked to manage regional operations there. Gatward, who moved to Singapore with his wife and two children, has been enjoying the challenge. For those IT managers who have been forced to work in Asia, or have perhaps been tempted to spend a few years overseas because of an attractive salary and lifestyle package, it's essential to do your research before the shift, he says.
Different values
Each Asian country has its own distinct culture and each has adopted different business models. Business is generally more "dictatorial" in Asia; Singaporeans are extremely budget-conscious and thrifty, he says. "You've got the very dominant chairman, or the very dominant general manager, who sets the policy. All decisions are made at the top level." It's been frustrating for Gatward. Often, when he has a legitimate business case, he can't get things past finance because of budget restraints.
It's also harder to justify IT solutions in countries like Indonesia, where the cost of labour is cheaper than in Australia. Many operational processes that would be automated in Australia, such as file transfers, are done manually in Indonesia. "Over there they won't buy any special packages to do that sort of automation," he says. Decision-making can also be done behind closed doors, depending on which country he's been dealing with. However, things may change when Gatward returns to Australia after seeing Y2K through - his successor will report directly to the managing director rather than to the chief financial officer. Naturally, such a role takes dedication and diplomacy. Gatward has achieved a great deal in establishing a common direction for his previously diverse group of companies. He has forged some successful relationships with his counterparts in regional
countries, who have listened readily to his reasoning.
But although Asians are generally open to ideas and suggestions, they can still choose to ignore you, says Gatward. He has been successful for the most part in establishing regional standards for technology. But Taiwan, for example, which has a very independent mentality, still has a different e-mail system to the rest of Fuji Xerox. Gatward has failed to find a way to persuade the Taiwan operation to change systems. "Taiwan has become successful because they've been individual, and not followed China. It's in their character to do things their own way," he says.
Another major issue is infrastructure, or the lack of it. "In Australia you can be sure there's a PC on almost every desk and a good support staff. That's not so in every country in Asia," he says. There are still a lot of 386s and 486s in Indonesia, and if you take PowerPoint for granted, be aware that during presentations there overhead projectors are still common, he says. Additionally, one can't expect a piece of software used successfully in Australia to work, or even be available, in another Asian country.
Vendors who may represent dozens of products may not be willing, or able, to provide you with any support, he adds. "[But] they'll happily take your money for the licences." If you go for centralised purchasing, "the local vendor says, 'I'm not going to make any money out of this, therefore why should I support you?' There's a real do-by-central or do-by-local dilemma," he says. (Fuji Xerox uses a mixture of methods.) Then there's [still rampant] piracy in Asia. A large multinational like Fuji Xerox must take a responsible role, says Gatward, so there's no debate on policy. For other companies, moral issues arise when legal software would force countries like Indonesia to increase costs, while illegal products would cost next to nothing. There are no other major legal issues to contend with, he says, except perhaps differences in laws with EDI-type transactions, and most large companies have legal representatives to guide processes.
Great expectations
Because many IT managers are handpicked to take on these starring regional roles, there is a lot expected of you, he says. Successfully establishing relationships between countries will, initially at least, involve a lot of travel. Video-conferencing is regularly used at Fuji Xerox, but Gatward spent about a quarter of his first year outside Singapore to initiate contacts face-to-face. Over five years he's done around 80 business trips, including day trips to Kuala Lumpur.
Thought you worked long enough? The work ethic in Asia is much stronger, and it' s not unusual for half the office to regularly work until 7.30pm. A five-and-a-half day working week, including Saturday mornings, is standard in Singapore. Gatward doesn't have responsibility for Japan, whose domestically focused market is eight times the size of the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In terms of IT technology, Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific leverages off The Xerox Group in America. This means staying up late to make calls to the US, which holds people back for hours at the office. "[The Americans] aren't going to get up in the middle of the night to talk to me. I have to arrange my schedule to talk to them," he says. All that time away from home can be taxing for the spouse and kids. Gatward's wife had to give up her job prior to the move. "It really puts a temporary stop on a lot of wives' careers," he says. "So they're immediately making a sacrifice. It can be hard [for them] to find a similar job up there, because people know you're only there for a few years and they won't necessarily want to take you on."
Easy lifestyle
But it's far from being all doom and gloom. As long as you've got the right attitude and approach, you'll be fine. Gatward says Singapore is an "incredibly easy place to live". He says it is generally very multicultural and westernised, although he was unprepared for what are usually trifling hassles, such as finding a doctor, a dentist, or an English-speaking plumber when water was once pouring out of his ceiling.
For those in regional roles, a flexible, international outlook is required. "It' s very hard if you've never been abroad and you don't really have an international outlook," says the English-born Gatward. "If you expect it to be like Australia - it's very different." If you have a choice of where to locate in Asia, "choose Singapore", says Gatward, although many multinationals are now establishing headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. "Hong Kong is also very westernised, but is becoming more and more Chinese."
This is the time when many spouses occupy themselves by taking on part-time work, or tackling distance education. Hooking up with compatriots via support networks such as the Australia-New Zealand Association (ANZA) helps a lot if you're into socialising and sport. Gatward's children, although initially reticent, have been able to settle in well in their Australian school, which teaches the NSW curriculum. The family can also buy Australian goods, such as Vegemite and Uncle Toby's products, from international supermarkets. The international Australian channel keeps them up-to-date with the news, although the rest of the programs leave a lot to be desired: "They play 1994 travel programs, so it's a bit outdated," he says.
Although the Internet wasn't a good source of information about Australian issues when Gatward first arrived in Singapore five years ago, it is now every expats' desired medium for catching up on all things Australian. Asian economic crisis Gatward warns you should always be prepared for company changes, economic crises or earthquakes. Many expats who expected to be in Asia for years lost their jobs due to company re-organisations during the economic crisis. "It's been very hard," he says. "And projects - big projects - just got cancelled." Things are still tight in Indonesia, for example. Fuji Xerox's e-mail system upgrade there, involving 500 users, was put off for a year. Now it's a Y2K issue. "If it wasn't a Y2K issue, it probably still wouldn't [be complete]. They've now left it to the last minute."
On one occasion during the crisis, the company hadn't realised it was doing centralised payments in US currency until the US dollar skyrocketed against the Korean, Indonesian and Thai currencies. In Korea, its costs swiftly went up by a factor of 20. Fuji Xerox had to react quickly to change its data communications, but Gatward says the incident was an opportunity for much-needed change. "We had to change suppliers and get off the US dollar-based carrier," he says. Gatward says the value of the packages companies are offering managers is coming down. Tight budgets mean that more companies are looking to place younger, single people in these overseas roles. Organisations don't need to incorporate costly family packages with the deal or have employees worry about families while travelling. He also adds that while older IT managers sometimes have a different experience level, when it comes to IT it's now more just a case of whether you can do your job.
Australia's image
Biased media coverage in Australia has unfortunately affected some Asians' perceptions of Australians being culturally insensitive warns Gatward. "I don't think the One Nation party did any good for Australia in Asia. All the worst things about it were reported in the press." He also admits that Australians can be loud and opinionated sometimes. "[There' s a] saying that Australians are, instead of 'ready, aim, fire', it's 'ready, fire, aim'," he observes. "They need to listen, because they need to understand that the situation is different to what they're used to. People make decisions based on their environment and understanding ... but the worst thing you can do in IT anyway is go and impose a solution on someone. They'll hate you for it if you do that, and if you're a loud Aussie coming in and imposing a solution, you'll get labelled as a loud Aussie."
In more social situations, acceptable behaviour is usually more flexible. Asians are well known for being exceedingly generous hosts. "They'll delight in taking you out and showing you their food. They'll take you out for dinner and you'll often be on the turps every night," he says, citing Korea as the best beer-drinking country, followed by Taiwan. "They'll want to see if you can drink as well as they can, which isn't always the case for Australians."
Gatward's last big task before returning to Australia will be seeing through the Y2K transition, where he expects only a few minor hiccups. After his work there is done, he will probably establish a role back home as an e-business manager. "My children now know the Singaporean national anthem better than the Australian national anthem," he says. "That's when you realise it's time to come home."
Each Asian country has its own distinct culture and variations in business models
Translating expectations
Regional information manager for Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific, Terry Gatward, has spent the last five years living in Singapore. He offers some advice to IT managers making the move to Asia:
Have an international outlook. When you get there, listen to your counterparts and make sure you are flexible;
Don't anticipate good infrastructure when you get there, or that you'll have adequate staff to support you. Also, business in Asia can be very dictatorial and presenting a business case can be next to impossible when you' ve got very budget-conscious senior management;
Join a social support group with fellow Australians, such as ANZA;
Make sure you drink the local beer in every country.
Personal perspective
Terry Gatward, regional information manager for Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific, has responsibility for nine regional areas. His personal tips? Most advanced in IT: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Korea
Best beer: Korea and Taiwan
Most budget-conscious: Singapore and China
Best food:Thailand
Worst food: Korea
Most livable city: Singapore
Popular choice of HQ: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Most westernised cities: Singapore and Hong Kong
Hardest place to justify an IT solution: Indonesia