Hawaiian Culture and the Workplace

1
Hawaiian Culture and the Workplace

• A Presentation of Cultural Influences and
  Expectations within the Workplace Environment

2
Hawaiian Culture and the Workplace

• Hawaii is uniquely known throughout the world for
  the hospitality of its people and the famous
  aloha spirit. Although these are positive
  perceptions, there are a few unflattering
  negative perceptions and prejudices of Hawaiians
  in the workplace which stem from a
  misunderstanding of their very rich cultural
  background. A few of these cultural aspects will
  be covered in this presentation including the
  following
• Hawaiian Cultures Most Well Known Contribution
• The Hawaiian Perception of Time
• The Unique Concept of the Family or Ohana
• The Hawaiian Islands Unique Pidgin Language

3
Hawaiian Cultural Contribution

• The Hawaiian Cultures Greatest and Most Well
  Known Contribution to the World is the Aloha
  Spirit
• Hawaiians, in general, to their eternal credit,
  are still known as a people of a loving and
  generous nature. Hawaiian culture has left an
  important, humanizing legacy for the world-
  Surfing for Life (2001)

• ResourceSurfing for Life (2001). Life in
  Harmony with Nature Cooperation Not Competition
  With All
• That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
  Represented in Surfing for Life.
• Retrieved February 16, 2008 from
  http//www.surfingforlife.com/culture.html

4
The Spirit of Love and Aloha

• The Hawaiian Cultures Greatest and Most Well
  Known Contribution to the World is the Aloha
  Spirit
• Herb Kane, artist, writer and co-founder of the
  Polynesian Voyaging Society, defines aloha the
  following way An unquestioning friendship and
  desire to share, developed within the 'ohana but
  extended to all persons of good will, aloha has
  been variously defined as affection, compassion,
  mercy, sympathy, civility, kindness and charity.
  It is given without restraint or ulterior motive,
  and it is expressed with a geniality which
  springs from one who is secure in his society and
  his environment. The aloha spirit is a
  friendliness, a caring, a willingness to be
  helpful, most often expressed as the hospitality
  (Ho'okipa) .
• - Surfing for Life (2001)

Resource Surfing for Life (2001). Life in
Harmony with Nature Cooperation Not Competition
With All That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
Represented in Surfing for Life. Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.surfingforlife.c
om/culture.html
5
The Spirit of Love and Aloha

• Did You Know the Aloha Spirit is the Law in
  Hawaii?
• Well, not exactly, but the definition of aloha
  spirit and guidance for public officials to
  remember this philosophy when performing their
  duties is contained in the Hawaii Revised
  Statutes (State Law) 5-7.5 Aloha Spirit
• "Breaking this law carries no obvious penalty
  such as a fine or being put in jail.  Forgetting
  it does have consequences, the least of which is
  that things just won't work as well as they do
  when we remember it!  It is similar to the Golden
  Rule, though not exactly the same in usage.  Like
  the Golden Rule, though, Aloha Spirit can change
  the world.
• - OhanaNet Corp. (2001)

Resource OhanaNet Corporation (2001). What Time
is it? Hawaii School Reports.  Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.hawaiischoolre
ports.com/symbols/time.htm
6
The Spirit of Love and Aloha

• Did You Know the Aloha Spirit is the Law in
  Hawaii?
• Hawaii Revised Statutes (State Law) 5-7.5
  "Aloha Spirit".
• "Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and
  heart within each person. It brings each person
  to the self. Each person must think and emote
  good feelings to others. In the contemplation and
  presence of the life force, "Aloha", the
  following unuhi laula loa may be used
• "Akahai", meaning kindness, to be expressed with
  tenderness 
• "Lokahi", meaning unity, to be expressed with
  harmony
• "Oluolu", meaning agreeable, to be expressed
  with pleasantness
• "Haahaa", meaning humility, to be expressed with
  modesty
• "Ahonui", meaning patience, to be expressed with
  perseverance.

Resource OhanaNet Corporation (2001). What Time
is it? Hawaii School Reports.  Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.hawaiischoolre
ports.com/symbols/time.htm
7
The Spirit of Love and Aloha

• Benefits of the Aloha Spirit
• When Woody Brown arrived in Hawai'i in 1940he
  was recovering from the devastating death of his
  wife during childbirth. As he traveled throughout
  the islands, he experienced overwhelming warmth,
  generosity and hospitality from the native
  Hawaiian people he met. This is the famous aloha
  spirit that the world has come to identify with
  Hawai'i, and it was Woody's salvation.
• - Surfing for Life (2001)

Resource Surfing for Life (2001). Life in
Harmony with Nature Cooperation Not Competition
With All That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
Represented in Surfing for Life. Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.surfingforlife.c
om/culture.html
8
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• Hawaiian Time
• The phrase Hawaiian Time refers to the laid
  back pace that one finds in the islands.  For
  newcomers, it can seem like it takes longer for
  things to get done, and this may be true.  Longer
  term residents know it has more to do with
  allowing time for all that is important, . . .
• - OhanaNet Corp. (2001)

Resource OhanaNet Corporation (2001). What Time
is it? Hawaii School Reports.  Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.hawaiischoolre
ports.com/symbols/time.htm
9
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• Hawaiian Time
• Local people or long time residents live by it,
  valuing relationships more than money. These are
  people who think the best thing they did all day
  was stop and talk story with an old friend from
  grade school. You'll see lots of bumper stickers
  on Maui that say Slow Down This Ain't The
  Mainland.
• - Kean Salzer (2008)

Resource Kean Salzer (2008). Hawaiian Time.
Maui.net All Things Maui.  Retrieved February
16, 2008 from http//www.maui.net/trip-planning/
best-of-maui/26/hawaiian-time.php
10
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• Time is not clock-oriented
• Deadlines have little meaning
• Tasks are without urgency or time constraints
• Punctuality is not a priority
• Live for the present and not the future
• Planning for the future is not a priority

11
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• Time is not clock-orientedIn contrast to the
  Western clock-oriented value system, some
  cultures are not conditioned to use every moment
  in a productive, task-oriented manner.
• - Zhang (2001)

Resource Zhang Jian X (2001). Cultural diversity
in instructional design. International Journal of
Instructional Media, 28(3), 299.  Retrieved
December 18, 2007, from Research
Library database. (Document ID 79122062).
12
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• The Good of Hawaiian Time
• The Hawaiian concept of time may be perceived as
  apathetic, lazy, and unmotivated. In reality
  Hawaiian culture values time, cherishes time,
  enjoys and even relishes time . To Hawaiians,
  time is not meant to be used for a flood of
  activity, always attempting to cram as much as
  possible into each waking moment. Time is
  considered a gift to allow people to do things
  important and meaningful in life. Time allows
  people to enjoy life, to contemplate, to allow an
  opportunity to provide meaning to ones
  existence.

13
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• The Good of Hawaiian Time
• Nothing is more incorrect than the stereotype
  of the lazy Hawaiian they are an industrious
  and willing people, but their commitments are
  always more firm and productive if the goal is an
  intensification of human relationships rather
  than an accumulation of personal wealth or some
  individual achievement. (Gallimore Howard,
  1968, p. 10)

• Resource
• Ronald Gallimore (1981). Notes from
  "Affiliation, Social Context, Industriousness,
  and Achievement", edited by Ruth H. Munroe,
  Robert L. Munroe, Beatrice B. Whiting, Garland
  STPM Press, New York London, 1981. Retrieved
  February 17, 2008 from http//www.noteaccess.com/
  APPROACHES/ArtEd/History/SocAffilAchievmnt.htm

14
Concept of Hawaiian Time

• Interesting Fact About the Hawaiian Time Zone
• Hawaii Standard Time (HST) does not adjust for
  Daylight Savings, keeping the same time
  year-round.  This means that the islands are
  three hours behind the west coast of the U.S. in
  summer, two hours in winter, and are six hours
  behind the east coast in summer, five hours in
  winter.
• - OhanaNet Corp (2001)

Resource OhanaNet Corporation (2001). What Time
is it? Hawaii School Reports.  Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.hawaiischoolre
ports.com/symbols/time.htm
15
Meaning of Family or Ohana

• The OhanaAncient Hawaiian children grew up
  in a warm and affectionate world where people not
  related by blood were considered part of the
  'ohana, or extended family. To Hawaiians, the
  family consisted not only of the usual blood
  relatives, but also those who were loved or who
  chose to participate in cooperative
  actions.Hawaiians and Polynesians were very much
  aware of themselves as a member of the larger
  'ohana.
• - Surfing for Life (2001)

Resource Surfing for Life (2001). Life in
Harmony with Nature Cooperation Not Competition
With All That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
Represented in Surfing for Life. Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.surfingforlife.c
om/culture.html
16
Meaning of Family or Ohana

• The OhanaIn Hawaii, Many families consist
  of parents, grandparents and children all
  residing under one roof. It's not unusual to see
  a child being raised by a grandparent or aunt
  while the parents live and work elsewhere. The
  Hawaiian family or 'ohana can also consist of
  others not related by birth. A valued friend can
  be a member of your 'ohana. An entire group of
  close friends or associates can be their own
  'ohana.- Ken Conklin (2006)

Resource Ken Conklin (March 2006). The word
'OHANA is a modern invention. Retrieved February
16, 2008 from http//www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawai
iansovereignty/ohana.html.
17
Meaning of Family or Ohana

• Importance of Ohana
• Hawaiians work better in a cooperative team than
  as individuals. Hawaiians like to share and
  depend on each other's contributions.
• Hawaiians are reluctant to compete with peers or
  excel at the expense of others.
• The family, community, and group take
  precedence over the individual. Obligations to
  family, friends, and extended family are of
  utmost value. (see next slide Sick for a Day)

18
Meaning of Family or Ohana

• Sick for a Day
• Anona Napolean's family has a tradition they
  call Napoleon's Holiday, a tradition in which
  she and her husband would call in sick for work
  and then call their children's school to report
  them sick as well. They would pack up a picnic
  lunch and load the children and the surfboards
  into the car and head to the beach for a day of
  surfing and family enjoyment. She and her family
  felt it is important, on occasion, to just let go
  of work or whatever you're doing and come
  together as a family.
• - Surfing for Life (2001)

Resource Surfing for Life (2001). Life in
Harmony with Nature Cooperation Not Competition
With All That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
Represented in Surfing for Life. Retrieved
February 16, 2008 from http//www.surfingforlife.c
om/culture.html
19
Meaning of Family or Ohana

• The Benefits of the Ohana
• As Lilo so eloquently stated in the Walt Disney
  animated film Lilo and Stitch, 'Ohana means
  family. Family means no one is left behind - or
  forgotten.

Resource Clark Spencer (Producer), Dean
DeBlois and Chris Sanders (Director). (2002) Lilo
Stitch Motion picture. United States Walt
Disney Pictures.
20
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• The Origin of the Hawaiian Pidgin Language
• Pidgin is a beautiful, expressive language. It
  was originally created so that the immigrants,
  the Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Filipinos
  as well as the Hawaiians and the Americans could
  do business. What evolved is a true language.
  Almost all people who live in Hawaii weave some
  pidgin into their daily conversation, education
  and upbringing notwithstanding.
• - Eye of Hawaii (2008)

Resource Eye of Hawaii (2008). Pidgin The
Unofficial Language. Retrieved February 16, 2008
from http//www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovere
ignty/ohana.html.
21
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• A Few Common Pidgin Words You Will Hear Spoken by
  Hawaiians.
• (Eye of Hawaii Pidgin The Unofficial Language,
  2008)
• any kine (enee kyne) . Anything. No listen to
  dat tita, she say any kine, brah.
• boddah you? Are you disturbed by this? Darlene
  wen go foa da beach wid me. Wot? Boddah you?
• brah. Brother. Eh, brah, get one nuddah beer?
• choke. A vast amount. Ho, get choke mangoes dis
  yeah, brah!
• foa. For, used in place of "to". Easy foa say,
  hahd foa do.
• grind. To eat. So what you like grind? We no moa
  da kine. No worries, brah, I grind any kine.
• howzit? How are you? Eh, howzit, brah. You get
  any da kine?
• kay den. All right. Kay den, I no show you mine.

Resource Eye of Hawaii (2008). Pidgin The
Unofficial Language. Retrieved February 16, 2008
from http//www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovere
ignty/ohana.html.
22
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• What if I dont understand what they just said?
• Most Hawaiians can speak and switch between both
  pidgin and standard English. Sometimes pidgin
  words will unwittingly be interspersed within the
  context of a Hawaiians standard English speech
  because it is so common and natural to them. If
  this happens and you dont understand what a
  Hawaiian just said, ask for clarification and
  they are more than happy to accommodate you.

23
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• Pidgin Sentence
• Howzit brah! Now dat we pau work we go look
  somplace foa grind!

• English Translation
• How are you! Now that we are finished with our
  work, lets find a place to eat!

Sounds like a great idea!
??????????
24
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• Pidgin Sentence
• Eh, brah. You get any da kine, pen? Mine get no
  moa ink!

• English Translation
• Hello! Do you have an extra pen? Mine ran out of
  ink!

??????????
Here, you can borrow mine!
25
The Hawaiian Pidgin Language

• Pidgin is a Language
• Pidgin is a language, just as English is a
  language. Language is the carrier of culture, and
  Pidgin is the carrier of local culture. It is
  part of what makes Hawaii different from the
  rest of the U.S. Denigration of Pidgin is
  denigration of its speakers, a majority of the
  population of Hawaii. Pidgin is inclusive, a
  reflection of our historical attitudes and the
  value placed on getting along and trying to find
  common ground. It is non-hierarchical, and puts
  people on an even footing.
• - Da Pidgin Coup (November 1999)

Da Pidgin Coup (November 1999) Pidgin and
Education. a position paper by Da Pidgin Coup of
the University of Hawaii Retrieved February
16, 2008 from http//www.hawaii.edu/sls/pidgin.htm
l.
26
Hawaiian Culture and the Workplace

• Culturally Sensitive
• Being culturally sensitive means being able to
  view the world from the standpoint of a culture
  other than one's own. this means accepting as
  valid the culturally different learners' values,
  their motives, rewards that are meaningful to
  them, their locus of control, their linguistic
  systems, their learning styles, and their
  cognitive styles.
• - Zhang (2001)

Resource Zhang Jian X (2001). Cultural diversity
in instructional design. International Journal of
Instructional Media, 28(3), 299.  Retrieved
December 18, 2007, from Research
Library database. (Document ID 79122062).
27
Hawaiian Culture and the Workplace

• Presentation References
• Ken Conklin (March 2006). The word 'OHANA is a
  modern invention. Retrieved February 16, 2008
• from http//www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansoverei
  gnty/ohana.html.
• Kean Salzer (2008). Hawaiian Time. Maui.net All
  Things Maui.  Retrieved February 16, 2008
• from http//www.maui.net/trip-planning/best-of-ma
  ui/26/hawaiian-time.php
• OhanaNet Corporation (2001). What Time is it?
  Hawaii School Reports. Retrieved February 16,
  2008
• from http//www.hawaiischoolreports.com/symbols/t
  ime.htm
• Surfing for Life (2001). Life in Harmony with
  Nature Cooperation Not Competition With All
• That Surrounds Us Hawaiian Culture as
  Represented in Surfing for Life.
• Retrieved February 16, 2008 from
  http//www.surfingforlife.com/culture.html
• Clark Spencer (Producer), Dean DeBlois and
  Chris Sanders (Director). (2002) Lilo Stitch
• Motion picture. United States Walt Disney
  Pictures.
• Zhang Jian X (2001). Cultural diversity in
  instructional design. International Journal of
  Instructional Media, 28(3), 299.  Retrieved
  December 18, 2007, from Research
  Library database. (Document ID 79122062).