culture matters . Apology or thanks ?

 

AUGUST 17, 2011

Apologize or Thank? It Depends on Your Culture

When asking favors, Koreans tend to apologize, and Americans tend to thank, according to Hye Eun Lee of the University of Hawaii and Hee Sun Park of Michigan State. In an experiment in which more than 200 university students in Korea and the U.S. were instructed to write emails asking that a meeting be rescheduled, 82.7% of the Koreans used apologies, compared with 52.6% of Americans, and 74.2% of the Americans included thanks, compared with 9.4% of Koreans. When it comes to asking favors, Americans are mainly thinking about the recipient's desire for appreciation, whereas Koreans are mainly thinking about the sender's desire for approval, the researchers say.

Source: Why Koreans Are More Likely to Favor "Apology," While Americans Are More Likely to Favor "Thank You"