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TSMC Arizona struggles to overcome vast differences between Taiwanese and US work culture

BruceA said:
Founder’s and Chang’s history is a unicorn, like Noyce, Grove and Moore, and Jensen as well as Lisa.

There are no exact parallels but lessons that need to be factored to today.

The reality is few of the Taiwanese assignees want to stay in Az. The few that do are driven primarily for their children. The majority are foreigners in a foreign land. Northern Phoenix is a desert of far east culture. If the fab was in a more Asian diverse place there would be some semblance of home, but none in Phoenix.

Go to the local 99Ranch any weekend which is many miles away and you can see many assignees so desperate to find a little of home in the desert. Even good eats are far and few for them. They do enjoy traveling but get scolded for sharing their travels by management, what a culture of oppression.

Fab21 assignees all aspire to get green card but what was promised was not provided. The culture at the was Az Fab is worse and harder than in Taiwan. The local hires are coddled to improve their moral and slow attrition which has been horribly high, but someone still has to do the hard work with less people that falls on the Taiwanese assignees. Only promotion oppritunities or children drive the few to want to stay long term. Most all want to go home, close to family, work more sane and not a foreigner in a foreign land.

We will see with reduction of benefits, lack of green card support how many assignees stay at Fab21, or if TSMC has to raise the benefits to get them to stay as a foreign in a foreign land and work harder than they ever had at home and for what ?
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I don't see this as a big issue. Where are the most diverse places for Asians in the US? Maybe a couple of locations on the West Coast. Can they build factories there? No. Don't worry, expats all over the world face the same issue. Americans working in Taiwan or India face an even worse situation. They don't know any local language. Asians at least learn some English in school.
For a lot of Asians, they will be satisfied if they can find a Walmart in the city. They enjoy all Western entertainment such as golf, movies, and pizza.
Some of them even try to avoid fellow asians in free time.
 
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jim_22222 said:
I don't see this as a big issue. Where are the most diverse places for Asians in the US? Maybe a couple of locations on the West Coast. Can they build factories there? No. Don't worry, expats all over the world face the same issue. Americans working in Taiwan or India face an even worse situation. They don't know any local language. Asians at least learn some English in school.
For a lot of Asians, they will be satisfied if they can find a Walmart in the city. They enjoy all Western entertainment such as golf, movies, and pizza.
Some of them even try to avoid fellow asians in free time.
Click to expand...
You know this because you spend time with them and their families or some stereotype you have, I have a very different ground experience and it isn’t what you say.

BTW expats that went to Far East or else where had very different packages than the ones TSMC gave, yes TSMC provided on the surface looks generous but the little things the way HR works there is hard to believe that is a world class international company by and western prospective. It locals sent to Taiwan experienced a level of disingenuousness behavior as are the assignees or it is the most backward, m insensitive and ignorant HR organization, but if you dig deeper it is policy and culture.

Things like immigration and localization, housing provisions, family relocation policy it goes on and on.
 
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BruceA said:
You know this because you spend time with them and their families or some stereotype you have, I have a very different ground experience and it isn’t what you say
Click to expand...

BruceA said:
BTW expats that went to Far East or else where had very different packages than the ones TSMC gave, yes TSMC provided on the surface looks generous but the little things the way HR works there is hard to believe that is a world class international company by and western prospective. It locals sent to Taiwan experienced a level of disingenuousness behavior as are the assignees or it is the most backward, m insensitive and ignorant HR organization, but if you dig deeper it is policy and culture.
Click to expand...
I think you need to get used to this kind of treatment. To save money and lower cost these are not unexpected. Some US company is cutting it's beverages as well. It's far better than laying off thousands once in a while.

This could vary from person to person. Some might find Arizona so appealing that they want to settle down, like the J. Huang family. Earlier European immigrants might have found an even harsher environment with Native Americans and wild animals, but they eventually overcame these challenges and settled down. For TWs, at least there are already roads, tap water, and Walmarts around them. The locals are far friendlier than Native Americans and wild animals, I bet. Why can't they handle it?
 
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jim_22222 said:
This could vary from person to person. Some might find Arizona so appealing that they want to settle down, like the J. Huang family. Earlier European immigrants might have found an even harsher environment with Native Americans and wild animals, but they eventually overcame these challenges and settled down. For TWs, at least there are already roads, tap water, and Walmarts around them. The locals are far friendlier than Native Americans and wild animals, I bet. Why can't they handle it?
Click to expand...
(Conveniently ignoring the fact that earlier European immigrants were often coming to the United States because of the numerous wars Europe had in the 1800s, but okay, you can try to spin it this way)
 
TICin852 said:
(Conveniently ignoring the fact that earlier European immigrants were often coming to the United States because of the numerous wars Europe had in the 1800s, but okay, you can try to spin it this way)
Click to expand...
You seem to forget that Taiwan also has legitimate war risks. They have the same fears and excuses as earlier European immigrants. Anyway, I don't understand what's the big deal about traveling to a strange country and working for several years or longer. There are plenty of Americans who travel to other countries as school teachers or other professionals. They get paid poorly in the US and can't even afford to raise their kids. They receive some extra pay if they are willing to relocate and can live a decent life. Your kids or someone you know might need to take that step sometime in the future as well. Just relax and take it as a part of your life.
www.tas.edu.tw

School Leadership - Taipei American School

School Leadership - Taipei American School
www.tas.edu.tw www.tas.edu.tw
 
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