I just realized today the difference between university/high school students in Japan/Canada and Chinese university/high school students. Japanese/Canadian university/high school students leave there trash around campus/school with the thinking someone else will take care of it later so I do not have to do it or maybe they do not even think about who collects it they just leave it. I was shocked to see one student dump his cup ramen in the sink and did not bother to clean it up, it was disgusting, impossible to use the sink. In China, I have seen students make a mess perhaps a bigger mess than Japanese/Canadian students but the difference here is I was impressed as to how fast they cleaned it up and without assigning roles – they just did it. No one said who did what; it was as though the party continued seamlessly right into the clean-up. That is what I call cooperation. I really think it comes down to who thinks who is responsible / accountable. Chinese students felt everyone is responsible and everyone should participate in cleaning up the mess. Japanese/Canadian students believe it is not mine therefore, I do not have to touch it or it is not my job. Someone else is there to clean up.

Comment! (2) | Recommend! | Categories: responsiblity [t], accountability [t]