The Divisive Dilemma of a Western Company in a Developing Country
"So, do you get paid in Ringgits or Euros?" a coworker casually asked over a quick lunch at the local hawker stand outside the office building. The nonchalant air he tried to project as he suddenly blurted out the question betray a damning curiosity that is nothing but nonchalant. Indirectly, he just spoke volumes about the internal division within the company: the difference between foreigners and locals working in the German company here in the remote corner of Kuala Lumpur is not simply a matter of skin color and national origin, it is a matter of financial status that could have deep ramifications.