Zuckerberg Threatens to Fire Bottom 5% of Employees – Western vs Asian Management Differences

In early 2025, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, announced that the bottom 5% of employees will be fired. This decision is not just about cutting costs but also about making employees work harder. The idea is clear: "If you don’t perform well, you will lose your job."

This management style is very common in Western companies. But is it better than Asian management styles? What do you think???

1. What Zuckerberg want???

Meta’s decision to fire the bottom 5% of employees is meant to:

• Make employees compete more
• Improve overall company performance

Zuckerberg wrote in a memo: "We need to create an environment that pushes for higher performance. If someone doesn’t meet our standards, we will take action quickly."

This message is much more aggressive than before. When he first fired employees in the past, he apologized. But this time, his message sounds colder and stricter.

Can Firing People Increase Productivity?

Many Western companies believe that "if employees are afraid of losing their job, they will work harder." But is this really effective? In some company cultures, it might actually make things worse.

2. What is Western-Style Management? ??

Western companies, especially in the U.S., follow these three main ideas:

① Performance-Based Evaluation ??

Employees are judged by results:

? If you perform well → You get a raise or promotion

? If you perform badly → You might get a pay cut or be fired

Companies use strict numbers to measure success and failure.

② Individual Competition ??

Western companies focus on personal achievements:

• Promotions and bonuses depend on individual results
• Teamwork is less important than personal success
• Employees compete to be the best

This is especially true in places like Silicon Valley, where tech companies push employees to work hard and stand out.

③ Easy to Fire Employees ??

In countries like the U.S., it’s much easier to fire employees compared to places like Japan or Indonesia. In many states, "At-will employment" means a company can fire someone without giving a reason.

Because of this, Western companies often use a "perform well or be fired" approach to management.

3. What is Asian-Style Management? ??

In contrast, companies in Asia, like in Japan and Indonesia, follow different ideas:

① Long-Term Employment & Training ??

Asian companies focus on keeping employees for a long time. Instead of firing, they:

• Train and support employees to improve
• Use seniority-based promotions (Japan)
• Treat employees like "family" (Indonesia & Southeast Asia)

In Indonesia, relationships between employees and bosses are very important. Firing someone is seen as a last resort.

② Teamwork & Harmony ??

In Japan and Indonesia, people value teamwork more than individual success:

• The group’s success is more important than one person’s achievements
• People avoid direct competition and prefer cooperation
• Harmony in the workplace is important

Indonesia has a cultural value called "Gotong Royong" (mutual cooperation), which means people work together and support each other.

③ Soft & Indirect Feedback ???

In Asia, people don’t like to criticize others directly. Instead, they use soft words:

• "You have room for improvement" → This means "you didn’t meet expectations."
• "Let’s work together" → This means "your work is not good enough, but we will help you."

In Indonesia, people often avoid giving negative feedback because of "Tidak Enak" (not wanting to make others uncomfortable).

4. Which is Better? ??

Western ManagementAsian Management

?? High productivity and fast results

?? Long-term employee growth and stability

?? Strong competition

?? Teamwork and cooperation

?? High stress and high turnover

?? Less stress, but slower company growth

There is no perfect answer. The best management style depends on the company’s culture and goals.

Conclusion ??

Zuckerberg’s "Fire the bottom 5%" strategy is a classic Western management method. Meanwhile, Japan and Indonesia prefer long-term relationships with employees.

So, which is better? It depends on the company’s philosophy. ?? What kind of management style fits your workplace?

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