Is Calling Your Boss by Their First Name Respectful or Disrespectful?

[Agbamoni]

In Nigerian culture, it is disrespectful, especially when you don't add honor to the name.

The interviewer was acting all foreign and professional, forgetting how acentral heritage of how respect is supposed to be given to the elders. Keep wealth aside, that was a typical eyesore, either to get famous or to gain attention from the public.

[HajiBagi]

In the light of events of what transpired between  CEO UBA plc and the graduate trainee that addressed him by his first name Tony and he correct her immediately by saying he doesn't subscribe to that Oyibo style. He asked that she addressed him as Mr Tony or CEO more like include a title. I have worked for a corporate foreign company and we were asked not to use sir, Mr, Mrs or miss but address everybody including the boss by their first name. I also learned that in corporate offices even some banks train their staff to do the same. I think given she doesn't work under Mr Tony Elumelu directly she should have called him Mr Tony or CEO especially because we are in Nigeria. Our cultural value is big on respect and how we address older people whether in the work place or not. Do you think she was naive, ignorant or unprofessional.

That accident that happened is the girl fault and the girl is to blame calling him Tony, the man can be her father or can give birth to her, even at work you can not call your boss by he or her name, you have to put Mr or Mrs, which shows that you put some respect to their names, i will not blame the girl too much because it the the girl parents duty to teach her how to greet her elder or how to call anyone that is above her with a respect, parents should teach their children how to talk in public and private so that they will not disgrace their family names in public.

Many people attack the young lady but i don’t think people should attack her like that, correcting her is the best thing, people make mistakes every day, no one is perfect and I believe she has learned from her mistake and she will never repeat that again.

[Homemade-IQ]

In the light of events of what transpired between  CEO UBA plc and the graduate trainee that addressed him by his first name Tony and he correct her immediately by saying he doesn't subscribe to that Oyibo style. He asked that she addressed him as Mr Tony or CEO more like include a title. I have worked for a corporate foreign company and we were asked not to use sir, Mr, Mrs or miss but address everybody including the boss by their first name. I also learned that in corporate offices even some banks train their staff to do the same. I think given she doesn't work under Mr Tony Elumelu directly she should have called him Mr Tony or CEO especially because we are in Nigeria. Our cultural value is big on respect and how we address older people whether in the work place or not. Do you think she was naive, ignorant or unprofessional.

I subscribed to the idea of giving respect to who deserves it, because this is African, Nigeria to be precise, we don't play with respect, so I would not support any form of disrespect even though it's being used in the west.
Their is a popular saying that if you find yourself in Rome, you should act and behave like the Romans, so behaving and acting like a Nigerian while in Nigeria is very important, not by copying other people ways of life.

We as African easily push away our culture and tradition by imitating other people's ways of life, because we want to look nice in their eyes, but it's very bad, because if everyone with African root behaves in such a way, we are going to gradually push away our own culture and tradition without us even realizing it, so maintaining our culture is a must, especially if you reside in Nigeria.

[ArabBTC]

Personally i feel that the way we address and call our elders is based on cultural differences, in Africa the way the lady addressed the CEO is wrong because the African man prefers that their younger ones address them with Sir, Mr. etc but it isn’t completely same in the Western world, the West believes in equality and that everyone has the to be treated with respect regardless of age, personality etc, children call their parents by their direct names in the West, that is why you will observe that one can’t easily slap his/her child in the Western world, even dogs have legal right in the Western world.

I feel that that girls attitude that day boils down to where she was raised and how she was raised, she could have possibly been raised in the West where such things aren’t considered as anything but if she was raised in Africa then it is really disappointing because that is not the African culture, am happy the CEO used that event to send a clear message to the younger ones that elders should be treated with respect, it is a clear sign that the African culture is still preserved amongst custodians.

[Bigjoe33]

In Nigerian culture, it is disrespectful, especially when you don't add honor to the name.

The interviewer was acting all foreign and professional, forgetting how acentral heritage of how respect is supposed to be given to the elders. Keep wealth aside, that was a typical eyesore, either to get famous or to gain attention from the public.

An act totally unacceptable in our country, I believe in Africa. Maybe, it was just a show off or maybe seeking for attention, and am sure she got the attention she wanted, and now, in the negative because she must have seen her name all round social media.

I just like the way she was immediately corrected and many people speaking against the attitude on the social media. By that, it has actually sent the right message to the public against such unacceptable social behavior in the society. People should learn the good part of the western culture and leave the ones that goes against our good African culture. Am sure some of our younger generations have learnt from the incident.

[Hypnotizer]

We are in a country that if a lady calls his boss name, people only will think about one thing which is sexual affairs.

Exactly, when I was going through comments on social media, a lot of people were already suspecting that something was going on between Tony Elumelu and the girl in question because it is rare for a lady to have that boldness to call her boss by his first name except they are having sexual relationship. You know people can read meanings to situation like this. Then again, I'm not saying that something like that might be happening between both parties but it raises an awareness to an employer never to have a romantic relationship with any of their female workers because most women automatically removes the etiquette in addressing their bosses when they start having a secret affair. But in real sense, even if such a thing is happening, inasmuch as they are in a corporate environment she was supposed to accord him that respect, coupled with the fact that we're Africans and our culture is to accord our elders respect regardless of the environment they find themselves.

Those people don’t know the rules of UBA bank and what influenced the girl to call him like that, they’re those group of people that just say any kind of rubbish that cross their minds.

It’s very rare to see something like that but after what happened, it was revealed that UBA bank encourages that kind of international standards in their Workplace Relations since they consider themselves an international organizations. But the lady took it too far, because based on the norms of Nigeria especially in Formal gatherings or events, she’s expected to address him with respect and not call him with his first name.

The lady was corrected and I suppose she’ll learn from it and other younger generations will also learn to know when to take advantage of certain rules.

[Jegileman]

The timing is both wrong and right for the young lady.

Wrong in the sense that, she should have address the CEO based on his official title, MR/CEO etc. Is disrespectful the way and manner that young lady addressed her boss and someone old enough to be her father by Name without any respect for his person or office.

The young lady ks trending now; she gets more attention and also some special treatment for doing the wrong thing, but I hope she is wise enough to offer a public apology to Mr Tony Elumelu.

Let her now allow herself trending to be the cause for her to lose more bigger opportunities. In Nigeria, you can trend for the wrong thing and think you’ve gotten it all not knowing it is the basis of your own downfall and what will be used to reference you anytime even in the future. She has made a mistake and a public apology to that will be what earns her more respect.

As for me, with how we grew up, even if I’m in a western environment, I won’t feel comfortable to address my Boss, or someone older than me by their first name, it sound awkward and it’ll tarnish my identity. I hold my culture and heritage anywhere I go because that’s my true identity.

[Roseline492]

In the Western countries they have a way they address people regardless of what the person claims to be but in anything we are doing we should remember that we are in Nigeria and you cannot behave like western people while you are working in Nigeria so actually it will never be easy on the person. The lady was very wrong because since she couldn't use a sir to address him she could have accord him with respect by using Mr before his first or last name, in the companies I have worked I have not address my superior by their names because is always a sir I have been using except is were I have to mention their name.

[Africolo]

We are in a country that if a lady calls his boss name, people only will think about one thing which is sexual affairs.

Exactly, when I was going through comments on social media, a lot of people were already suspecting that something was going on between Tony Elumelu and the girl in question because it is rare for a lady to have that boldness to call her boss by his first name except they are having sexual relationship. You know people can read meanings to situation like this. Then again, I'm not saying that something like that might be happening between both parties but it raises an awareness to an employer never to have a romantic relationship with any of their female workers because most women automatically removes the etiquette in addressing their bosses when they start having a secret affair. But in real sense, even if such a thing is happening, inasmuch as they are in a corporate environment she was supposed to accord him that respect, coupled with the fact that we're Africans and our culture is to accord our elders respect regardless of the environment they find themselves.

I'm highly disappointed by your opinion by saying Tony is having a sexual relationship with the said girl and that's why she came out to address him by his first name, I have seen bosses have intimacy with their workers and they respect him to the core and that's what courtesy demands, I don't subscribe to online comments from some irresponsible people because even though he is having an affair with the girl, it doesn't give her the right to address him in such a disrespectful manner and I'm very happy the way Tony immediately corrected her for her to know her place.

People will just come out in public and say whatever they want and don't even have proof that the Man is having an affair with the girl, I might not know the kind of women Tony likes but to me the girl is not of his standard and I don't think there's any sexual relationship between them, the girl just don't know what the values of an African culture which shows respect for older people.

[Charles-Tim]

I'm highly disappointed by your opinion by saying Tony is having a sexual relationship with the said girl and that's why she came out to address him by his first name, I have seen bosses have intimacy with their workers and they respect him to the core and that's what courtesy demands, I don't subscribe to online comments from some irresponsible people because even though he is having an affair with the girl, it doesn't give her the right to address him in such a disrespectful manner and I'm very happy the way Tony immediately corrected her for her to know her place.

Did you read what I posted and you understood it? I posted that in Nigeria that we are, a female worker calling her boss name can let people think the boss is having sexual affairs with the lady. What I posted is different from the lady is having sexual affairs with the man. So you are implying that I posted what I did not post.

Edit:
I noticed Africolo is not referring to me.

I will also not support boss to be having affairs with their workers when they are married or if it is infidelity, but what Africolo posted is right.

[Juicyhome]

In the Western countries they have a way they address people regardless of what the person claims to be but in anything we are doing we should remember that we are in Nigeria and you cannot behave like western people while you are working in Nigeria so actually it will never be easy on the person. The lady was very wrong because since she couldn't use a sir to address him she could have accord him with respect by using Mr before his first or last name, in the companies I have worked I have not address my superior by their names because is always a sir I have been using except is were I have to mention their name.

You're right,  that's why the parable that says when you're in Rome behave like the Romans.  We are Africans and respect of elders is a value in our culture we should not let that desist from us, in the west greetings no mater and they're all used to it, that's their culture and practice,  but when it comes to Africa, you must never call an elderly person by his name. You have to add his title before his name, it's a sign of respect and honor.

The girl in question lack respect from the look of thing,  I like the manner which sir Tony corrected him asap and she has apologized,  it's a lesson for all to learn from, never to address our elders in public and private places by their names it's a sign of disrespect in Africa,  when we get to the west we can continue our bad behavior.

[TrialBitcoin]

In the Western countries they have a way they address people regardless of what the person claims to be but in anything we are doing we should remember that we are in Nigeria and you cannot behave like western people while you are working in Nigeria so actually it will never be easy on the person. The lady was very wrong because since she couldn't use a sir to address him she could have accord him with respect by using Mr before his first or last name, in the companies I have worked I have not address my superior by their names because is always a sir I have been using except is were I have to mention their name.

While workplace culture may differ in Western countries, we also have to consider the environment we are operating in. In Nigeria, addressing a superior with “sir,” “ma,” or “Mr.” is often seen as a basic sign of respect. Even if she didn’t want to use “sir,” she could have addressed him respectfully by using “Mr.” followed by his name. Professionalism is not only about following rules; it is also about understanding the culture and showing respect to those around you.

[gracreavix]

It is highly inappropriate. I like Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu for correcting him. I do not care about the Oxford University interviewed or whatever that the interviewer called him Tony in the past that some people referenced to.

Western culture and our culture are different. If it is in the Western country, no problem. But as long it is in our country, it is highly inappropriate and we all know that.

We are in a country that if a lady calls his boss name, people only will think about one thing which is sexual affairs.

Exactly, what is happening now is that people wants to take another countries religion and culture and force it on us. That's not right and shouldn't be so. Every culture have their way of doing things and how they operate. When one starts copying another culture without thinking that's were the problem is. It's like we are not even proud of our own culture again.