Cross-cultural interface design challenges

I often think of internationalizing products in terms of translating things built for the US audience into different local versions.  Intuitively, I know that's not the right way to think about it, but it's hard to break out of that mindset.  I was talking with a designer here today about how his team is doing the reverse of that...taking code from an Asian product and redeploying it as a US version of the product.

The Asian code base for this product was built around certain assumptions about how a user feels about what he or she contributes to a pool of community data.  In the translation they found some key differences in what motivates someone to participate online.  The problem is not just about translating terminology in the user interface but also about interpreting interaction design models.   

A US user expects different rewards for participation online than an Asian user does.  A US user wants to be rewarded with reputation or some kind of ego stroke.  An Asian user doesn't identify a reward with himself but rather the benefit to the community.  He or she cares about how the group will benefit from his or her actions.  

So, how do you translate the user interface from one that encourages a community to particpate on behalf of the community to one that encourages individual participation with personal rewards?  

Wow, what a problem!  And, sadly, what does that say about Western vs Eastern cultures?

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