The incident described in section 1.0 is subject to vastly different cultures which have numerous fundamental differences. The purpose of this analysis is to explain the behaviours mentioned in the incident, why they occurred and why the effected workplace relations negatively. Utilising Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory, Hall’s theories of communication and the study of oculesics and kinesics it is clear that the clash experienced by James stemmed from contrasting hierarchal expectations, different levels of explicitness in communication and clashing views on what is accepted as nonverbal communication between Vietnamese and Australian culture.
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions allows for comparison between cultures on a variety of dimensions; Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty avoidance and Pragmatism (Hofstede centre, 2014). A comparison between Australian and Vietnamese culture results in significant differences in Power distance and Individualism. In the interest of simplicity, this analysis will focus solely on the two key differences as seen in Appendix 1. Power distance refers to the extent at which less powerful institutions and members accept and expect the unequal distribution of power within society (Migliore, 1994). As appendix 1 depicts, Australia has a power distance rating of 36; hierarchy in Australia is utilised for convenience in order to create efficient workflow (Taras, 2010). Furthermore, superiors are readily accessible (open door policies - subordinates have the ability to seek audience with managers without fear of retribution) and managers readily rely on the expertise, skill and ideas of individuals and teams within the workplace (Hofstede Centre, 2014). In comparison, Vietnam has a...
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...y different set of societal values. The significant gap in power distance between the two cultures provides explanation as to why Vietnamese managers were disgruntled by the Australians. The collectivist values of Vietnamese society which put the benefit of all before the benefit of self clearly clashed with the individualistic tendencies of Australian support team thus creating ample opportunity for clashes of opinion and ‘ways of doing things’. Hall’s theory of high and context communication accentuate the implications of dealing with different cultures within the workplace; a preference for explicit communication by the Australian support team impacted the success of effective cross-cultural communication. Finally, the use of nonverbal communication and the lack of understanding by the Australian supper team immediately created a clash between the two cultures.
The first of the four dimension of Hofstede’s theory of national culture is power distance. Hofstede stated that, ‘the essential issue involved, to which different societies have found different solutions, is human inequality’ (1980; 92). An outstanding aspect of inequality is the amount of power each individual exercises or can apply over others with power being illustrated as the amount in which an individual is able to impact other individual’s thoughts and performance (Hofstede, 2015). Within societies, inequality in power is expected. This inequality in power is typically characterized in hierarchical employer-employee relationships. Power distance, is the degree that less powerful members of organizations inside a nation anticipate and
Adversity is commonplace for black youth in the inner city. In Patterson’s The Cultural Matrix, there are a plethora of examples that express these various facets of hardship and differentiate the institutional blockades from the cultural obstacles.
Chung has been operating under what he feels are the established norms for his culture. Ted's relationship with the Taiwanese client exhibits the Chinese management principles of paternalism, particularism, and insecurity. The patron-client relationship is based in a sense of mutual obligation, where the client is expected to defer to Ted's expertise and Ted is expected to trade the account responsibly. (Moorhouse, 2005) Ted also used social networking to establish himself in the community which is expected in the Chinese culture. By attending events Ted increases his “visibility and prestige” which contributes to the face that is needed to be considered a trustworthy business partner in the Chinese community. (Moorhouse, 2005) Karen had trouble understanding these differences in culture which is the root of the problem in this case. As stated in the case study Ted was in his early forties were stable and responsible. Karen admitted that she didn’t really know the whole person (referring to Ted) but wrote it off to the fact that he was Asian and she was not. Karen would not be described as someone with much “Cultural Intelligence” defined by the text as “the ability to accurately interpret ambiguous cross-cultural situations” (Robert Kreitner, 2008) Figure 4-2 in the text defines the differences between Low and High-Context cultures with China being a very High-Context culture and North American countries being Low-Context. Below list the traits of each type culture:
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Within every society and every fabric of culture lies a story. These stories portray the very nature of each culture by representing tales of their history, beliefs, and traditions. As individuals recount and pass on the stories of various cultures, the stories represent a different variation that reflects the particular zeitgeist and cultural context of the society in which one tells the story. Society is particularly vulnerable and even impressionable when faced with stories of certain cultures. Often, people judge improperly and prematurely, making one-dimensional views of a culture or society. The goal, then, is to engage the multiple stories within every culture as a method to understand our differences and emphasize the commonalities, which pave the way for greater intercultural dignity and communication.
Despite the rapid advances of modern medicine, a large portion of developing countries points to herbal remedies as to curing ailments and other sicknesses needing medical attention. People around the world have been using herbal remedies since humans have existed on earth. They have used herbs, plant, and roots during their healing rituals in curing both physical and spiritual illnesses. Countries such as Africa, Asia, and the Mariana Islands still use traditional treatment as their primary healthcare. Guam, one of the most developed islands in the Mariana Islands, has been using traditional remedies since the Spaniards conquered the ancient Chamorros. Ancient Chamorros used plants found around the island to cure the sick and identified the people who used traditional remedies as suruhanus for men and suruhanas for women. They have come to believed that suruhanus or suruhanas as the doctors we have today. Other than the suruhanus and suruhanas, ancient Chamorros also had another type of healers: the makahna and kakahnas. Makahnas and kakahnas, believed by the Chamorros, are shamans who had the connection between in both physical and spiritual worlds, and had magical powers. Reading about these healers had caught my interest in doing an in dept research about the suruhanus of Guam, especially after stumbling upon Ann M. Pobutsky’s “Suruhanas: A Profile of Traditional Women Healers in the Village of Umatac, Guam.” Although stumbling to a chapter based on traditional healers was just pure coincidence, I have come to a decision of researching about these people. Doing this research had helped me identify the major factors leading to a sense of spiritual and ritual identity of Guam. It had aided me to recognize the cultural uniqueness...
He explains that cultural values begin with one’s ancestors and never disappear, even after “economic and social and demographic conditions” change (175). One of the numerous cultural values that transfer to each generation is the Power Distance Index (PDI), a term coined by psychologist Geert Hofstede (204). Countries with a high PDI, such as Colombia and South Korea, show enormous respect towards superiors, and Gladwell indicates the implications of this cultural legacy in the field of aviation (209). During emergency situations, a first officer from a culture with a high PDI is likely to speak unnecessarily respectfully to the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), which erroneously conveys a tone of nonchalance (194). Gladwell describes tragic cases where miscommunication between the ATC, pilot, and first officer resulted in a plane crash. However, Gladwell emphasizes that pilots from a culture with a high PDI can still succeed in aviation if they are willing to confront their cultural legacy and adapt—which is exactly what Korean Air triumphantly did (220). Korean Air’s triumph over its initial disadvantage emphasizes that even though cultural legacies are unavoidable, they can be overcome and can eventually lead to
In Hall’s article, “Context and Meaning” it is revealed to us the importance in cross cultural communication. Context can be defined as the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Cross cultural communication is important because it creates diversity and understanding between the workers. In this essay the reader is provided with sufficient evidence to identify the staging of context with such importance to cross culture communication, teach about culture and joint cooperatives, and business transaction, and help create a diverse workforce.
The affect the four dimensions by Hofstede, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculine/femininity and individual and collectivism have on organizational show in all cultures and cross culture.
In addition, research for this project enabled me to identify five essential elements for acquiring cross cultural competency which I will use as guidelines in conflict resolution in my future occupation:
Clifford Geertz once said: “Cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete. And, worse than that, the more deeply it goes the less complete it is.” I recently spent a short amount of time at a busy 5-way traffic circle near my residence. While sitting in one spot for about 25 minutes, I observed many people doing many different things (mainly driving). Observing the various people made me think of what their particular cultures may have been, and from there, I began thinking of culture in and of itself. What is culture? Culture is defined as: Ideas and behaviors that are learned and transmitted. Nongenetic means of adaptation (Park, 2008). Culture plays a vital role in anthropology. After all, anthropology is the holistic, scientific study of humankind (Park, 2008). One cannot study humans as a whole without studying and understanding their cultures as well.
In his essay, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism,” James Rachels argues that cultural relativism is an unsatisfactory moral theory because it is based upon an invalid argument, if cultural relativism were true, this would have some troubling and implausible consequences, and there are some moral rules common to all societies. In this short paper, I will argue that moral objectivism is a more satisfactory moral theory than ethical relativism.
... maintained over lengthy periods of time, a more comprehensive approach to understanding the subjective interpretations of communication partners could help an intercultural partnership enhance their working relationship (Heffernan, 2008). In a sense, miscommunication and conflict could be not only minimized but hypothetically avoided all-together by communication partners. The possibility of this phenomenon could make Communication Accommodation Theory an inviting prospect for researchers interested in the development of cross cultural communication practices, organizations operating over-seas, and individuals who engage in intercultural discourse on a regular basis. The practicality of CAT in addressing the causes of intercultural conflict management, could make a significant impact on the way modern business and social interactions are conducted across the world.
There are many ways to define popular culture. Many individuals have grappled with the question what is popular culture? And how to critically analyze and deconstruct the meanings. Looking at the root words of popular culture is where to begin. Raymond Williams states ‘popular’ means: “well liked by many people" or “culture actually made for the people themselves (Storey, p.5). This is part with the word ‘culture’ combine to look at how the two words have been connect by theoretical work within social and historical context. John Storey approaches popular culture in six categories, they are as followed: “Popular culture is simply culture that is widely favoured or well liked by many people”, Popular culture is “the culture that is left over after we have decided what is high culture”, Popular culture is “mass culture”, “Popular culture is the culture that originates from ‘the people.” and “Popular culture as a site of struggle
Can the effects of cultural misunderstandings can be painful for the individuals, but also for the organization as a whole. Embarrassing situations and inadvertently insults, offenses and failure to achieve individual and organizational goals are among the consequences of the joint. Experience of many managers and researchers in the field of strategy, organization, and the development of the theory of the organization suggests all this ", the study of cultural issues at the organizational level is absolutely essential to a basic understanding of what goes on in organizations, and how it works, and how to improve" (Shin 1990).