Martian Chocolate
Cultural awareness has become more and more essential as the world continues to globalize and as intercultural communication occurs much more often. While being culturally aware can be helpful during vacations or when interacting with neighbors, it can be argued that many of the most important instances where cultural awareness and intercultural competence are crucial involve business. Today, many businesses are classified as multinational corporations that trade and operate across many nations. These corporations often employ professionals from various nationalities and cultures in offices situated around the globe. Both employees and management need to have high levels of intercultural competence in order for these companies
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Omochi’s actions reflect their different cultural value systems. The first of Hofstede’s dimensions is power distance which he defines as “the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations…accept and expect that power is distributed unequally” (Hofstede, 9). When Mr. Omochi offers Amelie a piece of chocolate, she politely refuses his kind gesture saying, ‘No, thank you.’ As Mr. Omochi repeats his offer, each time more aggressively, Amelie keeps refusing until she bursts out ‘What do I risk if I don’t obey? Getting fired? That would be just fine.’ As a Westerner who most likely comes from a culture with a low power distance, Amelie treated the gesture as if a peer or friend had offered her food. Her acceptance was only contingent on her being in the mood for chocolate. As Mr. Omochi keeps insisting and gets aggressive, her outburst is from an individual who does not appreciate being talked down to, being forced to obey, someone who is used to a lower power distance. From Mr. Omochi’s perspective, he is extending a kind gesture by asking her, ‘Please, do me the kindness of eating.’ After her refusal, his gesture escalates to an order, ‘Eat!’ and then to, ‘Stop being insolent! It’s not for you to ask me questions! You will do as I tell you!’ Mr. Omochi’s actions reflect that his culture’s value system is derived from a high power distance where people understand and accept their place …show more content…
Unlike Mr. Omochi, who in the same social position the whole conversation, Amelie adopts two. This may be because Mr. Omochi’s is in his own country and also in a superior status whereas Amelie is a foreigner and of lower status. Utilizing John Berry’s Model, we see that towards the beginning of the conversation, even though Amelie is scared of Mr. Omochi, she has adopted the social positon of separation where the individual maintains her own culture and rejects involvement with the host culture. Throughout her employment, she rejected the Japanese value system despite learning the language, which ultimately is the cause of her resignation. As she begins to talk to Mr. Omochi, she still shows no intent to integrate or assimilate into Japanese culture. Instead of the indirect method that a typical Japanese professional may use, Amelie makes no attempt to follow Japanese norms and blurts out her resignation, ‘I am coming to the end of my contract and it is with regret that I announce that I cannot renew it.’ This may stem from the fact that her initial motivation for social integration was the monetary benefits of working at this company. With that gone, she no longer feels an obligation to even attempt to integrate anymore. As Mr. Omochi insists on her eating the chocolate, she doubles down on her social position of
It is my opinion that the main character moves from dislike of social divide, and a dislike of her elevated status, to complacency, and finally gratitude; and that these changes are brought on due to her own experiences of hardship. Throughout this essay I will attempt to demonstrate and rationalize this belief.
A lot of movies today are not only created for the cause of enjoyment, however frequently bring a solid lesson the director wishes to carry. In the movie Chocolat (directed by Lasse Hallstorm), Vianne defy the idea that the way of life, repute and their related ethical values do no longer make a person morally right. From the beginning of the film chocolate becomes chocolate transforms into an image of enticement and something prohibited. Vienne enters town during the Lent and within the beginning people are afraid to flavor her chocolate because it is prohibited with the aid of their faith. Comte de Reynaud, a religious mayor of the metropolis, begins a campaign against Vienne and her shop. He states that Vienne’s affect is dangerous and that
Julia Child tried to keep herself occupied in France but couldn’t find anything she loved to do. Finally she decided to take a class at Le Cordon Bleu for cooking. She did not like the treatment she was getting in the women’s only class. ...
The initiation of intercultural effectiveness can be derived from behaviour impacted by its cultural differences and “cultural self-awareness includes recognition of one’s own cultural influences upon values, beliefs, and judgements, as well as the influences derived from the professional’s work culture” (Winkelman, 2005, p. 9)
Employees require exposure to and training of the different multicultural aspects such as appropriate greetings, celebrated holidays, and traditional customs. “Companies with a diverse multicultural workforce tend to rely on workshops to develop knowledge management skills among people from different backgrounds” (Maham, 2013, p. 1094). Training and education should comprise of universal internal and external awareness and sensitivity; along with individualized cultural needs of the
2. 	In the exposition of The Chocolate War, Jerry Renault, the freshman quarterback, was receiving constant blows from opposing players. Jerry was trying to get the ball to his receiver, the Goober, but not having any luck.
In today’s work environment, it has become more evident and vital than ever to foster cultural diversity. Business organizations that want to stay in business are integrating their global and local business efforts along with cultural diversification. However, the path that leads to cultural diversity is not an easy one. Issues and conflicts may slow down, and even restrain, efforts to integrate cultural diversity in the workforce, but the need to embrace and make cultural diversity work is a sensible and attainable prospect.
In Gary Soto’s “Oranges,” the speaker is describing the first time he walks with a girl. He is at the tender age of twelve and this simple act of innocence takes place on a cold, grey day in December. As the two walk together, they stop in a drugstore and, being the typical boy, the speaker “asked what she wanted” (27). When she shows him the chocolate and he realizes that he cannot afford it, he then does a quick barter with the shop lady and exchanges his lone nickel and one of his oranges for the chocolate. The...
As companies grow and put heavier weight on the importance of globalization, the need for companies to partake in cultural learning becomes more and more vital. With the various cultures worldwide, companies will find it highly beneficial to not only learn what makes the people within these cultures tick, but more importantly, apply it to their business strategies. In order to successfully manage, merge, or trade with other countries, one must understand how cultures differ from each other and what steps they need to take to be successful when conducting business with these cultures. The use of cultural anthropologists has proven beneficial for companies like Google, Intel, and Microsoft in implementing their business
Around the world, values are expressed differently. Some people think that life is about the little things that make them happy. Others feel the opposite way and that expenses are the way to live. In Guy de Maupassant’s short story, “The Necklace”, he develops a character, Madame Loisel, who illustrates her different style of assessments. Madame Loisel, a beautiful woman, lives in a wonderful home with all the necessary supplies needed to live. However, she is very unhappy with her life. She feels she deserves a much more expensive and materialistic life than what she has. After pitying herself for not being the richest of her friends, she goes out and borrows a beautiful necklace from an ally. But as she misplaces the closest thing she has to the life she dreams of and not telling her friend about the mishap, she could have set herself aside from ten years of work. Through many literary devices, de Maupassant sends a message to value less substance articles so life can be spent wisely.
Nowadays, the phenomenon of globalization has massively affected the social and cultural values and has made an assembled standard of uniqueness and obstacles. Moreover, international organizations such as multinational companies, corporate brandings, non-governmental organizations, and global media play a critical part by quickening communications among social societies worldwide (Ghodrati, Joorabchi & Muati, 2015). Especially for the effect of globalization, world has started become more culturally diverse and incorporated each and another. In today’s workplace, a constructive effect of cultural diversity in the work environment is that employees having a place
Culture can be defined as the beliefs, values and the pattern of behavior of an individual within designated areas. The culture of organizations defines shared values and behavioral expectations. Cultural issues are especially basic issues all around the globe. These issues can happen in various routes relying upon the size, area and the custom culture of that institution. Social issues happen even because of the states of mind and how each individual comprehend in diverse business environment. Today, the corporate administrations and rising business firms have chosen to give the essential attention on trainings and classes at the multicultural working environment that will help them to understand and create
With the rapid growth in globalization there are a number of firms who have taken their businesses abroad. Their challenge, cross cultural management and communication. An effective communication strategy begins first with understanding who the sender of the message is and who the receiver of the message is. Many companies have realized this and offer training in the different cultures to help better facilitate communication between leaders (Cross-Cultural Communication, mindtools.com). Without this basic understand between sender and receiver it can be very difficult for companies of multicultural to even begin to communicate. The second important understanding is that leaders must demand a cultural tolerance of acceptable behavior between cultures to facilitate effective communication (Cross-Cultural Communication, mindtools.com).
The differences in other cultures vary from beliefs to ways of life, or norms, of the different societies. The importance of understanding and sensitivity to other countries’ differences is crucial to a business’ success. “Lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a co...
Abstract: Globalization has made intercultural communication inevitable. Communicating with other cultures characterizes today’s business, classroom, and community. Technology, especially the internet, has increased the probability that whatever is documented online will be read by someone from another culture. Intercultural communication is of importance in any career field, thus the art of knowing how to communicate with other cultures should be a workplace skill that is emphasized. This is a conceptual paper whose purpose is twofold.