Assignment : Communication
In class we discussed how different cultures vary in the ways they communicate. Some of the concepts we discussed that effect communication are the various orientations or dimensions:
High or Low Context: how explicit communication needs to be.
Masculine or feminine: an emphasis on masculine values (individual accomplishment, competition, achievement, etc) vs. feminine values (caring for others, concern for quality of life).
Power distance: the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. It has to do with the fact that a society's inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.
Ambiguity: The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these.
Indulgence: This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on how they were raised. A tendency toward a relatively weak control over impulses is called "indulgence", whereas a relatively strong control is called "restraint".
(The above information was taken from the Hofstede Center website.)
Assignment:
I am the new Vice President for Business Development at a multi-national company and you are my capable assistant. I will be traveling to a foreign country whose culture is different from the United States in several ways.
Using the Geert-Hofstede website , conduct a comparison of the US and the country that you are assigned. Please prepare a travel memo for me (your boss) making me aware of the ways in which the two countries differ that will impact how I communicate.
Your memo should inform me of the differences in the orientations as listed above, AND ALSO how those differences can impact my communication. For instance, should I be direct or indirect? Should I take them out to lavish dinners, or show them how frugal we are?
Should I exert the power of my position as VP or offer to work with them as peers? Should I call out the good work of individuals or groups?
What other ways does this country differ from the US that I should be aware of so as not to cause any blunders that may prevent the company from successfully doing business?