Working Across Cultures

Scenario: Your company is undertaking a new business venture in another country. Your boss has told you they want you to oversee this venture. You are excited about the opportunity, and you want to ensure the people you interact with are working harmoniously with you.

Go to the Hofstede Insights website. In the “Compare Countries” section, go to the “Type a country” dropdown. Select your home country and another country of your choosing. If your home country is not listed, please select a neighboring country or one you are familiar with.

Notes from my professor

• After reviewing this week’s lecture notes, compare the 2 countries’ scores. Include a screenshot of the chart from the website.
• Briefly explain why you chose the other country.
• Discuss the similarities and differences between your 2 countries in each of the 6 cultural dimensions.
  • How can you use the similarities you identified to your advantage in your communications?
  • What hurdles might the differences you found present for your communications?
• Referencing 2 of this week’s materials, what tactics would you apply to build rapport across the 2 cultures and overcome any intercultural obstacles?

Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your time zone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates’ initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your time zone.​

1st Response

 Maria Reyes RE: Week 3 DiscussionCOLLAPSE

Working Across Cultures- the United States versus the United Kingdom

Score Comparison

In most societies, individuals lead different lives and conform to different cultures. However, even though there are significant differences between countries, there may be similarities in certain situations. The United States and the United Kingdom are among the world’s top nations in all aspects, making it important to study their cultures based on the Hofstede framework. First, the power distance between the United Kingdom and the United States presents the fact that people are not equal in societies (Hofstede Insights, 2020). The score for the UK is 35, while that of the United States is 40. Secondly, under the individualism dimension, the US’s score is 91, while the UK’s is 89. Thirdly, for masculinity, the UK rests at 66 while the US is at 62. The fourth dimension, uncertainty avoidance, puts the UK at 35, while the US is 46. The United Kingdom has a long-term orientation score of 51, while the US has 26. Lastly, the indulgence dimension is close, with the US having a 69, and the UK follows closely with a score of 68 (Check Appendix).

Explanation

Several reasons can be associated with my selection of the United States and the United Kingdom. First, the two countries make the list of the world’s top economies. For this reason, understanding the differences and similarities of these nations provides a better understanding of what it means to work in these nations. Secondly, I chose the two superpowers because they enjoy a cordial relationship between trade and other associations.

Similarities and Differences

First, the power distance dimension presents a clear image of the large difference between the UK and US societies. The score of 35 under power distance indicates that the United Kingdom society believes and advocates minimizing inequalities. On the other hand, the US score of 40 also indicates a significant focus on equal rights in the American government and society. Secondly, the high score (91) of the US in individualism explains that people care about themselves and their families. The UK also has a high score of 89, indicating that British people are highly private and individualistic.

Thirdly, the masculinity score of 66 presents that the United Kingdom is a highly masculine society that is success-driven and oriented. On the contrary, the score of 62 means that the United States has high masculinity, which is evident in the general American behavior. Under the uncertainty avoidance dimension, the UK records a low score of 35, meaning that they are comfortable waking up without knowing what the day has in store. In the United States, a low score of 46 indicates a certain willingness to innovate and accept new ideas. The US’s long-term orientation score is at 26, which indicates that most Americans are not pragmatic. The mid-score of 51 means that the United Kingdom society has no clear dominant culture that people prefer. Lastly, the high score of 69 means that the British society is indulgent, while the high score of 68 means that the US society is also prudish.

How the differences and similarities impact communications

Cultural similarities are beneficial because there will not be any barrier to communicating once someone travels from the US to the UK. Cultural differences between the United States and the United Kingdom affect communications in many ways. For example, it may be complex to communicate where people have different norms and manners because they will not get it right.

Tactics I would apply to build rapport

Several tactics can help company members build rapport in the United Kingdom. For example, learning the client’s culture ensures no communication barrier (Whitmore, 2016). Secondly, getting ready to try new things while in that new environment is an effective way of creating rapport (Javidan & Zaheer, 2019).

References

Hofstede Insights. (2021). Country Comparison. Retrieved 10 January 2021 from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-uk,the-usa/

Javidan, M., & Zaheer, A. (2019). How Leaders Around the World Build Trust Across Cultures. Leadership & Managing People, may.

Whitmore, J. (2016). Ways to Overcome Cultural Barriers. Retrieved 10 January 2021 from h

hhtps://www.entrepreneur.com/article/276998

2nd Response

 E: Week 3 Discussion COLLAPSE

Working Across Cultures: Canada and South Korea

I was born in Zimbabwe, became a naturalized South African citizen, and currently reside in Canada with Canadian citizenship on the horizon. I have chosen Canada as my ‘home country’ for this exercise because this is where I want to establish new life-long roots. For the export business venture, I have selected South Korea. In 2020 I launched a small new division in our company focused on producing a new product for the East Asian markets with South Korea as our bridgehead.  

Using the Hofstede Insights National Culture tool (1), the following insights can be garnered:

1. Power Distance Index (PDI): Definition – how accepting a society is of power-inequalities. High PDI societies accept and are comfortable with hierarchical structures. Low PDI societies strive for equal distribution of power and ‘demand justification for inequalities of power.’
   Key difference: South Korea favours a more structured approach to hierarchy, and they would never naturally consider candidly giving feedback to a senior. 
   Steps: I need to be vigilant in ensuring I follow the proper introduction channels in accessing new contacts. Even though we are working with Korean partners, I must ensure that feedback or critique is given at the right time and to the right audience. I must also ensure that the right level of employee interfaces with the partner company as it would be a sign of disrespect to have a more junior employee engage with a senior Korean employee. 
2. Individualism Versus Collectivism (IDV): Definition – Individualistic cultures favour a loosely-knit social framework in which the individual and immediate family are the focus of care. Collectivistic cultures show preference for a tightly-knit societal framework in which individuals are unquestioningly loyal to their family and grouping and can expect a high degree of care and support from such. The differences between these two are reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we.”
   Key Difference: Korea is highly collective, which translates into workers being very attuned to the needs and results of their company. On the other hand, Canada is highly individualistic, where the needs of the employee are measured against the needs of the company and can often come before the needs of the company.
   Steps: Attempt to build a “we” that centres around the consortium’s focus. Seek to build relationships with key individuals and build trust. 
3. Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS): Definition – High MAS societies are highly competitive and have a preference for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success. Low MAS (High Femininity) cultures are highly consensus-oriented and favour cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak, and quality of life. In the business since this can be summarized as “tough versus tender” cultures.
   Key Difference: Korea is more cooperative and consensus-oriented than Canada.
   Steps: I must avoid being too assertive and aggressive in pushing to achieve the project’s aims; while I won’t sacrifice results for harmony, I can certainly take time to gently build consensus and allow all voices to contribute. 
4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI): Definition – UAI represents the measure to which a society is uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. High UAI societies have rigid codes of conduct and belief and are intolerant of unorthodox views. Low UAI societies have a more pragmatic approach, where practice and results count more than principles.
   Key Difference: South Korea is a very structured society that does not entirely favour radical thinking or unorthodox practices.
   Steps: I must ensure that our approach to project management and deliverables is handled with an awareness of our Korean partner’s thinking and methodologies. 
5. Long Term Orientation versus Short Term Normative Orientation (LTO): Definition – low LTO societies tend to favour time-honoured traditions and norms and are suspicious of societal change. High LTO societies are more pragmatic; they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education to prepare for the future. For business purposes, this is referred to as “(short-term) normative versus (long-term) pragmatic”. 
6. Indulgence Versus Restraint (IVR): Definition – High IVR (indulgent) societies favour freely gratifying basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Low IVR (restrained) societies have strict social norms that regulate gratification.
   I have combined 5 and 6 because they are interrelated.
   Key Difference: South Korea has almost no sense of ‘carpe-diem’ and entirely favours a relentless focus on building a promising future. They have strict zones of work and pleasure, and never the two shall meet. In contrast, Canadians have a much greater focus on work-life balance and enjoying the here and now.
   Steps: I will have to carefully coordinate the two teams of workers as there will be a propensity for the South Korean team to work late and on weekends, which will cause friction within the Canadian team. 

Overall my approach would be to start from a position of humility and not ethnocentrism (JWMI, 2). I would take time to talk to the South Korean senior team and make time to engage with them socially. In my experience, South Korea is very relational but also has a high focus on achieving results. As such, I would follow an approach of ‘declaring intent’ (Covey, 3) and then showcasing where that intent has been met; this showcasing of results would help build trust. I would also build trust by demonstrating my commitment to build relationships and care for employees and their personal lives (Javidan, 4). I would also look for trusted counterparts that I could leverage to better understand my unconscious incompetencies concerning their culture (Hyun, 5). I would ask them for guidance on approaching these incompetencies in a genuine way that doesn’t come across as obsequious pandering. 

(1) https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/
(2) JWMI505. Week 3. Lecture Notes.
(3) Stephen Covey. July 18, 2016. Harvard Business Review. The Connection Between Employee Trust and Financial Performance.     https://hbr.org/2016/07/the-connection-between-employee-trust-and-financial-performance
(4) Mansour Javidan. May 2019. Harvard Business Review. Leadership and Managing People: How Leaders Around the World Build Trust Across Cultures
(5) Jane Hyun. April, 2019. Harvard Business Review. Cross-Cultural Management: 3 Ways to Improve Your Cultural Fluency

 

Instructions

Project: Legal & Ethical Scenarios

Legal and Ethical Scenarios

Select two of the scenarios provided below. Analyze the facts in the scenarios and develop appropriate arguments/resolutions and recommendations. Support your responses with appropriate cases, laws and other relevant examples by using at least one scholarly source from the SUO Library in addition to your textbook for each scenario. Do not copy the scenarios into the paper. Cite your sources in APA format on a separate page. Submit the paper to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.

Scenario I: Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alana Mendes suffered from Alzheimer’s, and was admitted to the Bay Pines Rehabilitation Center. Because of her mental condition, Alana’s daughter, Juanita, completed the admissions paperwork and signed the admissions agreement. The admissions documents included a clause that required parties to submit any disputes for arbitration. When Alana was released from the center four months later, she sued for negligent treatment and malpractice during her stay. Bay Pines moved to require arbitration.

• This is a claim of negligent care, not a breach of a commercial contract. Is it ethical for medical facilities to impose mandatory arbitration? Is there really any bargaining over such terms?
• Should a person with limited mental capacity be held to the arbitration clause agreed to by the next-of-kin who signed on behalf of that person?

Scenario II: Due Process and ADR

In 2016, a report found extremely high rates of obvious plagiarism in the theses of graduate students in the MBA program in the College of Business at Western State University. Two full-time faculty members and three adjuncts were identified for ignoring their ethical responsibilities and contributing to negligence toward issues of academic misconduct. Assistant Professor Mark Day was one of the three professors identified in the report. The findings were published during a press conference in May 2016. The dean of the College of Business, Derrick Dawson, removed Day’s responsibilities for advising graduate students and scheduled him for undergraduate courses for the next semester. Day filed suit in a federal district court against Dawson, the university, and others for violating his due process rights by publicizing accusations about his role in plagiarism without providing him with a meaningful opportunity to clear his name in public.

• What does due process require in these circumstances?
• Would the outcome be different if a mandatory arbitration clause was provided in Day’s contract and the university filed to dismiss the suit to require arbitration?

Scenario III: Regulatory Agencies and Ethics

Jessica Smith is the vice president of new drug development at Generic Phama, Inc, a pharmaceutical research company in Boston, Massachusetts.  One year ago, she filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain approval of a new drug for treating cancer.  Smith met Joe Spencer at a convention three months ago and invited him to her room at the hotel.  The two parted ways.  Spencer worked as the director for approval of new drugs at the FDA.  Two weeks later, Spencer wrote Smith a letter on FDA letterhead stating, “It was nice to see your name cross my desk on our company’s application for approval of the new cancer drug.  I’d really like to see you again.  Why don’t you come visit me in Washington this weekend?”

Smith considered requesting that the petition be referred to another director at the FDA.  However, she is concerned that the  transfer would delay the approval process for at least a year.  Smith’s chief scientist advised her that a key competitor plans to introduce a similar drug on the market in three months. 

• Are there any legal or ethical barriers to relationships between corporate officers and members of administrative agencies involved in reviewing or regulating corporate activity?
• What should she do?   
• What would you advise her to do if you were head of human resources or legal counsel for Generic Pharma, Inc.

Name your document SU_MBA5005_W1_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.

Submission Details:

• Support your responses with examples.
• Cite any sources in APA format.
• Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.