Our world is becoming more multicultural. Chapter 2 explains 6 ways in which cultures differ. It is important to not assume that your cultural perspective is shared by your co-workers. Understanding how cultures vary in their values and their norms of communication can lead to better relationships. All cultures fall along a continuum of each of those dimensions/axioms:
High Context <-------------------------> Low Context
Expectations are Implied and hard to understand by outsiders————————-Expectations are Explicitly Communicated
Monochronic <--------------------> Polychronic
“Time is Money”/ Tend to do one thing at a time————————-“Time is Relative”/ Tend to multitask
Masculine <------------------------------> Feminine
Value Power/Money/Assertiveness————————-Value Family/Compassion/Quality of Life
Centralized power (high power distance) <---------------------------> Decentralized Power (low power distance)
Power is held by few/ Little access to Government————————-Power is held by many/ Easy access to Government
Tolerant of Uncertainty <---------------------------> Values Certainty
Will to accept risk/ Consequences depend on Situation————————-Unwilling to accept risk/ Consequences are clear
Individual <---------------------------------------> Collective
“What’s best for ME is most important”————————-“What’s best for the GROUP is most important”
Visit either:
In the upper right corner is a drop-down menu entitled “Get to Know Your World.”
Towards the bottom of the page is a listing of countries.
1. Choose a country with which you are unfamiliar (you may not choose the Canada, Mexico or one already covered by another classmate). Read and learn about the cultural rules and norms.
2. Post your analysis of where you think your chosen country lies on each of the above scales. Explain what clues you used to make these selections. Keep in mind, most cultures are not on the extreme end of any dimension. If you need help understanding this task, please review: .
3. Share at least 3 interesting facts you discovered about that culture. Focus on cultural communication norms, not general country statistics.
4. Briefly discuss what you would find most difficult/uncomfortable about visiting the country you have chosen.
