...Cross-Cultural Perspectives 1 Week 5 Cross-Cultural Perspectives ETH/316: Ethics and Social Responsibility University of Phoenix Cross-Cultural Perspectives Cross-Cultural Perspectives 2 McDonald’s is the largest fast food chain restaurant in the world. Ray Kroc founded the franchise in 1955 in California. McDonald’s server millions of customers daily. The company pride itself on their tasty hamburgers and delicious french-fries. McDonald’s is also known for its quick service and its drive through. The company went from one restaurant location, to locations in different states, to a global corporation. McDonald’s continue to thrive on providing meals at a low cost to customers. McDonald’s have more than 30,000 restaurant locations in more than 100 countries around the world. McDonald’s makes billions of dollars each year but they still issues in the global sector (McDonald’s, 2011). McDonald’s established their first restaurant in Japan in 1971 (McDonald’s, 2011). This establishment brought about some issues because of the cultural differences. Some of the issues are food preparation, food organization, and food delivery. Even though McDonald’s way of doing business contradicted with the Japanese ethics, and traditions, through compromise, and social responsibility they have managed to minimized there differences. Besides McDonald’s other businesses have expanded globally such as auto companies like Ford Motor Company. However, their approach was different in comparison...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...Cross-Cultural Perspectives People depend on energy on a daily basis. The fuel from energy is used in daily activities rather personal or business. The more the demand for energy increase the harder it is to locate the supply for it. British Petroleum, also known as BP, is a company that provides energy services to different countries. BP is a global organization that focuses on production, refining, distributing, trading, and exploration of energy. The industry of energy is defined by challenge. It must be determined how to meet the supply of demand. BP has increased their reserves and the need to diversify. BP experienced a horrific accident in April 2010, which was named the Deep-water Horizons. The company was responsible for an oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. This spill will have a lasting economic, personal, and environmental effect on those involved in it. Many workers, individuals, and businesses were impacted along the coast lines. For workers, those who worked on tugs, barges, oil rigs, or fishing/shrimp boats lost wages and time off work because of the oil spill. Individuals, or residents, that lived along the coast line may experience health issues because of the chemicals and toxic fumes that were released as a result of the oil spill. Property owners may have damage to their land if any of the chemicals was washed up and came in contact with the soil. Businesses around the coast line, especially fishing and tourist,...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
...Cross-Cultural Communication Matrix University of Phoenix Com/285 December 16, 2010 Cross-Cultural Communication Matrix Cross Cultural Communication Country Preferred communication style Non-verbal communication practices Business communication norms Strategies to increase cross-cultural communication Saudi Arabia South Africa China Saudi Arabia Arab’s communication style is more elaborate, as they make use of various phrases while communicating. Therefore, Arabs are said to be expressive. They are said to be extravagant in exaggerating. Arabs also rely on non direct communication. Silence is used as a non verbal communication practice and it shows thoughful observation. Gestures and facial expressions are important non verbal communication practices as well. Eye contact is also important to the Arab businessmen. If a person maintains eye contact, this shows his sincerity and truthfulness. Business should be in coherence to the culture of the country. It is important to make prior appointments for making business dealings. Thursday and Fridays are off in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, buiness communications should not be done on these days. Face to face interaction is highly favored. (Gorrill, 2007). It is important to understand the particular culture of a country. So, reading about the specific culture and getting information through books or internet will help in increasing the cross cultural communication. Introduction of training videos...
Words: 423 - Pages: 2
...“Cross Cultural Communication” “Everyone has a culture. Americans struggle to understand their own culture which leads to difficulties in learning effectively about cultural differences”-stated by The Cross Cultural Communications for Healthcare Professionals. As a Texan born and raised learning how to cross communicate with others can be challenging but can be done. Today I will be giving you a insight on how cross cultural communication is very important in the healthcare industry and even in our everyday living. To start off, as a nurse assistant communicating with residents that couldn’t speak or even read English was a problem trying to administer medications, take vitals and hold a conversation. But eventually it became easier with dedication and a few mistakes made. I won’t say it is easy but it gets better with time and giving it more than one chance. Often people misjudge others because of their appearance, what they eat or how they sound when they speak. But in reality we all make a first impression on someone or something. Getting to know someone and about their history is pretty interesting and teaching someone about yourself and your background is a great way of communicating. Here are (5) important skills to me to remember when communicating with people of the world. First, Gain Respect, the ability to express respect for others is an important part of effective cross cultural communication. Everyone...
Words: 882 - Pages: 4
...CROSS-CULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION Photo by: Yuri Arcurs Business is not conducted in an identical fashion from culture to culture. Consequently, business relations are enhanced when managerial, sales, and technical personnel are trained to be aware of areas likely to create communication difficulties and conflict across cultures. Similarly, international communication is even further strengthened when businesspeople can anticipate areas of commonality. Finally, business in general is enhanced when people from different cultures find new approaches to old problems creating solutions by combining cultural perspectives and examining the problem at hand from each other's differing cultural perspectives. ETHNOCENTRISM Problems in business communication conducted across cultures often arise when participants from one culture are unable to understand culturally determined differences in communication practices, traditions, and thought processing. At the most fundamental level, problems may occur when one or more of the people involved clings to an ethnocentric view of how to conduct business. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own cultural group is somehow innately superior to others. 1 It is easy to say that ethnocentrism only affects the bigoted or those ignorant of other cultures, and so is unlikely to be a major factor in one's own business communication. Yet difficulties due to a misunderstanding of elements in cross-cultural communication may affect...
Words: 6025 - Pages: 25
...Cross-cultural communication can be difficult in some countries because what is acceptable in one culture may be unacceptable in another. When people are immersed in an environment where facial expressions such as eye contact and body gestures are alien to their own experience, they may suffer from disorientation and frustration. Therefore, it is significant to learn the body language of different cultures. This essay focuses on the use of nonverbal communication in North America, Thailand, and some other parts of the world. Facial expression is the most important source of nonverbal communication in all cultures. However, sometimes it can be hard to interpret the meaning through facial cues. Since there are many facial expressions, such as those for happiness, sadness, fear, and anger, it may be hard to distinguish which expression the person is trying to convey. According to Carey’s report, “facial expressions [are the most] obvious ones [that] can be very misleading, because most [people] are pretty good at covering a lie” (350). In North America, people pay much attention to facial expressions during interactions because it helps them to understand what the other person is trying to convey. Eye contact is a crucial aspect of communication, and it is a valuable source of information in many cultures. Levin and Adelman state, “[in] a conversation too little eye contact may be seen negatively because it conveys lack of interest, inattention...
Words: 522 - Pages: 3
...Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Nike Student UoP Ethics 316 June 18, 2012 Week Five Dr. No Instructor Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Nike Nike Corporation grew from a local United States-based footwear distributor to a global marketing giant of athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment. This paper will provide an analysis of the ethical and social responsibility issues Nike must deal with as a global organization. Additionally, the paper will identify Nike’s ethical perspectives and present the exploration of these perspectives across cultures. Ethical and Social Responsibility Issues Nike began globalization through industrializing in countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia. The contracting by Nike of suppliers within these regions instantly began providing jobs, which at the time was just good enough to these improvised areas. However, by the end of the 90s Nike’s use of offshore manufacturing suppliers brought revelations of the sweatshop working conditions prevalent in these nations. The ethical responsibility issues Nike had as a challenge because of these sweatshop conditions ran the full gamut. For example Vietnam factories were violating the minimum wage and overtime laws, Cambodia was using child labor, and Malaysia even went as far as employing forced labor to ensure manufacturing requirements were met...
Words: 856 - Pages: 4
...Asian Social Science October, 2008 A Cross-cultural Study of Daily Communication between Chinese and American -- From the Perspective of High Context and Low Context Jianeng Wang Foreign Languages College, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China E-mail: jianeng101@163.com Abstract In cross-cultural communication, ignorance of contexts usually leads to misunderstanding and conflicts. Based on Edward. T. Hall’s notion of high-context and low-context, this paper aims to generalize the basic distinctive characteristics of the two contexts by analyzing the actual cases in daily communication between American and Chinese. This paper also tries to conclude some tips for communication crossing the two contexts in accordance with the case analysis. Keywords: High-context, Low-context, Communicatio, Culture 1. About Hall’s high-context and low-context Context is important in all communication, but it is relatively more important in some situations than in others. There are also significant differences across cultures in the ways and the extent to which people communicate through context. One of the main distinctions between cultures has been the notion of high and low context cultures, proposed by the American anthropologies Edward. T. Hall in his 1976 classic, Beyond Culture (Hall, 2000). 1.1 What is high/low-context? Edward T. Hall has described cultural differences in the use of language and context in communication. He calls communication that occurs mostly through...
Words: 2583 - Pages: 11
...Cross Cultural Psychology Christina Williams Psychology 450 Glorivy Arce November 14, 2010 Abstract This paper will attempt to analyze cross-cultural and cultural psychology. It will examine the relationship between both, discuss the role of critical thinking in cross- cultural psychology, and discuss the methodology associated with cross-cultural research. Culture is a full range of behavior patterns (N.A. 2010, p. 1). Culture can be distinguished by a set of beliefs and attitudes from a given generation (Shiraev, & Levy 2010, p. 2). It is a way of life passed down from generation to generation. Cross-cultural psychology deals with the culture and human behavior. In today’s society cross-cultural psychologists investigate how culture affects individuals everywhere. Cross Cultural Psychology Cultural and Cross- Cultural Psychology “Culture is a set of attitudes, behaviors and symbols shared by a large group of people and usually communicated from one generation to the next (Shiraev & Levy, 2010p2). Before reaching adulthood individuals learn how to understand their environment according to his parents.” Culture is a full range of learned behavior patterns”(N.A., 2010, p .1). We notice individuals of African, Japanese, Italian descent; individuals are referring to the customs and ideals that their parents used. It has become a way of life passed down from generation to generation. “ in most cases, those who share your culture do so because they acquired it...
Words: 1322 - Pages: 6
...International Dimensions in Organizational Behavior | Cross-Cultural Communication INTRODUCTION "We didn't all come over on the same ship, but we're all in the same boat." – Bernard Baruch, American financier and statesman. The Internet and modern technology have opened up new marketplaces that allow us to promote our businesses to new geographic locations and cultures. And given that it can now be as easy to work with people remotely as it is to work face-to-face, cross-cultural communication is increasingly the new norm. For those of us who are native English-speakers, it is fortunate that English seems to be the language that people use if they want to reach the widest possible audience. However, even for native English speakers, cross-cultural communication can be an issue: Just witness the mutual incomprehension that can sometimes arise between people from different English-speaking countries. In this new world, good cross-cultural communication is a must. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION Obviously, not all individuals acculturate similarly. Some find the daily challenges of responding to another culture to be too stressful and overwhelming. If possible, such individuals will choose to return to their cultural origin; if they cannot do so, various kinds of maladaptive adjustments, or even mental illness, can occur. People misunderstand each other for a wide variety of reasons, and these misunderstandings can occur between people who are culturally...
Words: 3344 - Pages: 14
...Cross-Cultural Communication Theory and Practice Barry Tomalin; Brian J. Hurn ISBN: 9780230391147 DOI: 10.1057/9780230391147 Palgrave Macmillan Please respect intellectual property rights This material is copyright and its use is restricted by our standard site license terms and conditions (see palgraveconnect.com/pc/connect/info/terms_conditions.html). If you plan to copy, distribute or share in any format, including, for the avoidance of doubt, posting on websites, you need the express prior permission of Palgrave Macmillan. To request permission please contact rights@palgrave.com. Cross-Cultural Communication 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 This page intentionally left blank 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 Cross-Cultural Communication Theory and Practice Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin © Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin 2013 Foreword © Jack Spence 2013 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this...
Words: 129836 - Pages: 520
...number of methodological issues that can be problematic in cross-cultural studies that use self-report survey instruments. This paper reviews the organizational research literature to identify the common practices being used in relation to these issues. A framework is established for this analysis that involves three stages related to the research process. These stages are 1) the development of the research question, 2) the alignment of the research contexts, and 3) the validation of the research instruments. A sample of cross-cultural studies was examined in the context of these three stages, and served as a basis for the identification of some “best-practices” that are meant to deal with cross-cultural complexities. Introduction International perspectives are becoming more prevalent in today’s study of organizations. As business continues to take a global outlook, theoretical constructs commonly used in domestic research will need to be applied to new cross-cultural arenas. Recently, researchers have begun to take notice of some important methodological issues associated with the use of survey instruments in cross-cultural research (e.g., Cheung & Rensvold, 1999; Riordan & Vandenberg, 1994). These issues can have a strong impact on a study’s results, and on the subsequent interpretation of those results. If researchers ignore the difficulties inherent in using self-report questionnaires in cross-cultural studies, the field as a whole may be subject to misinterpreting...
Words: 3186 - Pages: 13
...cross-cultural marriage Nowadays, cross-cultural marriage has become a common trend in society. Globalization, in my opinion, is nevertheless one of the primary causes that contribute to the occurrence of this phenomenon. People in in the world are no longer isolated from their geographical locations and cultures. However, one might ask whether cross-cultural and international marriage always beneficial. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss this is issue in terms of its advantages and disadvantages. From the one side, international marriage can reduce the gap that exist in both cultures. This gap is reduced because people from different cultures and nationalities have opportunity to understand each other in a very objective way. Moreover, understanding other culture will demolish all the negative stereotypes that people perceived in their minds. Furthermore, when people are able to understand one another, i believe it will result to a better and peaceful world. From other side, however, we should also realize the fact that cross-cultural and international marriage can create several problems. In a case where a couple is originated from totally two different cultures and religious beliefs, it can produce conflict, both internal and external. We often see the case where a husband or a wife is being removed from his or her family circle, simply because he or she decided to marry someone who comes from other culture that has strong attachment to certain religious belief...
Words: 324 - Pages: 2
...Cross Cultural can be a challenge. What can be difficult is understanding how to communicate effectively with individuals who speak another language. But with the internet and modern technology you can communicate with anyone no matter what language or country they are from. When communicating with cross cultural I will be patient and I will increase my knowledge of their cultural before I communicate with them. Knowing the differences can be quite useful. It can give you a sense of how you’re supposed to act in a foreign setting. It can also help you understand why others from different cultural behave as they do. But in my experience, the mistake many companies make is thinking that knowing cultural difference is enough, that discovering the key differences is all you need to master to be effective across cultures. The key to effective cross cultural communication is knowledge. It is essential that people understand the potential problems of cross cultural communication, and make conscious effort to overcome the problem. Active listening can sometimes be used to check this out by repeating what one thinks he or she heard, one can confirm that one understands the communication accurately. If words are used differently between languages or cultural groups, however, even active listening can overlook misunderstandings. If you send me as a Representive to the conference I will study the culture, learning the history, economics, geography, politics, religion. I will study role...
Words: 653 - Pages: 3
...Cross –cultural communication and healthcare There are six principles to cross-cultural communication. The first principle states that the less knowledge or less of an understanding that you have about a culture, the broader the differences are, communication between the two will be more difficult. The second principle states that cultural differences and understandings are the cause of breakdowns in communication. The third principle states that communicating inter-culturally, helps people to become more aware of their own communication processes. People become more aware of their own tone, their word choices, and hand gestures they may use when they are speaking. The fourth principle is that cultures vary with their different types of acceptable behaviors or do’s and don’t’s; which means that some cultures believe very strongly in following the formal rules or they may not be able to interact with other people within that same culture. Being a cross-cultural communicator you have to be aware of what is taboo and what is acceptable in that culture. The fifth principle states that you need to be mindful that other cultures understanding or normalcy may be different than your own. It is important to be aware of how the worldview or values of different groups affect there patterns of communication. The sixth, and final principle, states that your view of people affect the way that you communicate with them. If you see people as being honest and trustworthy the communication...
Words: 419 - Pages: 2
