...TITLE: Managing cultural differences By Name Course Professor University City/State Date Contents Introduction 3 Discussion of cultural frameworks 3 My cultural background and discussion of my cultural scores 6 Recommendation on cross cultural management 7 Conclusion 8 References list 9 Introduction Cultural practices in different regions of the world are different. In managing a firm in a particular region, a manager should thus understand the effective cultural practices in the region so as to conduct management in an effective manner (Joint, 2013). The cultural practices determine the expectations of the workforce from the manager and the conditions required by the workforce in a firm so as to yield an optimal output. The knowledge on cultural diversity is greatly applicable in the advertising and branding activities of the firm. It enables one to understand the consumer behavior and thus make informed decisions on the strategies to be undertaken (Verhoest et al., 2010). From the concept and impact of the difference in the cultural practices, then it is crucial for all managers to understand the cultural differences in the regions they conduct their management. In an aim to analyze the cultural frameworks, various cultural frameworks have been generated. The most preferred cultural framework for analysis is the Hofstede’s cultural framework (Dong et al., 2010). Discussion of cultural frameworks In this essay, one analyzes the nature and dimensions of the Hofstede’s...
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...The differences in travelling preferences between postgraduate students in Poland and United Kingdom Module name: Research Methods Word count: 4978 January 2014 1. Abstract The purpose of this report is to determine the differences between travelling preferences among British and Polish postgraduate students. Moreover, the report aims to establish the patterns in which a cultural background influence travelling and to detect similarities between British and Polish attitudes. Therefore, the research is a comparative, cross-cultural study. In order to achieve the purpose, 5 structured interviews were carried out that helped to construct a questionnaire. The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data shows that the cultural background has an effect on postgraduate students' travelling preferences and that there are certain differences between British and Polish travelling tendencies. The particular aspects that affect those preferences are: language, socioeconomic status, geographic area and customs. However, owing to the global phenomena, the cultural backgrounds are disappearing and students' travelling preferences become more and more convergent. The author believes this research will form a valuable asset for tourism industry and it will be a base for future research. 2 2. Table of contents 1. Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................
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...come from different countries with various culture background could connect with world. When the international team work together, they will be able to maximize the effect and explore the potential ability of company market. However, if the management of international team be ignored, they will creat a variety of communication obstacles and disturb the deployment of the enterprise. Globalization and cultural diversity turn social fields and organizations into very dynamic places. Across borders, across cultures, cross-organizational collaboration on multiple levels there are many great challenges. Language and cultural differences sometimes cause communication difficulties, and some unexpected problems sometimes also can let a person off guard. There will be trouble in any teams which will make the team work uneffectively so that we need arrangement and leadership. In a word, we need to study some successful experience about international team management and learn to overcome the difficulties and solve the problems to creat more benefits. The assignment main contain three parts. Firstly, there will be given some theories about teamwork and international management. Secondly, there will be a successful team case and some comments and analysis. I. What is international team? Team with Diversity of Countries Members Globalization is the main point that we must take into account in a company in order to succeed with cultural diversity....
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...Intercultural Interview Introduction Through analysis and comparisons of our cultures, I hope to be able to determine what cause cultural conflicts and specifically, those Ernesto and his family encountered on arriving to the United States. I will use data from Hofstede and references from Adler’s text to take a retrospective look into our belief and value systems. By doing so, we will gain a better understand of how cultural heritage plays an important role in how we develop stereotypes and misconceptions. Interviewing Ernesto should give he and I a better understanding on how we view each others culture. Since I do not have work colleagues, I chose to interview a friend of mine whose name is Ernesto. Ernesto has a security clearance with the federal government and for that reason; he asked me not to use his last name. Understanding the sensitivities surrounding security clearances, I agreed. Comparing Family Backgrounds Ernesto was born in Panama in 1966. He is married with two kids and currently resides in Maryland. In 1976, at the age of ten, Ernesto and his family immigrated to the United States. He initially it found difficult adjusting to American life, primarily because of the language barrier. He was educated in Panama up until the six-grade, and ultimately finished his primary education in the United States. Not long after that he entered the military, where he ultimately retired and now works for the federal government. I am also married with six kids...
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...They are the characters that are different only to you. Self-analysis is the process of examining and studying emotions, personality and the behavior of a specific individual. It seeks to understand the conscious and subconscious mind of an individual. With everybody born unique, people are born into families that were born into other families. Culture of an individual or a family is influenced by the parents’ background, language is spoken and the area one live in. Having been born and brought up in a family greatly impacted the cultural identity. Religion and traditions have helped in formulating my belief and behavior. My family has always been active in the church and been close to the preachers both in church and school have shaped my way of thinking in a morally upright manner. I have attended Sunday morning’s church since I was a small kid and up to date I still have the habit. I have been taught to be hardworking in everything that I do. Simply, “Hard work Pays”. In a family of five siblings, my parents have ensured that everybody has achieved college education. They have taught us that education opens up many doors that would alternatively not be open. My parents maintained that lack of a college certificate was always unacceptable in the family. For this reason, it was mandatory for everyone to work hard and concentrate on education. Although these are some of the factors that have helped in shaping my life; the way I think and the way I act, present myself and relate...
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...Assignment 2: Teachers and Schools in American Society Film Analysis Dangerous Minds is one of the many popular films about teaching. It is based on the novel My Posse Don’t Do Homework (1992), in which author Louanne Johnson draws on her own teaching background. Johnson’s character, unqualified and inexperienced, is thrown before a class of urban black and Hispanic children. She emerges as a triumphant hero, who miraculously rescues her students from their underprivileged surroundings and also, in a sense, from themselves. Louanne Johnson, an ex-marine, is hired as a high school teacher in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics. etc) to gain the trust of the students. Louanne also visit her students’ families in order to understand their background and thoughts. She gives incentives to the students so they finally get an A in their examination. After the death of Emilio (he was killed by a gang with whom he fought), she decides to quit her job, but the students are so in love with her and regard her a light of their lives. Being touched by the students, Louanne decided not to leave her students and continue to guide their way on studying. Popular though this film may be, realistic it is not. Although there are moments when one sympathizes with Johnson’s...
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...Nursing Amanda M. Jones Trinity Valley Community College Associate Degree Nursing Level II January 16, 2015 Culture and Diversity in Nursing Cultural Assessment With there being such a plethora of cultures in the world, there are so many different beliefs and practices involving health and wellness, that almost everyone has a different definition of health, and different views on disease and illness in general. My definition of health involves many different aspects, but most importantly living a healthy lifestyle overall; being free from illness, and doing everything possible to stay that way. Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep along with protecting your body from the harsh outside world, and maintaining proper hygiene are the most beneficial in being healthy. In fact, I believe that the main cause of illness aside from harmful pathogens and stress is lack of proper diet, exercise, sleep, and basic hygiene. Those things are essential to maintaining health. Anytime I start to get symptoms of a cold or illness, I immediately start taking vitamin C and drinking plenty of water. I usually do not seek medical care unless I am certain that I need antibiotics, as I like to take more of a holistic approach before using medicines any time possible. The same can be said about my pain management. I have a fairly high pain tolerance, and try to avoid using pain medications. When I am in pain I usually try to rest the affected area...
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...Introduction Cultural intelligence will be assessed through this report, analysing whether such thesis can be utilized within our organisation to enhance staff development. Cultural intelligence also called cultural quotient (CQ), can be defined as ‘'the ability to engage in set of behaviours that uses skills and qualities that are tuned appropriately to the culture-based values and attitudes of the people with whom one interacts'(Peterson,2004). Respect for basic rights, human dignity and good citizenship are core human values(Donaldson 1996), understanding differing cultures present through our employees and foreign dignitaries will improve our relations with different cultural belief systems, and adorn more sophistication in our diplomacy. Globalization has dramatically increased foreign trade due to the falling trade barriers, easier emigration possibilities, improved transportation and technological revolutions. ‘Growing interconnections bought about by the globalization process require that both managers and organizations expand repertoires of roles’(Parker,2005). Hence effective communications with differing cultures is more important than ever(Tannen,1985). Culture is man-made part of the environment(Herkovits,1948),management must consider the relativity in such analysis, since absolute meanings cannot be derived due to the differing meanings of cultures explained either through the actor or observer. One may assume cultural idioms using models such as ‘Hofstede’s...
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...the context, not only international companies but also domestic firms have no other options except hiring people from diverse cultures. It has become a usual phenomenon that a growing number of people with diverse cultural backgrounds exist in different organisations. The activities of human beings are heavily influenced by culture on various levels, e.g. individuals, nations and organizations, the influence of which also takes actions in investments trades and further relationships (Crossman, Bordia & Mills 2010). Organizational culture is one of the most important elements to achieve success. Defined by Barney (1986), organizational culture could be considered as the integration of value, belief, assumption, and symbols, and leads the development of a firm - to define its relevant employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, and related key factors. Brett, Behfar & Kern (2006) argued that multi-cultural groups usually fall into troubles on management. It would likely be difficult to refuse this opinion, and, definitely, this opinion makes good sense in some views. Cultural differences can leads to loss of productivity and can have negative impact on company moral. It is imperative that leaders need to learn more about how to manage a team with cultural differences. Not everyone has the skills in interacting with colleagues from other cultures, and language barrier would be one direct example that prevents communication and increase difficulties for related management...
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...Benefits of learning intercultural communication to university student. Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study Anthropologist Edward T. Hall is the founder of intercultural communication during the 1951-1955 when he was at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of States. The scholarly field of intercultural communication was then mainly advanced by university-based scholars of communication in the United States and Japan, and in other countries. The development of intercultural communication in the U.S. and Japan is analyzed here. Intercultural communication is one of the most important communications and also a structure of global communication as the world today is characterized by an ever growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This communication takes place because of contacts within the areas of business, military cooperation, science, education, mass media, entertainment, tourism but also because of immigration brought about by labour scarcity or political conflicts. Hence, there is communication which needs to be as constructive as possible, without misunderstandings and breakdowns. It is to belief that study on the nature of linguistic and cultural similarities and differences here can play a helpful and constructive role. Intercultural communication in its most fundamental form refers to an academic...
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...PARENTS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. CHAPTER ONE Background to the Study It is an undebatable fact that the home is the fulcrum around which the early years of a child revolves. The central figures are the parents. While child-bearing and child-rearing cannot be divorced one from the other, the type of child-rearing practiced in a family has a tremendous impact on the entire life of the child including his or her academic life. Generally, the social climate or environment in which an individual finds him or her self to a large extent determines his or her behaviour and personality development. Consequently, parental guidance and discipline usually influence the behaviour of the children and at the apex of this parental influence is the mother. According to Olayinka and Omoegun (2001), the word "family" has its origin in the Latin word which could be translated to mean "domestic group". A domestic group is a group of people who habitually share a common dwelling and common food supply. According to Murdoch (1965) family is a social group characterized by common residence, economic, cooperation and reproduction; it includes adults of both sexes, at least two of who maintains a socially approved sexual relationship and one more children, own or adopted by the sexually cohabiting adult. The family provides for the physical maintenance of the child, offers him his first and most continuing social contracts, and gives him affection and other emotional...
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...The Effect of Stress on Emotional, Behavioral and Academic Adaptation in Relation to Newly Immigrated Students in South Africa Author: 55128920 The Course Leader: HMPYC80 Department of Psychology University of South Africa 2014-05-28 Dear Sir/Madam RE: The Effect of Stress on Emotional, Behavioral and Academic Adaptation in Relation to Newly Immigrated Students in South Africa I am currently associated with Unisa where I am carrying out my honours in Psychology. The field of interest is of emotional, behavioural and academic adaptation of immigrants in Universities here in South Africa as I have personally experienced some of the struggles of adapting to a new country. My reason for contacting you is to request that my research proposal be submitted for peer assessment as the proposed assignment is essential for my course in research methodology. Through the peer assessment I am hoping to gain a constructive opinion of my research topic and my capability to construct a research proposal for a scientific study. I hope to hear from you soon. Yours sincerely Sean Groenewald 44 Claasen Street Johannesburg The Effect of Stress on Emotional, Behavioral and Academic Adaptation in Relation to Newly Immigrated Students in South Africa The proposed study aims to measure stress related to the emotional, behavioral and academic adaptation of immigrant students who have recently moved to South Africa. After having lived in Belgium for four years and having...
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...Behavior November 18, 2012 Motivation, Stress, and Communication 1. Create a brief job description for a position within the company you research that you would like to fill. The company that I would like to have a career with is Aflac. Aflac is a Fortune 500 company that leads the industry in voluntary insurance products that pay cash directly to policyholders and is one of America's best known brands. The position that I would like to have is Senior Strategy Analyst. I would serve as a lead analyst in a strategic role assisting with development, analysis, implementation, change management, and benefits realization of critical transformation programs, processes, and activities for operations within the United States. I would report directly to the Vice President of the Transformation Office and interact with personnel throughout Aflac. I would perform complex research, analysis, and interpret data obtained by management and other groups in order to define business strategy and operational problems and to support business decision making. I will also perform other duties as they are assigned. 2. Discuss ways that goal setting could be used to motivate your performance after you fill the position. Goal setting is something that doesn’t come easy for me, because as I looked at it, it is just another New Year’s resolution that I made but didn’t follow through with. But in today’s economy, goal setting is a must if you want to be successful. I want...
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...Doctor in de Pedagogische Wetenschappen 2011 This Ph.D research project was funded by Ghent University BOF Research Grant (BOF07/DOS/056) Acknowledgements There is still a long and indistinct way and I will keep on going to explore the unknown. 路漫漫其修远兮，吾将上下而求索。 - Qu Yuan (340-278 BC) This dissertation would not have been possible unless so many persons contributed to it. The first person I should give my gratitude is Prof. dr. Cong Lixin in Beijing Normal University. It is she who recommanded me to my promoter - Prof. dr. Martin Valcke. Based on the cooperation contact between the two universities, I have the opportunity to start my journey in Ghent University. The fantasty journey started from Year 2007 gudided by the Prof. dr. Martin Valcke. I am heartily thankful to my promoter Prof. dr. Martin Valcke and my co-promotor Prof. dr. Annemie Desoete, whose encouragement, supervision and support from the preliminary to the concluding level enabled me to carry on the research project. My deepest gratitude is to Prof. dr. Martin Valcke. I am not a smart student who always give him so much revision work. It is extremely fortunate for me to have a promoter who is characterized by energy, enthusiasm and patience. Some excellent ideas will arise from his brain sometimes which make us think his synaptic connection in his brain is very strong. His face is always full of real warmth on the research. His cheerful spirits and bubble...
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...people from other ethnic backgrounds. Coming to a new country that did not understand nor fully accept the culture that I brought with me was not an easy adjustment. I always felt a bit lost and misunderstood, never really being able to celebrate my Punjabi heritage or the American culture. Holidays were especially hard because my family did not understand the traditional American holidays and we didn’t have an outlet to celebrate the holidays we did for the first 8 years of my life. It was hard finding a healthy balance. This all helped me to better understand culture in general. But, what is culture? More importantly what is its relationship to psychology? Culture is defined as a group of characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, values and customs that are particular to a group of people. “Behaviors must be judged according to cultural rules and ideologies or the judgment has no basis in the reality embraced by the culture” (Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991). Cultural Psychology deals with specific location, perceptive and beliefs of a culture that one has been raised in or is accustomed to. Cultural psychology looks at how factors of culture influence a person’s behavior. Cross Cultural Psychology, according to ‘Introduction to cross-cultural psychology’, “is the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes, including both their variability and invariance, under diverse cultural conditions.” (Alder & Gielen, 2001) Cross-Cultural psychology studies the...
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