...CultuLessons Learned in Cross-Cultural Knowledge Sharing Reid G. Smith March 16, 2006 © 2006 R.G. Smith & Associates Presented at American University Intercultural Management Institute Annual Conference – Best Practices and New Directions in Intercultural Relations: A Forum for Business, Education, and Training Professionals. Washington, DC, 16 March, 2006. http://www.imi.american.edu/conf2006.htm In the fast-paced world of today, organizations must take full advantage of the collective knowledge of their people. This demands the creation of a new work environment in which communities of practice can share knowledge and work together to solve problems, to learn, to invent new methods, and overcome physical barriers of time and distance. In this session, we first discuss our experiences with transnational organizations, where cultural diversity leads not only to more difficult knowledge-sharing challenges, but also to greater opportunities for success. This is followed by an interactive workshop where the participants consider how to apply the lessons learned to their own business, non-profit, multilateral institution, and government settings. Culture: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation; the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. For purposes of this session...
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...racing for revenue resulted from high income and attractive image. Almost all companies want to have international business to get more profit. However, culture affects everything we do as to persuade people is “easy said than done”. Therefore, not only “know your audience” but also the need of crosscultural knowledge are the target of all advertising activities. This essay will examine why successful advertising requires crosscultural awareness. It seem obviously to be stated that language is key to effective crosscultural advertising. Firstly, the essence of successful advertising is how to use different languages convincing people what the product meant to them. Checking linguistic implication of company product name is important to avoid taboos and misunderstanding . In fact, the introduction of Ford for the car ‘Pinto’ in Brazil is one of examples of linguistic advertising blunders. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that this name meant by residents in Brazil is ‘tiny male genitals’. Moreover, using suitable language for each country make advertisers show respect to their audiences, lead to increase revenue and increase the value of reputation. Language analysing must also be needed for its cultural suitability. Every country have its native culture, unsuitable language in advertising will lead to negative impacts. To illustrate, the slogan “Challenge Everything” employed by the computer games manufacturer EA Sports is unacceptable in some religions or societies where harmonious relationships are maintained...
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...OF THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY CHAPTER ONE THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: CONCEPTS AND PROBLEMATICS OF THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY Introduction This chapter presents a general theoretical framework for the knowledge society, based on four major axes linked by the concerns and issues invoked by the project to create a “knowledge society” as an integral part of a comprehensive programme of Arab renaissance. The first of these axes presents the premises and principles guiding the knowledge society. The second deals with the conceptual structure of the discourses that have attempted to shed light on the changes in modern societies since the information revolution. Here we have constructed an operational definition of the knowledge society in the Arab world, based on the ideas put forward in the Report’s various chapters. The third axis constructs the systems of reference that have guided, and continue to guide, knowledge discourse in the contemporary world and allows us to become acquainted with the dimensions and options underlying earlier reports on the same topic. The fourth axis examines some of the problematic issues posed today by information and knowledge development in contemporary society, believing that reflection on these issues will influence efforts to close knowledge gaps in the Arab world and achieve comprehensive human development. While subsequent chapters of the Report examine the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the most significant foundations of knowledge, this...
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...study of the issue, aided by an acute sense of customs and convictions, （如果字数多了，这个蓝色部分可以删掉） however, reveals quite indisputably that one can learn, more or less, about people by the clothes they dress. The most significant information thus gathered is personal identity and cultural inclinations. Coming first to indicate the affinity between the people and their clothing is the identity issue, which serves as a solid, identifiable evidence to my argument. （如果字数多了，这个蓝色部分可以删掉） With different styles of dressing, one intends to articulate his own identity, thus conveying some cultural subtleties, say, his likes and dislikes, his convictions and taboos. The example of Hippies and Yuppies comes readily to one’s mind. Their unconventional, rebellious dressing code, in a non-verbal manner, remained their counter-cultural manifesto. It is also true in the case of politicians and business people, whose clothing undoubtedly helps to differentiate them from those with different pursuits and occupations. With one’s dress, a sensitive, well-informed mind could also gather crucial information about the customs, beliefs and other cultural inclinations of the community the person lives in, though, in some cases，the knowledge thus gained might be insufficient, but certainly not dismissible. （如果字数多了，这个蓝色部分可以删掉）As we are invariably conditioned by our customs upon the very moment of our birth, we grow up to be little creatures of our communities and convictions. Their beliefs are our belief, their...
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...December, 2014 How is knowledge gained? Knowledge begins at birth, knowing you are hungry, tired, hurt, cold etc. This is transmitted via crying and interaction. From inception you bond with your mother and know her scent, her touch, her feel and thus you begin your journey of knowledge. As we continue to grow older in age we learn new things in our daily lives, whether it’s learning how to walk or a new language that relates to our culture and religious beliefs. We are always growing and learning new things increasing our knowledge in different ways to help us advance and develop our brains more which will then help us mature and develop ourselves. We also learn from books, and television or music created by other people but the only way to understand and process this new information and knowledge from them we would have to already know how to understand and interpret information. No matter what we do in life we always need to look for new ways to expand our knowledge and increase it by making it better with the new things that we learn. As an example increasing our knowledge in a certain area such as science we can learn new things about the brain and body so we can advance in a career and become a doctor or therapist, or maybe become a nurse. By advancing our knowledge we learn a better understanding of particular ideas and things, and we gain a better skill and a greater intelligence in that particular area. Knowledge is gained by direct experience, knowledge claims, and skills...
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...TOK “Knowledge gives us a sense of who we are.” To what extent is this true in the Human Sciences and Ethics? Socrates once said, “To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge” [1]. In similar vein, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know” [1]. A great Indian master, Nisargadatta Maharaj once quoted, “To know what you are, you must first investigate and know what you are not” [2]. What were Socrates, Emerson, Nisargadatta hinting at? Is there any such thing as ‘knowledge’ and if so, can this knowledge ever give us a sense of who we are? Is there one concrete sense of ‘who we are’ that persists all throughout our lives or is our sense of identity a montage of ever-changing psychological and behavioral dynamics? Is the knower even capable of using ways of knowing to grasp a sense of who he/she is? If so, which way of knowing is more trustworthy and which area of knowledge should these ways of knowing be applied to, to get a better sense of who one is? Human sciences provides a sense of how we behave in the social context but not a sense of who we are at a personal level while Natural sciences while Thesis (….) I will be limiting my areas of knowledge to Human Sciences and Natural Sciences. Human Sciences, Psychology in particular, does attempt to answer questions about why and how people think, feel, and behave as they do. In a sense, it does attempt to give humans a ‘sense of how they behave’...
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...Cultural Action for Freedom Paulo Freire Introduction I think it is important—for my own sake as well as the reader’s—that we try, at the very outset, to clarify some points fundamental to the general understanding of my ideas on education as cultural action for freedom. This is all the more important since one of the basic aims of this work, where the process of adult literacy is discussed, is to show that if our option is for man, education is cultural action for freedom and therefore an act of knowing and not of memorization. This act can never be accounted for in its complex totality by a mechanistic theory, for such a theory does not perceive education in general and adult literacy in particular as an act of knowing. Instead, it reduces the practice of education to a complex of techniques, naively considered to be neutral, by means of which the educational process is standardized in a sterile and bureaucratic operation. This is not a gratuitous assertion. We will later clarify the radical distinction between knowing and memorizing and the reasons why we attach such importance to the adult literacy process. But first, some words about the socio-historical conditioning of the thinking presented here, as well as an explanation of the necessity for critical reflection on such conditioning. From a non-dualistic viewpoint, thought and language, constituting a whole, always refer to the reality of the thinking subject. Authentic thought-language is generated...
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...like Descarte, believe that anything that cannot be known with absolute certainty must be considered false until its truth is proven through observation, reason and experimentation (Dunn 126). Dewey believed that since problems of living are constantly changing, the instrument (or knowledge) for dealing with them has to change also. As a result, “truths” are tentative beliefs that change as the needs of the individuals in society change. People believe what leaders tell them, what society tells them and what their parents tell them. People are looking for truth and will believe what people tell them until it can no longer be proven. For the Christian educator as for Thomas Aquinas, any truth discovered in God’s world is God’s truth, so it is proper to give a prominent place in a Christian curriculum to the study of the natural sciences (Braley 27). Teachers need to determine wheather the subject matter being taught is the most important part of instruction or if developing character and/or well-being of the child is the most important factor (Dunn7). A caring and nurturing attitude towards students is most important. There is a clear distinction between knowledge and mere opinion or belief (Dunn 8). Education...
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...language to communicate with their teachers and classmates. Although it is complicated to learn a new language, it is really necessary, especially in school. In Richard Rodriguez’s, “ Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood”, he shares his story of having to leave his native language behind to learn a new language and how that led to his success. But Victor Villanueva’s,“Whose Voice Is It Anyway?: Rodriguez’ Speech in Retrospect”, states how he also had to learn a new language but he did not forget his native language. Villanueva states the importance of not forgetting the native language as it is a way of identification and communication with family. Learning the language plays a major role in assimilation, but so does their cultural background. Their cultural background such as their beliefs and language, also impacts how someone can assimilate. Bilingual education should not be allowed as it is a disadvantage to the children. The learning of a new language when adapting to a new place is very important. In order to communicate with other people whether it be in the store, sidewalk, or school it is necessary to speak the same language to be understood and get what you are asking for. As a foreigner, they have to learn the new language to be able to help their children with their homework and be able to communicate with their children’s teachers. It is also hard for the children to learn a new language and maintain their native language. As seen with Rodriguez where the nuns...
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...stipulated the importance of essay writing in the social sciences outlining knowledge development, bringing fourth the importance of linguistics with the understanding of cultural laws and language within the areas of social science, showing the importance of jargon language with comparisons between two subjects and what is expected from the student in the governing of essay writing. I have also reflected upon essay writing from a teachers perspective, noting the expectations a teacher looks for in essay writing, and adding my perspective with an understanding of the essay cultural system. I have also outlined my experience with the understandings of cultural expectations in disciplines and essay writing concerning linguistics. The importance of essay writing academically in the social sciences is structured in the knowledge internalization, the student writes about the facts that have been a subject of a lecture or read in an article, furthering the knowledge and retention of a given subject, “learning to write essays is empowering. It is learning to take one’s place in the world of ideas” (Priest, 2007). The importance also lies in the intellectual development of a students knowledge within the social sciences, stimulating a students thoughts to apply retention, critical thinking, and general interest. Linguistics, the study of language is the cultural law behind the social science subjects, and each discipline within...
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...do the learning” in my opinion is a true statement. A person can sit in class all day long listening to a lecture and still not have a clue as to what is going on. If one wants to retain knowledge and apply it, it is up to that person to learn and comprehend the material that is presented to them by the teacher. Understandably, there are times when one does not get the information right away. When this happens though, it is up to the student to find out why they are not comprehending and get the additional information that is needed to learn the material. Smarthinking Assignment #1 In “The Activity and Art of Reading,” the authors explain to us the difference between reading information and reading for understanding. In the book it says, “we must know how to make books teach us well.” When reading just for information there is no comprehension. When reading for understanding one comprehends the material and is able to apply the material. What do You Think of This Idea? “The student must do the learning” in my opinion is a true statement. A person can sit in class all day long listening to a lecture and still not have a clue as to what is going on. Sometimes our minds can drift off and the teacher starts to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. If one wants to retain knowledge and apply it, it is up to that person to learn and comprehend the material that is presented to them by the teacher. Understandably, there are times when one does not get the information...
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...Internationalization of IKEA in the Japanese market and Chinese markets Abstract Date Level Authors June 4, 2008 Master Thesis EFO705, 10 points (15 credits) Wannapa Chaletanone (05-11-1982, Thailand) Wanee Cheancharadpong (03-09-1983, Thailand) Internationalization of IKEA in the Japanese and Chinese markets Leif Linnskog Why did IKEA internationalize into Japanese and Chinese markets? And what factors did influence IKEA’s success in Chinese market but failure in the Japanese market of the first round? The aim of thesis is to understand the internationalization of IKEA in Asia by comparing between Japanese and Chinese markets. This master thesis based on qualitative approach in order to investigate the internationalization of IKEA in Asian markets as a case study since it is beneficial in understanding the observation and explanation of behavior in the certain cases. IKEA is considered as retailer internationalization who expands into Japanese market as a result of deregulation and asset-based advantage while internationalize into Chinese market because of supporting environments such as political, social and economic conditions as well as transaction advantage. To success and failure, psychic distance and learning, strategic decision making process, degree of adaptation of retail offer, entry strategy, characteristics of organization and management characteristics are the influencing factors on internationalization of IKEA in the Japanese and Chinese markets. Internationalization...
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...Service to others is an integral part of my life. Through my many interactions with different disadvantaged populations in Boston, volunteering has allowed me to immerse myself in different communities and forge deep connections, sparking meaningful personal growth and building empathy and understanding for others. I believe that I would bring a wealth of volunteering experience and knowledge to either one of these service trips to the Caribbean. Given my deep commitment to serving my community at and around BC, I feel that the knowledge, skills and success I have cultivated and achieved through my professional, volunteering, and academic pursuits will translate successfully to international service, especially in providing support and care for those in...
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...the content 2 Contenu 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Literature review ........................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 International mergers and acquisitions ................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Mergers and acquisitions’ experience and performance implications .......................................... 10 2.3 The impact of the type of distance on the merger and acquisition’s learning process ............................. 12 2.3.1 Cultural distance............................................................................................................................... 12 2.3.2 Administrative distance ................................................................................................................... 13 2.3.3 Geographic distance ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.3.4 Economic distance ........................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 The impact of distance on international M&A...
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...Cultural competence and understanding cultural beliefs and values allow health providers the ability to properly assess individuals and provide appropriate education which is understandable to the particular culture. Culture is behaviors, beliefs, values, and ways of life for an individual which influence health, healing, wellness, illness, and delivery of health services (Dolan Hunt, 2014). Cultural awareness, imposition and sensitivity are areas that need to be understood. Cultural awareness is the understanding of our own thoughts and abilities to reflect on them to better understand the differences of others. Cultural imposition is fully understanding the cultures beliefs before providing a plan. An example of this is educating a patient on a specific diet and the need to educate the health provider regarding the cultural beliefs as there may be certain foods that patient will not eat. Cultural sensitivity also needs to be considered, understanding communication in respecting ones culture. Verbal and non verbal communication both need to be considered. An example of this is that some cultures find it disrespectful to stare to long and have direct eye contact, therefore it is important to have knowledge of this so that when providing care this is respected (Dolan Hunt, 2014). It is important to be knowledgeable, unbiased and understanding in order to perform in our full capacity. Overall, providing culturally congruent care is essential to reduce health disparities...
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