...1 AMERICANS DOING BUSINESS IN VIETNAM: COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES by Katrine Syppli Kohl COM 9656: International Business Communication Fall 2007 This paper focuses on differences that are likely to cause problems for U.S. American managers operating in Vietnam. At first, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions of power distance, individualism, and longterm orientation are used to pinpoint key differences in Vietnamese and American business culture (Hofstede, 2001). Second, stable and transitional concepts of culture are delineated as they apply to the topic. Finally, areas of communication are discussed that benefit from special attention because of differences between Vietnamese and American culture. Value Dimensions Hofstede’s original cultural dimensions were power distance (PDI), individualism (IDV), masculinity (MAS), and uncertainty avoidance (UAI); later, long-term orientation (LTO) was added as a fifth dimension (2001). When comparing the United States with Vietnam, the three dimensions of power distance, individualism, and long-term orientation differ most significantly (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Comparison of value orientations: United States versus Vietnam (ITIM International, 2003). Power-distance according to Adler and Gundersen (2008) “reflects the extend to which less powerful members of organizations accept an unequal distribution of power” (p. 54). In countries such as Vietnam where high power-distance are paired with a low uncertainty avoidance, employees view their ...
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...Is culture really all that International Human Resource Manager is about? * Introduction * Diversity Management * IHRM & Culture issue * Conclusion * References Introduction People have always been the driving force of business and management. This force is a challenge and if not addressed with the right skills, it will develop into disturbing elements that are very dangerous for the management of the company. The challenges of global talent selection and mobility of labor, established by a career concept that transcends national borders and organizational groups and the emergence of virtual collaboration on international projects requires companies to develop new skills in their employees to be effective in the complexity of today's contexts. The workforces are people, and as we are human, we are all different from various points of view. This paper aims to answer the question: “Is culture really all that International Human Resource Manager is about?” I’ve analyzed the differences between HRM and IHRM based on the concept of diversity, characteristics that influence both topics but in a different way. After this, the next stop is to define IHRM and the concept of culture to reach the conclusion that managing cultural differences in an international team is the major challenge to IHRM. Due to the movement of employees between foreign subsidiaries and headquarters and between foreign locales, HRM professionals are likely to...
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...Jenny Smith November 28, 2011 Dr. Min Young Lee English 121 sec 28 The Coming of Age of the Male Characters in About a Boy About a boy is a contemporary novel written by the British author Nick Hornby. It incorporates constructs of post-modern writing by bringing into focus the artists, and styles, and prose of the vernacular. The setting of the novel takes place in London in the mid 1990s. About a boy gives a unique perspective of a coming of age story. It follows the coming of age of two boys of two very different ages; Will Freeman 36 years old and Marcus 12. This novel shows the contrast between consumerism and materialism with real interpersonal connections. Will Freeman made the decision to pursue materialism rather than personal friendships, and to live in self-imposed isolation. Will had the ability to buy “cool” clothes, and sunglasses and sneakers, and so was never at a loss for acquaintances. Marcus, on the other hand, felt isolation due to a lack of materialism. Marcus was an outsider in his school in London since he could not have the best “coolest” clothes, shoes, and haircuts and thus was always the target of bullying. However, as the plot progresses, Marcus and Will undergo transformational experiences together to become more connected to the people around them. The transformational experiences of Fiona’s suicide, falling in love, and Marcus’ arrest all culminate in the maturation of Will and Marcus’ and the genesis of interpersonal connections between...
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...Film Review of ”About a Boy” Cast: Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, Toni Collette and Nicholas Hoult Director: Chris and Paul Weitz Novel written by: Nick Hornby Script writer: Peter Hedges, Chris and Paul Weitz Rating: PG-13 Genre: Romance, Comedy and Drama Running time: 105min. Review: The movie is mainly about 36 year old Will Freeman and 12 year old Marcus Brewer. Will is a so called island which means that he wants nothing to do with family related things; all he really wants is relationships without any form of commitment, he therefore goes to a club for single parents called S.P.A.T. There he meets a woman that he likes, but to be with her he makes up that he has a two-year old son named Ted. When he revels that it was a lie to get close to her, she immediately breaks up with him. Will's keeps on courting and the woman (Suzie) takes him to one of the group's picnics where he meets Marcus the son of Suzie's friend, Fiona. At the picnic, Marcus accidentally kills a duck with piece of bread while he is trying to feed it. When a park ranger asks him about it, Will defends Marcus by saying that the bird was already dead. Afterward, when Will and Suzie take Marcus home, they find Fiona, his mother, in the living room, on a pill-overdose trying to commit suicide. Marcus gets uncomfortable with being at home with his mother; therefore he tries to get Will to date her. After only one date this plan fails so Marcus starts following Will around and discovers that Will...
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...of my patients. Streams of people are constantly flooding into our hospital, their legs and necks covered in swollen bumps that blacken within hours; goose bumps rise upon their skin as they shiver with exceedingly high fevers, and many are violently throwing up blood. Nurses are madly dashing around from person to person, trying to aid them as much as possible, while our top doctors are desperately racing against time to find some sort of remedy; the hospital is in mass chaos I tell you, mass chaos! I just can’t take it anymore, seeing so many faces that were once smiling and laughing all of twenty-four hours ago to now being masked with such desolate fear and misery. I want to leave this place, just like Dr. Kamish and Dr. Maveroh and about ten more of our staff members that deserted our hospital did. It would be better than hiding in this old closet that I’m in now, which reeks of must and unused cleaning supplies. Although, the stench of dirt and Windex couldn’t possibly smell as bad as the vile odor of the sick and decaying people outside; I don’t want to go out there. I’m petrified. If I go back out there, I could get sick myself, and leave behind my husband and kids. But I can’t stay in here. It’s wrong. I’m going to go out there right now and try to do my best to help the people that have fallen ill during this grave time, the grimmest time of my life. -Sue * * * Dear Journal March 20, 1348 Yesterday at work was one of the most horrifying sights...
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...is Home? In Joan Didion’s essay “On Going Home” she writes about leading a double life. She feels like one person when she’s with her husband and daughter in Los Angeles, and a completely different person when back “home” surrounded by her childhood family in the Central Valley of California. During this particular trip, she begins to reflect on her life in Los Angeles. Didion contemplates the fact that she often feels uneasy around her husband, just like he feels uneasy being around her family. At a crossroad, she must decide not only who she is, and the life she wants, but also the kind of life she wants for her daughter. Her life in Los Angeles has cleansed her from her youth—one that was dusty and full of useless trinkets. She ponders the time her husband wrote the word “D-U-S-T” on those useless trinkets and she remembers her feelings of sadness and indignation. She says, “We live in dusty houses…filled with mementos quite without value to him” (139-40). The dust-covered trinkets signify what is important to her, or what needs to be addressed in her marriage. Yet, these objects just lay there waiting for someone to see them—for someone to dust them off and care for them—not unlike how Didion wishes her husband would see her and nurture her in their marriage. Didion wonders which of her two homes is normal or if they are both flawed. When she and her husband are with her family, he becomes apprehensive about her behavior, “…because once there I fall into their ways, which...
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...Name: Joel Sanguinetti Title: All About Eve Year: 1950 Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck Three Performers: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders Costume/Wardrobe: Edith Head, Charles LE Maire, Sam Benson, Josephine Brown, Ann Landers, Merle Williams Hair and Make-up: Ben Nye, Bunny Gardel, Franz Prehoda, Kay Reed, Gene Roemer, Gladys Witten Set and Stage Design: Thomas Little, Walter M. Scott Musical Score Composer: Alfred Newman Cinematographer/Photographer: Milton R. Krasner Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Original Novel, Play, or Story: Mary Orr – The Wisdom of Eve Academy Awards (Oscars) Won: 1. Best Actor in a Supporting Role – George Sanders 2. Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Edith Head & Charles LE Maire 3. Best Director – Joseph L. Mankiewicz 4. Best Picture – 20th Century Fox 5. Best Sound, Recording – 20th Century-Fox Sound Dept. 6. Best Writing, Screenplay – Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joel Sanguinetti Mr. Skillings English 101-B4N December 19, 2011 All About Theatre Theatre has evolved in many ways throughout history. Theatre goes back to the 6th century BCE and develops its origins from Greece. Around 1750, theatre was introduced to New York, and eventually became what we now know as Broadway theatre. All About Eve, directed and written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is a movie based on the novel The Wisdom of Eve, written by Mary Orr. All About Eve is a movie about Broadway theatre and the harsh...
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...My colleague presented a case to me involving a man named “Bob”. The patient “Bob” is an only child that grew up in a religious household. His father was a warm and kind man that worked all the time. Bob only saw his father on the weekends when he was a child due to his father’s work schedule. Bob’s father died about a year ago. Bob’s mother was the disciplinarian and she was very strict. She worked as a janitor initially at his Elementary School and then she became his high school librarian. Bob seems to have a strained relationship with his mother. Bob attended college and studied psychology. He worked as a psych tech for 14 years. Bob seems cooperative at the session and admits to having no medical problems, but drinks occasionally with...
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... Bob, was an extremely wealthy man in his early forties, just won another million dollars from the state lotto. Bob was on a hot streak winning almost every ticket. Bob also like to bet on the horses. Bob has an addiction. One day bob lost, Bob was mad, He lost a lot of money on a sure fire horse.. Bob bet everything on this horse, The horse broke its leg out of the gate, Game over. Bob was broke, he had no money, just his car and nice house. Bob sold his house and his car, he bought a old ugly beater car. He again bet everything on another horse, and he lost again. Bob lives in his car, Bob is now in this fifties and still living in his car, Bob never reached out for help. Would you of helped Bob if he asked? Gambling is very addictive, there should be more publicly known programs, like AA, to help the people who have an addiction. The lotto should be harder to get tickets. More than a million adolescents are already addicted to gambling, starting at a young age (Grey). People with gambling addictions have problems, But it’s their own problems, They need to better manage their money, and not make everyone else feel bad for their mistakes. In stores and gas stations all around the united states there are machines just sitting there, filled with instant scratch off lotto tickets, All you do is put money in and pick the ticket you want. In gas stations where you have to ask the clerk to grab your ticket, have lower sales than the machines, The machines are convenient, you're...
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...Messages About Culture in Prime Time Television Seven days a week, 24 hours a day there is something to watch on television. There are reality shows, newscasts, news programs, dramas, sitcoms, the list is endless. The Big Bang Theory, The Millers, Law & Order: SVU, and Blue Bloods are all part of the prime time lineup of shows throughout any given week. The Big Bang Theory, airs on CBS and was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. It is the story of two brilliant physicists that work at CalTech in Pasadena, CA. Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper are co-workers, best friends and roommates. Sheldon is “regimented, deeply eccentric, and non-conventional” in his thinking which is a consistent hardship on the relationship between these two friends (“Plot Summary”). They are friends with colleagues Howard Wolowitz, a mechanical engineer, and Rajesh Koothrappali, an Indian immigrant who works as an astrophysicist. The foursome are “self-professed nerds, [with] little or no luck with popular women” (“Plot Summary”). A neighbor, Penny, is of average mind but compared to this brilliant squad she’s made to seem of less than average intelligence. Leonard’s goal is to get Penny to be his girlfriend. Immediately following Big Bang is The Millers created by Greg Garcia and starring Will Arnett. Arnett plays the part of Nathan, a single reporter who has divorced his wife, a secret he’s kept from his parents for several months. His parents pay a visit only to find out about their...
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...CROSS CULTURE COMMUNICATION Sondra Pham University of Memphis Abstract This paper explores cross culture communication by dissecting the term. Cross-cultural communication is a newly studies and researchable topic due to the businesses going global and the interaction between different cultures. In this paper, it will define communication and culture along with helpful tips and strategies to better understand how to communicate between different cultures. This paper examines the do’s and don’ts during cultural interaction in the business world as well as the tools for communicating with different cultures. Cross Culture Communication The importance of effective communication is immeasurable in the world of business and in personal life. Communication and cultures have always existed, but with the global market growing, it has been more common for business to do business with people from different cultures. The way of communicating will not be the same in all countries. Cross- cultural communication is essential in order to have a successful business and relationship with companies around the world. There are many aspects that go into consideration when communicating with people from a different background. Before fully understanding cross culture communication, one must first understand communication. Understanding Communication Communication is our ability to share our ideas and feelings. Whether people live in Hanoi, Vietnam, a city in Brazil, the mountains of North...
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...Answer 1 The anthropological definition of cultural relativism is that people studying cultures let go of their “esthetic and moral judgments” when they are studying other cultures. It is the idea that anthropologists should build an understanding of another culture allowing it to develop as freely as any other culture in their mind. It is the practice of staying entirely non-judgmental and not allowing personal thoughts and apprehensions to come in the way of understanding another culture. It involves developing the understanding about another culture with an unassuming observance and keeping an open mind to whatever comes across without developing any bias or being judgmental about it. Anthropologists use cultural relativism when on the field by leaving all of their biases and preconceived notions when they study other cultures. They try to ‘forget’ any prior knowledge that they have about the...
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...BRAVE Framework for Thinking About Culture | PrimeGenesis NEWS BLOG CONTACT HOME ABOUT US EXECUTIVE ONBOARDING BEFORE DAY ONE OUR BOOKS THE NEW LEADER’S PLAYBOOK TOOLS BRAVE FRAMEWORK FOR THINKING ABOUT CULTURE DECEMBER 7, 2010 BY GEORGE BRADT 16 COMMENTS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: SO IMPORTANT – SO MISUNDERSTOOD We created some new frameworks for the 3rd edition of our book The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan. One of those is the BRAVE cultural framework. At some level, everyone knows culture is important, but people struggle to define, understand, and influence it. Since we originally created this framework, many have found BRAVE helpful in building shared cultural understanding and action. BRAVE CULTURAL FRAMEWORK BRAVE encapsulates components of culture including the way people Behave, Relate, their Attitude, Values, and the work Environment they create: Behave: The way people act, make decisions, control the business, etc. Relate: The way people communicate with each other (including mode, manner, frequency, and disagreement), engage in intellectual debate, manage conflict, credit and blame, etc. (1) Attitude: How people feel about and identify with the organization, its purpose, and its stakeholders, etc. A big part of this comes through in individual and organizations' sense of commitment to what they are doing. Values: People's underlying beliefs, principles, approach to learning, risk, time horizons, etc. Environment: The way people...
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...ßCultural-Competence Assignment Introduction The purpose of this essay is to firstly understand the arguments between McSweeney and Hofstede about national cultures. The argument starts on the Hoftstede’s published book Culture’s Consequences. Hoftstede’s cultural dimensions theory has got popular and in the same time criticised by other scholars, while McSweeney is one of the scholars who have been critising the cultural dimensions on people from different nations. This essay will firstly summarise the ideas and arguments of both of McSweeney and Hofstede in order to develop the understanding about the reasons why they are conflicting with each other on the cultural dimension theories. Following the summary of the two scholars ideas and argument, this essay will discuss the agreement and disagreement of both scholars. Reflection on this course on national culture will be specified as well in order to show whether my personal understanding about culture has been changed or improved. Summary of the ideas and argument of both McSweeney and Hofstede * McSweeney’s argument McSweeney expresses his doubts about Hoftstede’s model of national cultural differences and their consequences. The criticism that McSweeney has on the theory of Hoftstede’s cultural dimensions based on the description of national cultural differences in the Culture’s Consequences published in 1980 (McSweeney, 2002). First of all, the methodology applied in the research of Hoftstede’s model is critised...
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...Intercultural Communication in the Lecture 7 2.3 Obstacle in Intercultural Communication 9 Chapter 3 12 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Issue background The world today is filled by an ever growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Not just happen out of the country, Indonesian society has always been known to be very heterogeneous in many aspects, such as the diversity of ethnicity, religion, language, etc. Is common as an Indonesian citizen with the differences in culture in our society, because of the breadth of Indonesian region. Culture is a lifestyle that developed and shared by a group of people and passed down from generation to generation. When someone tried to communicate with people of different cultures and adjust differences, proved that the actual culture is also studied. In fact, we often can’t accept or have...
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