Americans at a Glance
Lisa Williams
MAN 2604 International Management
November 16, 2014
Mr. McCaskill, Sr

Dimensions of Organizational Culture Profile (OCP)

Introduction
This white paper describes a generalized cultural profile of me personally, as an American using the 8 criterions or 8 distinct values in a study conducted by Philip R. Harris and Robert T. Moran, which provides a basis of comparison with other cultures and, thus, suggests the likely differences in workplace behaviors. As an American, I feel justified in admitting that those who grow up in the United States are generally poorly prepared for cross-cultural relationships. Although from the lessons of this course, my experience and exposure of living locally within a different culture have held me in good stead throughout my career and personal life, parts of it were a struggle how an understanding of the local culture and business environment can give managers an advantage in competitive industries.

Americans at a Glance
It is relatively simple for Americans to pull together a descriptive profile of U.S. culture, even though regional and individual differences exist, because Americans know themselves and because researchers have thoroughly studied U.S. culture. The results of one such study by Harris and Moran, provides a basis of comparison with other cultures and, thus, suggests the likely differences in workplace behaviors.
As generally understood, the culture of a society comprises the shared values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of a society, and passed on to succeeding generations. This shared outlook results, in large part, in common attitudes, codes of conduct, and expectations that subconsciously guide and control certain norms of behavior. One is born into, not with, a given culture, and