...Culture Project | U.S. | Germany | Greeting | In the U.S., when you greet another person, you can typically offer a handshake. This is a very common form of greeting. There are some instances where you may be meeting a friend of a friend or a family member of your friend where they will ask for a hug, but is not seen very often. Hugs are typically reserved for family or feminine friends while kisses are reserved for couples. Eye contact is also a sign of respect. Avoiding eye contact usually shows weakness, timidness, or even a lack of self-esteem.www.nativeforeignermag.com/2012/06/4-ways-to-greet-an-american/ | The German culture actually has very few differences when it comes to greetings. You can’t really go wrong with a firm handshake and good eye contact. The biggest difference between the two cultures comes between hugs and kisses. Most German men consider hugs too feminine whereas some males in the U.S. could turn a handshake or “fist bump” into a brief hug with a pat on the back. Kisses are very unusual in Germany. Kisses are almost always reserved for people VERY fond of you.German.about.com/od/vocabularytips/a/Learn-German-Greetings.htm | Homes | In the U.S. many people are pretty open and this is even seen in your home. Many homes are designed in an open way and often without many doors. Typically the only time you find doors closed in an American home is when they want privacy in the bathroom or bedroom. In some U.S. households, your street shoes are taken off...
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...a theme park, Euro Disney located outside of Paris, France. The Walt Disney Company was one of the American organizations which expand its business to the foreign soil. Doing a very successful and profitable business throughout US, California and Florida, the company established its first foreign venture Tokyo Disneyland, another winning and profitable business of Walt Disney. Being successful from Tokyo Disneyland, the company decided to further expand abroad and enhance its foreign presence, Euro Disney comes forward. But in case of Euro Disney, the company made some wrong steps in decision making which in turn experienced numerous complications from its inception. Below some areas are discussed critically that went wrong in case of Euro Disney. Location or area and environment selection were wrong in first place. Though French suggested to building the Euro Disneyland into the East Paris despite the West because it could turn the people from East to West. Paris is colder than California and Florida, so people weren’t interested to visit for a long time. Environment is a big issue for any business setup, but Euro Disney made the selection wrongly. Another bold issue was cultural differences. Cultural differences exist in each country and those factors must be considered seriously. Euro...
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...Corporate Culture Comparison 1 Running head: CORPORATE CULTURE COMPARISON BETWEEN MICHAELS Corporate Culture Comparison Between Michaels and A.C. Moore Jeff Bowing Business 508 1820 Cross Vista Drive Cary, NC 27606 Telephone: 919-765-5152 Email: czin@yahoo.cm Instructor: Dr. Glenning Corporate Culture Comparison 2 Abstract Corporate culture was compared between Michaels and A. C. Moore determining how they differ from one another. Three different ways each unique culture has benefited by the others competition will be discussed. A discussion of how each company will continue to thrive if its current corporate culture would need to change in the near future. Corporate Culture Comparison 3 A corporate culture comparison between Michaels and A.C. Moore will be discussed in this paper. Corporate culture is extremely important to the success of any business. Every business has a distinct corporate culture with not one being alike. The chief executive or owner sets the tone for corporate culture. Spot states “the corporate culture is the operating environment that is set and shaped by the executive: • the way people dress • the way people act • the way people present themselves • they way people conduct their work • the way supervisors are encouraged to manage departments • the way customers are treated and served • the way workers interact with supervisors • the...
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...truths hold for different people in different cultural. According to moral relativism, there is no goodness or badness in the abstract; there is only goodness or badness within a specified context. An act may thus be good in one cultural setting but bad in another, but cannot be either good or bad full stop. Those who reject relativism, of course, have arguments of their own: In some cases, it does seem to be right to judge one culture to be morally superior to another, to make cross-cultural comparisons. To make cross-cultural comparisons, though, one needs a cross-cultural standard, which is precisely what moral relativism says there isn’t. Not only does moral relativism entail that we cannot make legitimate moral comparisons of different cultures, it also entails that we cannot make legitimate moral comparisons of a single culture across time; we cannot judge whether a changing society is getting better or worse. Generally, though, we do think that we have made moral progress. Moral relativism, arguably, cannot make sense of this. Moral philosophy Moral philosophy refers to the basic rules or principles that people use to decide what is right or wrong. Although there is no single moral philosophy that every culture, every nation, even every people accepts, there are still some moralities are widely accepted. Such as honest, integrity, and fairness which was mentioned in last week. More complicated situations may exist in real live. People may sink into dilemma when there...
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...A Sino-U.S. Comparison of Work-Family Conflict and Its Implications to American Managers A SINO-U.S. COMPARISON OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT 2 Abstract In this qualitative study, work-family conflict in China and the United States is compared and contrasted based on national culture, traditions, norms, and living standards. The analysis results in a proposition that Chinese employees will experience less work-family conflict when faced with the same work and family demand as their American counterparts, because of differences in their work and family priority, perception of work-family relationship, national culture, conflict handling style, social support, work-family communication, and economic pressure. The implications to American managers are discussed. A SINO-U.S. COMPARISON OF WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT 3 A Sino-U.S. Comparison of Work-Family Conflict and Its Implications to American Managers Work-family conflict has been a concern of many researchers (Carlson & Kacmar, 2000; Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985). Studies showed that work-family conflict had negative impact on employees, their families, and organizations (Beutell & Witting-Berman, 1999; Burke, 1988; Frone & Cooper, 1992; Goff, Mount, & Jamison, 1990; Martins, Eddleston, & Veiga, 2002). Recent changes in demographic characteristics of the U.S. work force have resulted in greater work-family conflict. Examples of these demographic changes include the...
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...Comparative research is a research methodology in the social sciences that aims to make comparisons across different countries or cultures Comparative research defined Comparative research, simply put, is the act of comparing two or more things with a view to discovering something about one or all of the things being compared. This technique often utilizes multiple disciplines in one study. When it comes to method, the majority agreement is that there is no methodology peculiar to comparative research.[5] The multidisciplinary approach is good for the flexibility it offers, yet comparative programs do have a case to answer against the call that their research lacks a "seamless whole."[6] There are certainly methods that are far more common than others in comparative studies, however. Quantitative analysis is much more frequently pursued than qualitative, and this is seen by the majority of comparative studies which use quantitative data.[7][1][8][2] The general method of comparing things is the same for comparative research as it is in our everyday practice of comparison. Like cases are treated alike, and different cases are treated differently; the extent of difference determines how differently cases are to be treated. If one is able to sufficiently distinguish two carry the research conclusions will not be very helpful.[9] Secondary analysis of quantitative data is relatively widespread in comparative research, undoubtedly in part because of the cost of obtaining primary...
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...Cross-Culture Psychology Paper Character made of individual characteristics as well as different personal traits; culture has a unique set of behaviors, symbols, and attitudes that are held by a group of certain individuals and is usually passed down from generation to generation. (Feist & Feist, 2006; Shiraevv& Levy, 2010) Cultures are more than a group made up of individuals who are simply different from another group. Culture is made of up many things; the subsidiary individuals, genetically transmitted traits, language, tradition, religion, food, clothing, tattoos, and so much more. Martin-Santana and Beerli-Palacio (2008) proposed an advertising campaign that included cyclical effect on culture; such as reinforcing cultural norms. The problem with this was there was no base to it; not religion or society. All it contained was the cultural background: Eastern, Western, African, and so on but culture is not that simple to show in a commercial. The study of Cross- Culture is explained “…the critical and comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology.” (Shiraevv & Levy 2010, pg. 2) With most definitions this can be seen as non-specific and vague. Cross- Cultural psychology is concern is in the comparison of two or more cultures by critical evaluation on a psychological view- point. The comparison can include the connection between social norms and behavior, how human activity may be influences by culture, and interrelated effects of socio- cultural forces...
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...that were faced with them. He argues in this excerpt that diversity is based solely on culture, but that we should shift our focus to equality. It is important to examine a summary of the article, a discussion of the author’s thesis and supportive evidence, and a proposal to address the issue. This book is divided into four sections. In the introduction, Michaels presents two different...
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...The Whiteness of the Whale In Moby Dick, Herman Melville uses several examples of imagery to support the meaning of the color white. Because of this imagery, the formalist criticism can be used to further analyze the text. Formalism analyzes texts under the assumption that we will only understand a text within the writing’s own form. The imagery of the “whiteness of the whale†consumes the entire 42nd chapter of Moby Dick. Because white, in many cultures, is associated with beauty and goodness, Melville talks about the images of white marbles and pearls and how the whiteness these objects make them more desirable. Not only does white depict beauty but it is also a symbol of power and dominance. For example Melville refers to the color white as the “imperial colorâ€, mentioning white man’s dominance over “every dusky tribeâ€. To further illustrate the “goodness†of whiteness Melville relates the color to the “innocence of bridesâ€, and the divineness of the wild white horse. Another attribute Melville associates with whiteness is “holinessâ€, mentioning that all priests wear. The color white symbolizes many different positive characteristics throughout this chapter. Melville mentions the association between this color and traits like innocence, purity, and goodness. Immediately after discussing the goodness of whiteness, he identifies that the color can also have a negative connotation. The color white also serves as a serious contradiction in itself as...
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...el-Giza or Saqqara Learning about certain ancient cultures can be difficult when there is not a lot of documentation about daily events and actions, as these two aspects of life are the ones that tell us most about the needs and beliefs of a culture. Learning about the needs and beliefs of ancient Egyptian culture brings up these barriers. In order to get an idea of the events and actions that pertained to the needs and beliefs of ancient Egyptians, we can look at certain physical artifacts from the time. Art and everyday objects can explain a lot about the daily events and actions of ancient Egyptians. However, these objects cannot give a thorough explanation about aspects of the culture on their own. In order to make the most out of the interpretation of ancient artifacts, they must be compared to similar artifacts from a culture that is known by the individual conducting the comparison. Finding the similarities and differences between the objects’ appearance and usage can lead to conclusions about the culture as a whole. One aspect of Egyptian culture that can be learned about and analyzed through certain artifacts is the depiction of women, and how women were viewed by other members of ancient Egyptian society. The way women are depicted in art during the times of ancient Egypt, can help show how they perceived in Egyptian culture. In order to gage this perception two similar representations of women from different cultures (one from ancient Egyptian society, and one from...
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...Abstract There are a 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...
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...The Whiteness of the Whale In Moby Dick, Herman Melville uses several examples of imagery to support the meaning of the color white. Because of this imagery, the formalist criticism can be used to further analyze the text. Formalism analyzes texts under the assumption that we will only understand a text within the writing’s own form. The imagery of the “whiteness of the whale” consumes the entire 42nd chapter of Moby Dick. Because white, in many cultures, is associated with beauty and goodness, Melville talks about the images of white marbles and pearls and how the whiteness these objects make them more desirable. Not only does white depict beauty but it is also a symbol of power and dominance. For example Melville refers to the color white as the “imperial color”, mentioning white man’s dominance over “every dusky tribe”. To further illustrate the “goodness” of whiteness Melville relates the color to the “innocence of brides”, and the divineness of the wild white horse. Another attribute Melville associates with whiteness is “holiness”, mentioning that all priests wear. The color white symbolizes many different positive characteristics throughout this chapter. Melville mentions the association between this color and traits like innocence, purity, and goodness. Immediately after discussing the goodness of whiteness, he identifies that the color can also have a negative connotation. The color white also serves as a serious contradiction in itself as it makes things that are awful...
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...Every choice we make is due to each person’s individual morality and rationality. In this view, Norman (1988: 188) contends that, “Morality is premised on the assumption of individual responsibility.” Morality is concerned with the free choice of rational human beings, and not the non-rational. Louis (2002:28) further adds that morality, “Is just the set of common rules, habbits, and customs that have won social approval over time so that they seem part of things, like facts.” Moral relativism shows that there are no absolute moral rules and each situation needs to be examined individually. Therefore moral relativism is the belief that morality does not relate to any absolute standards of right and wrong but good and bad are dependent on culture and circumstance or judgment paradigm. Thus different moral truths hold for different people from society to society or at different periods in time. The fact that some people see moral relativism as an obvious truth which is undeniable needs no preamble. Needless to mention, others perceive moral relativism as threatening to the moral foundation on which society is founded. According to moral relativists there is nothing that is absolutely, invariably right or wrong, and there is no universal standard by which to measure our character or our actions. According to moral relativism, it is never true to say simply that a certain kind of behaviour is right or wrong, rather, it can only ever be true that a certain kind of behaviour is right...
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...Comparison is a principal concept in understanding both social and political issues between states. It allows individuals to better conceptualize the differences between states and thus formulate different ways to improve on their own states. By doing this, important political and social questions such as those regarding gun control, national identities, culture and values can be answered. These questions can best be expressed in Hirschfield, Laczko and Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart’s articles. The central theme of Hirschfield’s article is why American police officers kill so many citizens compared to European police officers while Laczko’s article focuses on an international survey regarding the national identities of different states...
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...Cisco vs. Aruba: For the purpose of this assignment a comparison between two very successful companies leading commercial wireless enterprise networks, Cisco Systems and Aruba Networks will be the featured topic of research. This paper will discuss various points behind this comparison between these companies including Corporate Culture differences, Unique Culture Benefits, Affects if changes in Corporate Culture are Required. Corporate Culture Corporate culture is uniquely built and a myriad of factors go into creating an effective culture. There are at least six different components that have been found to be common within great corporate cultures. The vision, values, practices, people, narrative and place and how they are brought together will determine how successful or unsuccessful that corporation becomes. Developing these elements is essential to building an individual and long lasting organization. Because all corporations and businesses are unique it becomes increasingly difficult to duplicate each corporation exactly the same. Seven dimension of organizational cultures has been identifies that include: innovative, stable, people, outcome oriented, detail oriented, team oriented and aggressive (Chatman & Jehn, 1994). As the organization become more complex in their make-up, so do the various cultures they incorporate. In any organization looking to be successful, they need to be a hybrid of these cultures in order to keep their employees, business partners...
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