Bus Midterm

1. Go to the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade website:

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html

One of the top countries I selected with which the U.S. trades is Canada. Canada has ranked in first place. (U.S. Census Bureau | Foreign Trade | ftdwebmaster@census.gov , 2013) (U.S. Census Bureau | Foreign Trade | ftdwebmaster@census.gov , 2013). Year To Date Total in Total in Billions Billions Country Name of U.S. $ of U.S. $

Canada 47.99 616.00 2. You are a manager about to relocate from the U.S. to the country you have selected in order to manage a team of local Customer Service reps, dealing with current and prospective customers within that country.

As part of your preparation to ensure success in reaching targets and managing the team:

a) Research the following cultural dimensions for your selected country and the U.S. Compare and contrast the two countries with regard to five of these dimensions. For each of the five dimensions, give an example of how the differences you have identified will require you to adapt your management style with your team and customers:

Education systems and literacy rates Communication style Business etiquette and protocol Business meeting conduct Team-building Work motivation Time

b) Go to The Hofstede Centre website for the results of Geert Hofstede’s acclaimed research on national cultural dimensions:

http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html

Compare the relative scores of your selected country and the U.S. in these five dimensions:
If we explore the US culture through the lens of the 5-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of American culture relative to other world cultures.

Power distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). It has to do with the fact that a society’s inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.

The United States score low on this dimension (40) which underscores the American premise of “liberty and justice for all.” This is also evidenced by the focus on equal rights in all aspects of American society and government. Within American organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.

Individualism
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

The United States, with a score of 91 on this dimension, is a highly individualistic culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families. There is also a high degree of geographical mobility in the United States and most Americans are accustomed to doing business with, or interacting, with strangers. Consequently, Americans are not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts in order to obtain or seek information. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

Masculinity / Femininity
A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the “winner” or “best-in-the-field.” This value system starts in school and continues throughout one’s life – both in work and leisure pursuits (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).
A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine) (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

The United States score 62 on this dimension and is considered a “masculine” society. Behavior in school, work, and play are based on the shared values that people should “strive to be the best they can be” and that “the winner takes all”. (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). As a result, Americans will tend to display and talk freely about their “successes” and achievements in life, here again, another basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). Typically, Americans “live to work” so that they can earn monetary rewards and attain higher status based on how good one can be. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

Uncertainty avoidance
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

The US scores 46 on this dimension and therefore, American society is what one would describe as “uncertainty accepting.” (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or foodstuffs. Americans tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. At the same time, Americans do not require a lot of rules and are less emotionally expressive than higher-scoring cultures (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

Long-term orientation
The long term orientation dimension is closely related to the teachings of Confucius and can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue, the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010).

The United States scores 29 on this dimension and is a short-term oriented culture. As a result, it is a culture focused on traditions and fulfilling social obligations. Given this perspective, American businesses measure their performance on a short-term basis, with profit and loss statements being issued on a quarterly basis. (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010) This also drives individuals to strive for quick results within the work place. There is also a need to have the “absolute truth” in all matters (Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010). 3. From your research, which of these three attitudes do you recommend your company adopts as regards operating in your selected country and why?
Ethnocentrism, polycentrism, geocentrism

Works Cited
U.S. Census Bureau | Foreign Trade | ftdwebmaster@census.gov . (2013, March 2). Retrieved March 2, 2013, from http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html
Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2. -S.-h. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. In G. J. Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. New York City: McGraw-Hill USA.

Cited: U.S. Census Bureau | Foreign Trade | ftdwebmaster@census.gov . (2013, March 2). Retrieved March 2, 2013, from http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html Geert Hofstede v New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2. -S.-h. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. In G. J. Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. New York City: McGraw-Hill USA.