“I would like to understand the cultural aspect of the
country of my present residence i.e. United States. Even though I have worked
in U.S organizations, I have had very limited interactions with American
counterparts due to the nature of my job in the past. But my current job requires
me to interact with counterparts with American cultural background. I feel
understanding the cultural difference between American and Asian cultures and
how that shows up in the American corporate world- that is the most important
topic I would like to understand.”
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I think that it would be key for this person to begin to create American fiends and social networks, to be able to have a more immersive cultural experience. This is an imperative step in understanding the nuances that must be experienced first-hand and in the proper context to be truly appreciated. A country's culture can not be successfully assimilated simply by having "business interactions of necessity."
ReplyDeleteI currently work in the public sector and interact with many private sector firms. I have found that corporate cultures are all unique depending on the organization and its mission. I would recommend studying the mission of your organization.
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you will agree, more often than not, strong organizational cultures overshadow the cultural differences of employees.
Building on Frank's suggestion (above), might you have additional thoughts on how the student who posed this question could better acclimate himself/herself to U.S. American business culture?
I agree that American friends, or at least friendly co-workers, are the best way to learn, both by observation & imitation. I use my co-workers from other countries to explain the subtlties that I might not normally pick up on. Also, knowing a little history is helpful, for instance, most American's are descended from immigrants, we tend to be goal oriented, self oriented, & mobile (at least, that would be my experience).
ReplyDeleteI think one way to get better acclimated to any culture is to understand what "they" think of me. I was in France and I found it very helpful to understand not what I thought French people thought of Americans, but what they actually thought about Americans. We of course discussed all of the stereotypes (and had a good laugh about them), but it was helpful for me to have that point of view. It also leads to conversation and a type of cultural exchange. I think this would go a long way towards beginning to understand "the cultural difference between American and Asian cultures and how that shows up in the American corporate world".
ReplyDeleteI know many people who struggle with this very issue. I've seen this with family member as well as with at work where I've been in charge of building out an offshore team. Also personally I consider myself multicultural as I was born in Asia and came to the US when I was 8 years old. Furthermore after having grown up in the US I ended up marrying my wife, who was still living in Asia when we got married and brought her over the US. So I have seen the challenges that arise from not understanding culture or cultural context very closely. From a personal perspective, as soon as my wife came to the US, I felt it my job to immerse her in US culture so that when she started working here it would be easier for her to understand cultural norms and blend in without culture being a barrier. While I found that watching TV shows and movies were helpful, the greatest impact was from having the right mental attitude. It isn't possible to absorb everything in a short time but if you make a serious effort to try and absorb your surroundings, it goes a long way in bridging that gap. My wife is a naturally social person so it helped that she befriended people of all different cultures and through those friendships was able to learn the overall culture. There will be a vast amount of cultural references, words, context that won't initially make sense but if you have good friends that understand the context to explain things to you, that will go a long way in bringing somebody up to speed.
ReplyDeleteStephanie
ReplyDeleteI support Frank's comments but the process of understanding culture is a long process because you may learn something different every day. I believe understanding of your own culture can provide more insight on how to better understand other cultures. When I moved to U.S., I had a hard time coping with the American Culture. I think because I did not fully understand my own culture, I was reluctant to understand other cultures. However, seven years later, I am at a different place where I feel knowledgeable about my culture and ready to learn about others.