CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Increasingly, managers must deal with multiple ethnic groups with very different cultures. Thanks to globalization, you are likely to work with Japanese, French, Chinese, German and all sorts of other nationalities. It is important to recognize that people from different cultures are different in a variety of ways, including

• different ways of looking at things
• different ways of dressing
• different ways of expressing personality/goodness

These differences can cause problems interpreting what the other person is doing. Some simple examples:

• In the US, a firm, short handshake indicates self-confidence and (heterosexual) masculinity. A limp handshake by a man can be interpreted (usually wrongly) as a sign of homosexuality. But in most parts of Africa, a limp handshake is the correct way to do it. Furthermore, it is common in Africa for the handshake to last several minutes, while in the US a handshake that is even a few seconds too long is interpreted as familiarity, warmth and possibly sexual attraction.

• In Britain, men do not look at women in the streets but in France it's common to do it. Recently, a French public figure mentioned in a speech that British people are all gay. The evidence was their lack of overt interest in women.

Here is a video about how African people move to America and learn how people live there.

Three basic problems: interpreting others comments and actions, predicting behavior, and conflicting behavior:

Some Perceptions of Americans:

-Europe & especially England. "Americans are stupid and unsubtle. And they are fat and bad
dressers."

-Finland. "Americans always want to say your name: 'That's a nice tie, Mikko. Hi Mikko, how are
you Mikko'



-Indian. "Americans are always in a hurry. Just watch the way they walk down the street."

 
In my opinion we must read more information about how is life in other countries.                 It will help us to respect other cultures