Suggested Activities
Activity One: Real World Examples
When navigating different cultures, do your research. There are a many online resources you can use. One example is Commisceo Global. Take an opportunity to review the guides to culture and customs of various countries.
Activity Two: To Use the Golden Rule or to Not Use the Golden Rule?
People often assume learning about other cultures is unnecessary if we simply treat others as we would like to be treated (The Golden Rule). To test this assumption, try answering the following questions.
When receiving a gift from a friend, should you open it immediately, or wait to open it in private?
When grocery shopping, should you touch fruits and vegetables to evaluate their freshness?
In a conversation with your instructor or your supervisor at work, should you maintain direct eye contact?
Write down your answers before reading further. Now, choose a country other than your own and conduct an online search to learn the customs guiding the behaviors in the questions above. For example, In Chile, it is good manners to open a gift immediately and express delight and thanks. However, in Japan it is a traditional custom to not open a gift in the giver’s presence.
How do these differences relate to the cultural values and norms discussed in the chapter (individualism/collectivism, power distance, high/low context, etc.)?
Activity Three: Describe Your Dominant Culture
Write down a few words to describe your dominant culture.
Write down a few words to describe the culture in a place you would like to go, but have not yet been.
Compare and contrast.
Activity Four: Where would you like to go do business?
Identify a country in which you would like to work.
Research the type of culture you might find in the workplace. Is it collectivist or individualistic? High context or low context? What other things would you be interested to know?
Discussion Question
Reflect upon your growth. Recall an account of how you drew a first impression conclusion of someone and how it changed after you got to know them better. Share your reflection with a classmate.