Global Cultures - Essay Example

Gannon, Martin J., et al. Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical Journeys through 17 Countries. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994. Global culture must be understood by any business; I could also say that this understanding is one of the things that any business should understand. If you do not know the culture where your business is operating, you will not succeed. I am now in Saudi Arabia and Culture is very important for this country. I have never dealt with a woman since I came to this country.

We have a female salesperson and I was surprised to know that she can not talk to clients or even attend the meetings. Though this is very unusual in a business, we have to respect the prevailing culture and we cannot impose our own set of cultural background. , this research will describe the differentiation of national cultures using metaphors of cultural artifacts specific to seventeen different countries. This will also attempt to answer the question of how cultural dimensions can manifest themselves with concrete examples of traditions. 1. Christianson, Gale E.

Greenhouse: Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Virtual Learning Environments in Technical Communication. New York: Walker & Company, 1999 This journal research helps technical communicators explore the potential of virtual learning environments to simulate what will happen in the future. This research will also help to understand how we can put all the knowledge we learned to understand how to achieve a high sales figure. In addition, we will also be able to determine the driving forces of the above question that is economical, both politically and socially, with the usage of science and technology that is not harmful to the environment.

Also, it provides a structured overview of approaches on how to conceptualize, design, develop, and evaluate the virtual-learning environment. ? 3. Bate, Barbara, and Judy Bowker. Organizational and Intercultural Communication. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc., 1997 The driving force in this research is cultural, political, environmental, and technological considerations. This book will help me answer my focal question. The books discussed intercultural communication with due consideration of the different cultural dimensions and it also shows how these different dimensions apply to the different communication channels in multinational business settings on varying levels; be it on a personal level, interpersonal interaction, or national level.

The early part of the book introduces a theoretical framework for understanding the varying cultural differences. It also gave concrete examples of how these differences can manifest in a multinational organization. In addition, it also provides a multi-dimensional theory of culture that will begin the dialogue of charting cultural differences. Which, it also discussed how cultural frameworks affect individuals on personal and interpersonal levels. Finally, we can see the unique view of cultures based on the use of metaphors, explaining the multi-cultural dimensions within the context of history, traditions, and expected communication patterns. 4. Hofstede, Girt.

Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. The driving forces considered in this research are culture, technology, information, race, personality, and power. In this research, the author provides a framework of cultural dimensions for understanding cultural differences. the research will also help answer my focal question because the data collected by the author already showed how individuals from different national cultures compare to one another. Such, we are able to clearly see how members of a certain culture view themselves, as either individual or as a part of a member.

Power distance describes the difference between high versus low power distance and describes the distribution of power in an organization. The book is rich in theory and provides a framework for understanding the complexities of intercultural interaction and some of the underlying causes of intercultural conflict such as differences in the meaning of time, the use of physical space, and the acknowledgment of power. In particular, these concepts are useful for employees in international corporations.

This is the key to my question. 5. Storti, Craig. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: Encounters with Cultural Differences. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural P, 1994 It is exciting to see what we can learn from the same driving force as above. In my line of work, it opens new doors and lights my way to succeed. It also tremendously helped answer my focal question because the author gave examples of cultural miscommunication for the reader to think about, and then offered an alternative answer. You feel that you are being tested while reading, and that explains the underlying cultural dimensions at workplaces.

The author leads the reader to a better understanding of what cultural misunderstandings really are. The best example that I loved while reading is the dialogue that took place between an American and someone from the Middle East and frames the dialogue in different settings. This book gives an idea of how cultural communication meaning and styles defers from one culture to another. 6. Paige, Michael. Education for the Intercultural Experience. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural P, 1994. The driving force in this research is culture, technology, information, race, personality, and power.

In this research, the author provides a framework of cultural dimensions for understanding cultural differences. In this journal, we can see clearly the ways in which individuals are affected by the different cultural dimensions encountered in international and intercultural immersion experiences. Also, we can see the important issues arising from cross-cultural managers; such as culture shock, intercultural adjustment, and reentry. However, the author also discussed how an individual should prepare to live in another culture and suggested ways how to deal with the difficulty of relocating to a different cultural context.