Archives for September 2016

I used to believe that culture was centered on national and local influences that did not venture into the business world. In fact, culture plays a major role in how companies invest and operate their businesses. As stated in our text, “Culture is a distinctly human means of adapting to circumstances and transmitting this coping skill and knowledge to subsequent generations” (Moran et al, 2014, pg. 11).

Earlier in my career, I worked in a cross-cultural business climate where two cultures existed. These two companies, one Japanese and the other American, formed a partnership and operated this manufacturing facility as a joint venture. In the beginning we had two leadership teams from each company, acting in concert, to make the business decisions. We received cross-cultural training on the traditions and values of our new colleagues that helped us understand their decision making process.

Japanese culture is high in power distance, collectivism and low in uncertainty avoidance while the United States culture is in the opposite spectrums of these dimensions (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). Within these dimensions is where the struggles occurred. Both teams strived for the best business results but decisions were made from different backgrounds. Our Japanese colleagues preferred to make group decisions as indicated by their low individualism and high collectivism. Our U.S. team had little boundaries in regard to relationships with our senior managers with our low power distances. By the end of this venture we continued to center around our unique cultures but used these differences as a positive tool and not a barrier. We became more sensitive to each other and valued our differences.

As stated in Moran 2014, “ Through cross-cultural experiences, we become more broad-minded and tolerant of “uniqueness”” (Moran et al, 2014, pg. 25). Through these experiences I have became a more tolerant and capable leader as well as having great value for others cultures and what they can bring to the business. Culture exists on every level of society and is the basis for each individual’s decision-making process and most especially in the business world.

 

The Pennsylvania State University World Campus, (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050

 

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York, New York: Routledge.

These first two weeks has opened my eyes to how culture surrounds me more than I realized. While it is clear that when we look around us, we are all different, it takes time and effort to understand how and why. As stated in lesson two, “people from a particular area often behave in similar fashion.”(PSU)

What came to mind when reading that statement is when I was on social media and there was a quiz that was named something along the lines of “What region are you from based on what words you use.” I went ahead and took the quiz and it was correct in saying I was from the west coast. An example of one of the questions was “What do you call a fizzy drink?” And the choices were “Pop, Soda, Coke, Other”. So even though everyone in the US may be talking about the same thing, we all have our own way of speaking and when we hear it a different way, we might assume they’re from a different region.
On a larger scale, when we encounter people of different cultures we may be unaware of their way of living and may possibly offend them. In the video “Cultural gaffes beyond your borders” one example they gave that I was unaware of was that “in Mexico, it is typical for two people to talk close together. It is unfriendly to back away” (Peace corps n.d.) This is something I probably would have done because I grew up where having a “personal bubble” is normal and for someone to “invade my space” could offend me.
Knowing more cultural differences allows me to know how I can try not to offend others unintentionally. Another thought that comes to mind is a photo I saw where a elementary school teacher wrote on the board the times table and wrote one wrong. All the kids laughed and pointed it out to them. Their response was that even though they did everything else correct, it is easy to point out the odd ball of group.
Although it has only been two weeks into the course, I find myself more aware of different cultures around me. Not only am I more aware but I feel a greater respect for other cultures because that is their normal way of living. I look forward to more concepts I will learn to apply to my every day life.

References:

Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179054

Peace Corps. (n.d.) Cultural gaffes beyond your borders [Video file]. http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/videos/beyond-borders/.

 

Consider culture from the viewpoint of an American icon, the great Martin Luther King, Jr., who said that “cowardice asks the question- is it safe? Expediency asks the question- is it politic? Vanity asks the question- is it popular?” (thekingcenter.org, 2013). While the remainder of the quote is tangibly missing here, it will be addressed in due course. In today’s world, people of many cultures find themselves asking these same questions, and all too often avoiding the question Dr. King followed the former queries with. In a world where culture is more visible than ever before, the first questions asked by the masses have nothing to do with what’s right, but with what’s politic.

It is necessary, before discussing culture as a modern force that shapes the world, to define it. According to Penn State, “Culture consists in patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted mainly by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments of artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional (i.e., historically derived and selected) ideas and especially their attached values” (PSU, n.d.). Some good examples of culture that are easily recognized, to name a few, are the individualism found in many western countries (work hard, and you’ll go far), pride of lineage in the indigenous peoples of latin America, the swastika, the hammer and sickle, the stars and bars. Culture can take as many forms as there are groups to shape it. In the early years of human population of the North American Continent, archaeologists have found numerous distinctions between groups less than 500 strong, located within 35 miles of one another (Snow, 2010). There is essentially no limit to the cultural divergence that can be seen, if enough time and the right shaping elements are present.

That being the case, it becomes necessary to consider why, in such a diverse climate of cultural differences, do members of one culture often appropriate that of another group, or at least a part of another group, in order to get along. The best example, and one that will be only briefly discussed, is politics. In modern America, our political culture is broken down, essentially, into two parties, who espouse the values held by different groups. It is nearly ubiquitous that, when someone subscribes to a particular party between the two, they will espouse the same values held by that party to the letter, essentially taking numerous cultures, and dividing them down into two simple blocks. For the voter who identifies with many but not all of the party values, such as an individual who supports gay marriage and abortion, but also believes in strong gun rights, this becomes a question of some difficulty. That person might ask themselves if they can actually identify with that party at all; they may go and consider the other subscription to which they have access. People who they know might try to persuade them to abandon certain beliefs in favor of what might be called the party “super culture.” Anyone who has spent time around gun enthusiasts knows that there are cultural quirks that other groups do not have. So, if a member of the gun culture decides to change their views in order to better suit the party metric, what has become of that person’s connection to their culture. Most likely, they have made a question of expediency; “is it politic?” The answer is no, and therefore their culture becomes appropriated. Consider on the other hand, an candidate for office who may believe strongly in smaller government and religious principles playing a hand in governance, but doesn’t believe that large corporations should benefit from certain tax breaks. The same principle applies. If that person were pressured to make a choice regarding the matter, likely in a public setting, and chose to side with the party (which seems to happen more often than not these days), would it not seem that they had asked the question of vanity, choosing to go with the popular route, rather than what they actually believed?

It seems that culture, for all of its diverse expanse and permeability, is also a very malleable subject, capable of taking on whatever shape is truly expedient to the person experiencing the cultural dilemma or difficulty. While I was a soldier, deployed to Afghanistan, I had the opportunity to work with an interpreter who was born and raised in the mountains surrounding the province of Gardez. He was, by all counts, a devout Muslim. he  worked hard to provide for his family, but at some point, his cultural path diverged from that of the typical young Pashtun man of the era. Years before I met him, he had been a stereotype in motion; years later, as we walked the rocky slopes of the mountains of Paktika province together, he had become a different person entirely. He would regularly use his left hand to eat, eliciting from himself a slight boyish chuckle every time he did so. He was well known for being a covert purveyor of liquor on the American base where we were stationed, and he was a particularly big fan of the TV series, “The Big Bang Theory.” Despite that, we would regularly stop our convoys and missions for him to say his daily prayers. In fact, several of us joined him, when it was safe to do so, at his invitation, an act that would be grounds for execution among the culture from whence he came. The divergence of this man’s cultural choices was astounding; he openly defied many aspects of it, while diligently subscribing to others. It wasn’t until near the end of our work together, shortly before I was shipped home, that he explained to me why. He quoted the missing sentence of the passage quoted above by Dr. Martin Luther King: “But, conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right” (thekingcenter.org, 2013). I believe he understood his own culture more deeply than any Ph.D candidate could.

In the mix of things, culture is both a defining and malleable feature of the peoples of the world. It is regimented in some cases, loosely enforced in others. It comes back to the quote by Dr. King, who, now a half century gone, still speaks wisdom to the world. Culture, in most cases, defines for the people who subscribe to it what is right. It is an indicator of the consumer culture in America that culture can be so easily shifted in order to support a political cause for which one party or another has declared allegiance. It is equally an indicator of the burgeoning enlightenment taking place in a backwater corner of Afghanistan that a man can choose to keep the parts of his heritage he deems valid, and excise the others from his life if they are decided to be without value. As humanity continues to march forward into its own future, the role that cultures past, present, and future will yet play, will be pivotal in how the world looks in the decades to come.

King, Jr, M.L. (n.d.). Conscience asks the Question. The King Center. Retrieved from http://www.thekingcenter.org/blog/mlk-quote-week-conscience-asks-question

Penn State University. (n.d.). Leadership in a Global Context, Lesson 2: Defining Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179051

Snow, D. (2010). Archaeology of Native North America. Prentice Hall, New York.

The word culture may seem to be quite simple, but in actuality it is very convoluted. So what exactly is culture? According to Hofstede, “culture is a mental program” (2001), and can also be defined as a “system of ideas, values, and behavior” (PSU, 2016). It’s very clear to understand that people from the United States will act very similarly to one another, but may act differently than those people living in England, Mexico, China, or Russia. In America, we often shake hands to introduce ourselves to a stranger, or when we are greeting a friendly face. In Europe, people are greeted by kissing one another on the cheek. However, culture can vary within a country, region, state, city, and even a neighborhood. For example, there are vast differences in the culture between Philadelphia and Pittsburg, the two biggest cities in Pennsylvania. Philadelphians choose to eat cheesesteaks and drink “soda”, while people who live in Pittsburgh enjoy sandwiches with French fries in the middle and drink “pop” (Christi, 2015).

Culture may have many different definitions, but the common theme of each definition is that a group of individuals share the same ideas or values, which may differ from another group of individuals (PSU, 2016). When people share a commonality, they tend to feel more comfortable around each other, and usually build relationships with one another. For instance, if two people share the same religious belief, they tend to share the same values and understand each other. They usually have the same interests and enjoy spending time together. As young children, between the ages of zero and seven, we are molded by our parents and caregivers. We learn what is right and wrong, such as sharing our toys with other children, telling the truth, respecting our elders, etc. This is known as the imprint period. Between the ages of eight and thirteen, we begin to explore and adapt to fit in with a certain crowd. We make friends with the people who look, think, feel, and act the same way we do. And finally, between 13 and 21, we tend to be guided by our peers, friends, and colleagues, as opposed to the authority figures we once looked up to so much. During this final phase of formation, the media plays a huge role, as people tend to gravitate towards the people who share the same values as them (PSU, 2016).

While there are many different cultures within the United States, as Americans we share many commonalities, which differ from the cultures in other countries. It is important when learning about other cultures, that we avoid ethnocentrism, which is the “exaggerated tendency to think the characteristics of one’s own group or race is superior to those of other groups or races” (Drever, 1952, p. 86). Unfortunately, America’s greatest weakness is ethnocentrism (Hamod, 2008). As a country, we believe our way is the right way, and we oftentimes force our beliefs onto others when we invade countries to “save the citizens from powerful, evil leaders.” We spend so much money on other countries we fail to take care of our own Veterans, who were the ones fighting to save these countries in the first place (Hamod, 2008).

Understanding culture is extremely important with global leadership because, as a world, we are more global than ever. Technology has opened the door to allow companies to go international, and gives the illusion that the world is not so small after all. A great way to really understand culture is by studying Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture. The original four dimensions included power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity (PSU, 2016). The United States ranks 15^th on power distance, 9^th on uncertainty avoidance, 40^th on individualism, and 28^th on masculinity (Moran, 2014). Understanding where other countries rank on these scales, especially those you wish to do business with, will come in handy should you find yourself as a global leader in a different country.

In conclusion, understanding the definition of culture is important in today’s society. There are so many companies that have expanded into other countries, and have satellite offices all around the world. Tom Madine, CEO and president of Worldwide Express, has said “Leadership styles differ, but at the core, good leaders make the people they are leading accomplish more than they otherwise would. The most effective leaders do this not through fear, intimidation or title, but rather by building consensus around a common goal.” (Helmrich, 2016). Without understanding culture, the effectiveness of your leadership role may be called into question, especially if you inadvertently offend an employee, colleague, client, or customer.

References:

Christi. (2015). Eastern and Western Pennsylvania are Vastly Different – And Here’s 10 Pieces of Proof. Only in Your State. Retrieved from http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/pa-regional-differences/.

Drever, H. E. (1952). A dictionary of psychology. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin.

Hamod, S. (2008). Overcoming Ethnocentrism in America. Retrieved from http://palestinechronicle.com/old/view_article_details.php?id=13491.

Helmrich, B. (2016). 33 Ways to Define Leadership. Business News Daily. Retrieved from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3647-leadership-definition.html.

Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.

Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050.

 

Hello fellow students, I am Carl Alberici, I have a good position as a building engineer / HVAC mechanic for a large hospital in the city. It is a position that many have continued to work within until the age of retirement, but I am planning to transition into a management position when I attain my Olead degree.

 

After I was discharged from the military I quickly realized that I was unable to relate my military work experience to gainful employment , so I began night school in HVAC , and have been working within that field ever since.

 

My favorite leadership quote is from an article Pozin (2014) wrote “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” This quote is important to me since I recognize the fact that it takes a person who possesses a distinct vision of a perceived outcome, and the ability to direct others towards that outcome, in order to be a true leader.

 

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia with my charming wife. I am working on a degree in Organizational leadership in order to transition from my current position, into a management position that is preferably outside of a hospital environment.

My first leadership experience was with the US Air Force, having set rules and guidelines that were established for the common good of all involved.

 

The section of the military that I was in incorporated teams, accordingly each team had a set task. Additionally each team had a “ team chief ” who essentially led the team from beginning to the end of the task. The team chief was of higher rank than most of the team members, although the atmosphere did not revolve around rank, it was solely about getting the job done.

 

The team chief provided guidance should a problem arise, as well as working as a team member. Normally all of the team members knew their job as part of the team, and it was in the best interests of all team members to complete the task at hand, as quickly and, efficiently as possible.

 

I have a grown son, who has finished university, and is currently living in China in an effort to see the World.

 

My interests are hiking, gardening, and old muscle cars.

 

 

Retrieved from : 16 leadership quotes to inspire you to greatness, Pozin ,Ilya, 4/10/2014

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2014/04/10/16-leadership-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-greatness/#97e75227b14c

For the purpose of this post I will be reflecting on this week’s course lesson regarding cultural differences and values while drawing from daily life situations. “Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one category of people from another” (PSU, 2016). In other words, culture is a shared social system of ideas within an organization, within a friend group, within a country, etc.  These shared ideas can range anywhere from communication and symbols to gestures and greetings.

In addition to cultures, values, whether personal or cultural, often differ as well. Personal values are values that are formed within a person. As humans, we go through three stages of value formation starting with imprinting very early on in life, where we learn what is right and wrong according to our parents or caregivers. For example, we often learn that lying is bad, saying please is good, and sharing is caring. These types of values are imprinted upon us all at a very young age. Second in the value stage is modeling, which happens more in teen years, where we model many things that are happening around us to try them out and see what we think about them. Think of a young girl, maybe age 8-13, and how she may be experimenting with make-up because that’s what all the pretty adult ladies do. Third and finally is the socialization period.  During this phase, typically age range of a young adult, we begin seeking advice and wisdom from our peers rather than parents, teachers, and those who typically are viewed as authority  figures. Additionally during the last two phases of developing values, media plays a huge role into developing the minds of young teens and young adults. Value’s are responsible for determining an individuals behavior. The behaviors that we choose often determine our cultural values.

Ethnocentrism is something that we all need to be aware of, and careful with. We may not realize it, but at some point in our lives we have all had an ethnocentric perspective. Let’s define ethnocentrism. It is essentially an “exaggerated tendency to think the characteristics of ones own group or race is superior to other groups” (PSU, 2016). In other words, this is the failure to see the world from a different perspective. Let’s get personal. About a year and a half ago I took a trip to France for a college class. On my very first day in the country, I began to judge pretty intensely. First of all, everyone kissed everyone! This just grossed me out! I couldn’t seem to understand why you would want to kiss so many people! A few days later I learned that this was their way of greeting, very much like how we as american’s shake hands or hug. I failed to recognize that their extension of greeting was just a different version of something that I did as well. The second experience that displayed how uncultured I really was, began in a cute little French restaurant. We ordered dinner, and I had ordered what I thought to be a steak (I prepared for this trip by learning 5-10 necessary French words to survive). To my surprise, squid was delivered. I shrieked. I was going to pay nearly twenty dollars for a meal that I wouldn’t eat a bite of. The poor waitress was not used to people shrieking when they received their food, and she jumped, clearly startled. There were a few more scenarios I experienced during my trip to France, but ultimately as a result I felt ashamed. I entered their country as this confident young American girl that expected everything to be just as it was back home. I was wrong, and humiliated at my own fault. Upon my return home, I promised myeslf that if I ever traveled to another country, I would adequately prepare as best I could to learn their culture, and make an effort to respect it.

To conclude, I want to stress the importance of having a global perspective of cultures within leadership. Often as leaders we neglect to understand that people are different. We have different thoughts, different beliefs, different skin color, different religions, different traditions, different cultures, different languages, and so many more. Sometimes it seems easier to just treat everyone the same. While that may be easier, it is failed leadership, and it is ineffective. In order to lead well we as leaders must rise to the occasion and learn the people we are leading. We must learn to communicate clearly and learn to understand they way that they think and feel. We need to meet them where they are, express our effort and desire to know their culture and their personal values, so that we can lead them as an individual to the best of our ability. It will be challenging, but it will be fruitful and ultimately worth it.

Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050.