Reference no: EM132280904

Cultural differences

Which of the following companies has high uncertainty avoidance?

Last week, Swanita approached her boss in tears. "But I've been sitting at the same desk for 20 years!" she exclaimed. "How will I be able to do work if you put me all the way across the office from the people I'm supposed to support?"

The nurses of Interim Nursing, a home health care service, pride themselves on their ability to handle whatever situation they encounter, no matter how unexpected. Last week, one of the nurses walked into a house expecting to find a patient with a mild heart condition. Instead, she found someone who was very close to having a full-blown heart attack, complicated by diabetes. Quickly assessing the situation, she stabilized his blood sugar and called the ambulance, which arrived just in time.

Francesca's boss is constantly on the lookout for new ideas. Just last month, he sent her on a two-week, fact-finding trip. Her job was to visit 16 different production facilities in 7 different industries and to use what she saw to develop new and more efficient ways to run her company's manufacturing process.

Which of the following companies has high individualism?

At Sipria Insurance, little has changed since the 1960s. Few employees even know how to use e-mail, and most business is conducted by telephone or in person with a simple handshake. Since Sipria caters exclusively to older people who are less likely to use the Internet, its practices work well for the company.

At Arguello Industries, competition among salespeople is fierce. Everyone wants to get the Superior Salesperson award, which is given to the employee who closes the most deals during the fiscal year. Last year, one employee canceled another employee's orders in order to win the award.

At Siam Seasons, employees rarely make decisions without first talking about the problem with all of the people on their team. The goal is to arrive at a consensus before taking action and, while it might take awhile, employees can usually find a common ground.

Which of the following companies has high power distance?

At Jupiter Jumpers, teams make decisions together, and everyone in the company is called an associate. The employees and managers often get together to socialize outside of work, and they can be heard laughing and talking over each other while they have drinks together.

At Sabine Industries, the CEO is seen as the undisputed leader of the office. People are afraid to correct him when he is wrong, and he is always addressed as Mr. CEO, while the people who report to him are addressed by their first names.

At Sollient, managers listen carefully to employees when they raise concerns or questions, and employees are not afraid to speak up. Employees expect to be treated equally and fairly.