US POLITICS AND CULTURE

American Business Culture

Political Correctness Employer-Employee Relations Salary and Benefits Socializing Negotiations

The American Experience

Searching for the American Dream Dislike of centralized systems which limited

personal development The importance of success

Material success as a measure of personal development: U.S. consumer debt: $14 trillion

Success is individual—individualism vs. feudalism

The emphasis on initiative vs. govt intervention

Indvidualism: Positives and Negatives

Creates a need to perform because people are evaluated & rewarded on individual performance. Make you customer a performer—”you will

save your company X $ and increase its latteral communication.”

Remember the strain and worry that Americans are under.

Indvidualism: Positives and Negatives

Self-improvement mania—Americans want to be better so show them how your product will make them seem better.

The negatives include the feeling that failure is individual inspite of the fact that often it is the result of circumstances—especially today.

The Mood in the U.S.

Main Street Desparation: Loss of job, homes, homeless

ness Worry: Fearing losing jobs and homes Anger: At Wall St. greed and the bailout Denial: Of the individual’s responsibility and

the complexity of the problem Distrust: Of Washington politicians

Communication in a Diverse World

Chapter 3 - 8

MulticulturalDiversity

Intercultural Communication

Individual CharacteristicsIndividual Characteristics

Individual ExperiencesIndividual Experiences

Cultural BackgroundsCultural Backgrounds

Cultural DifferencesCultural Differences

Opportunities in a Global Marketplace3 - 9

CustomersCustomers

Labor SourcesLabor Sources

Job PossibilitiesJob Possibilities

Challenges of Intercultural Communication

Values andBeliefs

NonverbalSignalsEmployee MotivationEmployee Motivation

Employee CommunicationEmployee Communication

Harmony and CooperationHarmony and CooperationPerceptionPatterns

LanguageUsage

Enhancing Sensitivity to Culture and Diversity

The U.S. Business Culture

Variations in a Diverse World

Ethnocentrism & Stereotyping

The Concept of Culture

The Concept of CultureChapter 3 - 12

Symbols Attitudes

Beliefs Expectations

Values Norms

Shared SystemShared System

AttitudesAttitudes

RulesRules

PrioritiesPriorities

Recognizing Variations in a Diverse World

Chapter 3 - 13

ContextualContextual Legal andEthical

Legal andEthical SocialSocial NonverbalNonverbal

AgeAge GenderGender ReligionReligion AbilityAbility

Cultural ContextChapter 3 - 14

Decision Making PracticesDecision Making Practices

Problem Solving TechniquesProblem Solving Techniques

Negotiating StylesNegotiating Styles

LowContext

LowContext

HighContext

HighContext

Social Behavior DifferencesChapter 3 - 15

Work and SuccessWork and Success Roles and StatusRoles and Status

Use of MannersUse of Manners Concepts of timeConcepts of time

Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

Nonverbal Differences

© Prentice Hall, 2008

Chapter 3 - 16

Greetingsand Touching

Eye Contact

PersonalSpace

Posture

FacialExpressions

Formality

Age DifferencesChapter 3 - 17

Youth OrientedYouth Oriented Senior OrientedSenior Oriented

Authority

Freedom

PowerRe

spec

t

Gender DifferencesChapter 3 - 18

Existing WorkplaceCultures

Existing WorkplaceCultures

Styles ofCommunication

Styles ofCommunication

Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

Religious Differences

© Prentice Hall, 2008

Chapter 3 - 19

Personal Beliefs Workplace Issues

Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

Adapting to U.S. Business Culture

© Prentice Hall, 2008

Chapter 3 - 20

IndividualismIndividualism EqualityEquality

Time andSchedules

Time andSchedules

ReligiousBeliefs

ReligiousBeliefs

Privacy andPersonal Space

Privacy andPersonal Space

CommunicationPreferences

CommunicationPreferences

Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

Studying Other Cultures

© Prentice Hall, 2008

Chapter 3 - 21

Social Customs

Clothing and Food

Political Patterns

Studying Other CulturesChapter 3 - 22

Religion and Folk Beliefs

Business andEconomics

Ethics, Values,and Laws

Learning LanguagesChapter 3 - 23

FacilitateCommunication

Promote BusinessRelationships

Respecting Communication Preferences

Chapter 3 - 24

Degree of Formality

Level of Directness

Writing or Speaking

Writing ClearlyChapter 3 - 25

Plain EnglishPlain English

ConcisenessConciseness

International AddressesInternational Addresses

Slang, Jargon, and IdiomsSlang, Jargon, and Idioms

Clear LanguageClear Language

Transitional ElementsTransitional Elements

Numbers and DatesNumbers and Dates

References to CultureReferences to Culture