24-04-2014, 12:12 PM
Cross cultural and global hrm
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AMERICAN CULTURE
The essence of cross-cultural understanding is knowing how your own culture is both similar to and different from the local or “target” culture. For this reason, those who pursue cross-cultural knowledge must sooner or later turn their gaze on themselves. People from other cultures, after all, aren’t different by nature, but only different in relation to a particular standard they’re being measured against.
1.America is enormous: the third largest country in the world with a population of more than 300 million people.
2. Americans come in all colors, have all types of religions, and speak many languages from all over the world.
3. Americans are extremely independent, individualistic, and like
to be different from each other.
4. 66% of Americans are overweight; 37% of those are obese.
5. Americans believe in freedom of choice.
6. Americans need a lot of “elbow room”; they like personal space around them.
7. Approximately 1% of Americans are homeless (3.5 million people).
8. Americans talk easily to the homeless but use good judgment and are careful with whom they talk.
9. Sadly, the streets of major cities are often dirty.
10. Many people, especially teenagers, wear strange clothes, and many have tattoos and body piercings.
11. Americans follow the rule of law.
Characteristics of American Culture
Getting in Line –
Always get in line and wait your turn when buying tickets, waiting in a bank, post office or for a bus or train. It is considered rude to cut in line, and although people may not say anything to you, they will make very unhappy noises! If there is any confusion about whether there is one line or more for several different cashiers, you should still wait your turn and stay behind everyone who arrived before you. Americans do not try to get to the front first; they are very fair. You will often hear people saying ‘Who’s next?’ The general rule is that you are next if you were the first person to have gotten in line!
American table manners and customs:
If you put your knife and fork on your plate, a waiter will think that you have finished
eating. If you want to take a break but have not yet finished, place your knife and
fork by the side of your plate. A good waiter will not clear your plate from the table
when you have finished eating.
In the U.S., it is considered very bad manners to put your elbows on the table and to speak with your mouth full. It is also not polite to make a lot of noise when you eat; chewing noisily and slurping are bad manners in the U.S.
Clothing –
Students tend to dress casually during the daytime at school.
You may wish to bring special clothes for going out in the evening and some bars and
clubs will not allow you to enter if you’re wearing jeans or sportswear. The climate
in San Francisco is very changeable so it is a good idea to bring warm, waterproof
clothing for all seasons of the year. Even in mid-summer, it is not unusual to have
cold, overcast weather.If you are staying in a homestay, you should ensure that you are decently dressed at all times. It may cause offense if you are not dressed before you go to breakfast, for example, but it is a good idea to follow the example of the hosts with regards to what is acceptable.