Chapter 5

American Culture and Management Style

For Americans, it is important to be aware of the elements of culture influencing decisions and behaviors.

American Culture and Management Style

For those new to American culture, it is useful to better understand business associates from the U.S., as the U.S. market is the biggest export market in the world.

Most low-context cultures operate on

M-time, concentrating on one thing at a time.

American Culture and Management Style

Since the late 1990s, American business culture has been exported around the world.

cultures work more hours

South Korea, Mexico,

Cultural imperatives

business customs and expectations that must be met, conformed to, recognized, and accommodated if relationships are to be successful

Cultural exclusives

customs or behavior patterns reserved exclusively for the locals and from which the foreigner is barred and must not participate

Communication in a high-context culture

depends heavily on the contextual (who says it, when it is said, how it is said) or nonverbal aspects of communication

Communication in a low-context culture

depends more on explicit, verbally expressed communications

Monochronic time

divides time into small units and is concerned with promptness

Low context

explicit, emphasis on content on communication

Relationship-Oriented (RO)

high context collectivism high power distance bribery more common high distance from English lingusitic indirectness polychromic time face-to-face background reduce transaction costs

High context

implicit, emphasis on context on communication

P-time, or polychronic time

is more dominant in high-context cultures

Information-Oriented (IO)

low context individualism low power distance bribery less common Linguistic directness monochromic time internet focus on foreground competition

P-time is characterized by

multi-tasking and by "a great involvement with people."

criteria for adaptation

open tolerance flexibility humility justice/fairness ability to adjust to varying tempos curiosity/interest knowledge of the country liking for others ability to command respect ability to integrate oneself into the environment

M-time, or monochronic time,

typifies most North Americans, Swiss, Germans, and Scandinavians.

American culture and management

"Master of destiny" viewpoint Independent enterprise as the instrument of social action Personnel selection and reward based on merit Decisions based on objective analysis Wide sharing in decision making Never-ending quest for improvement Competition produces efficiency

M-time is used in a linear way

and it is experienced as almost tangible, in that one saves time, wastes time, bides time, spends time, and loses time.

Cultural electives

areas of behavior or customs that cultural aliens may wish to conform to or participate in but that are not required