Cross-cultural Interactions Essay Example for Free

Cross-cultural Interactions Essay Communication differs in various cultures. A multinational or a global company employs a great number of people with different cultural traits. Some may possess traits that are good for business when sent to countries away from home and some may not take up this responsibility well. People with different values respond in various ways to leadership especially from leaders from a different background or culture. Cultural diversity is very wide and this would cause to some extent difficulties for a foreigner in a strange land. This is mainly because the foreigner has ittle or no knowledge of the lands culture. For instance being a German and working in a subsidiary of the German mother company in China, I have come to realize the big difference that there is in various cultures. The team that I work with is a cross- cultural team. National culture does not fit with the organizational culture from my experience in this cross-cultural team. National culture is the values that an individual learns early in life and continues to grow or change slowly with generations. It is highly held in individuals hence difficult to influence . Organizational culture on the other hand means the wide guidelines that are created by an organization and is rooted on the Job tasks and practices.. It is a programmed way of thinking and reacting. It is used to differentiate a certain category of people from the other. Due to the deeply held national culture by people, it is difficult to change the organizational culture especially in a cross-cultural team. This is because for some, the organizational culture goes against the national culture therefore the practices of the organization will be taken for granted and undermined e. . a eadership trait which falls under an organizational culture can be easily shunned by a particular employee from a different culture if the trait is against his/her national trait. I encounter various tensions at my workplace. A group of a certain culture will follow or conform to a certain set of values and beliefs, and the other would differ from them. A large group with a set of similar values would f all in the same culture. The minority and the majority therefore have conflict when it comes to certain situations within the team. For instance, Germans are always on schedule and very unctual. This is their national culture. In the cross-cultural team there are people who have different perception when it comes to keeping time. When it comes to attending meetings for instance, there will be a set of people who will be punctual and those who will be late. This is a cause for tension within the cross-cultural team. Tension is a known cause for a decrease in a companys productivity. Action should therefore be taken to resolve tension or conflict in these teams. Conflict is a challenge that is always faced by a team that is cross-cultural because it arises from time to time. The success and failure of a team depends on its response in time of conflict. To initiate organizational changes, I have done research and have come up with a plan of giving lessons to my team members. These lessons dont give a direct solution to the conflicts but guidance on how to prevent, respond to and manage tension. The tips in my lesson plan include: Knowledge ot one selt and culture- when one becomes aware ot his culture, i. e. here he/she comes from and who he/she really is, it becomes easier to understand other peoples background hence become open to different ideas. This can be chieved by establishing friendship within the team Being inquisitive- ask other members with a different background from yours about your new environment and how best things are run and more importantly know how to deal with situations to avoid conflict Listen to people from a differen t culture effectively to have a better understanding of one anothers ways. This should only be done in situations where it doesnt cause discomfort. Learn the expectations of others by having conversations about conflicts and the way forward when it arises. Management culture that suits every single person from a different culture should be ut in place. Management culture is one of the most critical leadership tools. In my opinion, a type of management that respects the differences and similarities of all employees should be adopted. Excellent organizational culture is the main goal of a company or an organization in regards toa cross-cultural team. To achieve this goal, management culture must be put in place . First of all, understanding the uniqueness and the differences of each individual is very important. This is largely referred to as work place diversity. Diversity entails religious beliefs, gender, race, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation and ethnicity. To deal effectively with this, the HR should check on issues such as communication, coping with differences and change. Management culture is important because it creates a comfortable and positive working environment hence higher productivity from the employees. The following management strategies should be adopted: Acquiring knowledge about different cultures and their ways of conducting business The leaders should nurture the communication, creative and cultural skills of various employees and utilize these skills to improve the policies, customer service and their products Being open minded. This involves leaders and their employees coming out of their comfort zone and accepting ways that they are not familiar with in terms of management. People from different backgrounds can factor in better and fresh ideas which could result in better services and performance Formulation of programs that will recognize the diversity of each individual. This will result in more interest in their roles Posting employees to areas where they can advance culturally Language training Taking care of employees complaints and issues Testing the organizations practices to make sure that no discrimination against any ulture is practiced. At times, conflict becomes inevitable between members in the subsidiary. It always happens when there are people with a variety of different expectations. In a situation like this, I would resolve to a different way of handling conflict. The first step would be to make the employees aware of the difference in culture among them. Apart from making them aware, I would formulate a program where all employees will be taught about the existence ot diversity and to learn ways ot respecting these different values and practices. Encouraging the team to take up tasks overseas henever an opportunity arises is another positive way to handle inevitable conflicts. This will improve the interaction of employees with different backgrounds and cultures. The more knowledgeable they get about a variety of cultures, the more understanding of each other they also get. To avoid recurring tensions, another important strategy to follow through is to offer counselling to employees and their families that are moving to a new country. This can be done before and after the international assignment . When positive relationships are built between diverse individuals, a deeper understanding of each other is formed.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Character Analysis of Jem and Scout Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird: Character Analysis of Jem and Scout   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imagine just two young kids maturing within a matter of years. Imagine that same two kids, experiencing or understanding things that they aren’t meant to at a young age. Jem and Scout were just like that. They have experienced many things that they shouldn’t have at their age. Scout on the other hand, seems to be the one maturing the most. Throughout this whole essay, you will learn about Jem and Scout’s attributes, personality, and how alike or different they are from each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jem and Scout are two siblings. They love to have fun, be with their father, and try to understand many things that are going in their lives. An example is Scout. She is a very unusual little girl, she is unusually smart and unusually worries about the goodness of evil and mankind. â€Å"I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.† The quote illustrates that Scout thinks that, everyone in the world is the same. Even though their skin colors or their lifestyles are different, they are all the same. Jem is a boy who is not without hope. He is also like Scout, although he has some doubts over what Scout may think. â€Å"If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they get out of their way to despise each other?† What Jem is trying to say in the quote is that, if people are all the same, why do they still discriminate each other? Jem and Scout are two siblings who just want t...

Dehumanization Night Paper

Since such demutualization happened in the Holocaust, it is a big lesson to be learned an should be avoided in today's society. In the book, a character named Mosher the Beadle tells of his experience after being forced out of the Sighed. In the forest of Galatia near Oklahoma, the demand action starts. As Mosher tries to warn all Of the Jews after his miraculous reappearance he says, â€Å"Each one had to go up to the hole and present his neck. Babies were thrown into the air and t he machine gunners used them as targets† (Wisest 5).They were even forced to dig graves, only to be thrown into the holes as soon as they were done. Yet no one believed that any human could b e capable of omitting such a crime, and they all dismissed him as mad. Little to their UN deerstalking, it would all become so real to them in a matter of time. The second act of demutualization would be Weasel's experience in the Ghetto o. After a few days the Jews were told news of deportation. Day by day, a new street WA s forced out of Gray 2 their homes and into the Ghetto, being transferred to a concentration camp a after that.While they waited in the road to be moved into their new home, they craved nothing but water. In the reading it says, ‘Vide stayed sitting down in the middle of the road, as the the RSI had done the day fore yesterday. There was the same infernal heat. The same thirst. But there e was no longer anyone left to bring us water† (Wisest 14). They were given no water and little food, making it awfully hard for anyone to survive in the heat and all the while they sat guard De by Gestapo.After the horrible experience Wisest had in the Ghetto, only the worst was yet to come. The population of the Ghetto was soon liberated, boarding a train to Auschwitz z. Upon arrival, everyone soon came to the realization of what demutualization really is. One of the first people to figure it out was Lie's father as he said, â€Å"Humanity? Humanity is not concern Ned w ith us, Today anything is allowed. Anything is possible, even these crematories†¦ † (Wi sell 24). While walking throughout the camp, vulgar things such as the burning of children w ere sighted.The prisoners were forced to shave their heads, and a tattoo of a number was Eng raved upon their skin. With that new number, Wisest was no longer known as Lie but as prison ere AH. After going through the showers and the barber, the prisoners were introduced to t heir barracks which consisted of terrible sleeping conditions and little food. A few weeks later, the Jews had to go wrought a â€Å"selection† or survival of the fittest. Whoever was not strong enough h to go on was immediately sent to the crematory and not even given a second chance.If so none was too weak to run, they were not worthy to survive at all. Later on in the story the able prisoners are forced to evacuate from Auschwitz z, having to march many miles without rest and in freezing conditions. If one were t o fall d urinating run, he was immediately eliminated. After awhile, everyone who had survived so far was put on a train Gray 3 to travel to Glitziest. On the train, prisoners are left to fight for something so s all as a crumb of bread. Once arriving at their destination, the dead and weak were left on the t rain.Three days later, everyone went through another selection. Every time someone would a sky an AS Officer for food, they would be struck down by the blow of an object. If someone was day Eng, the other prisoners would steal his ration of bread and soup. No one would help the we AK become strong again. Throughout the entire story, there is a clear theme of demutualization and AR e many reasons why it should not happen again. From beginning with Mosher to the e ND of the war, Jews ere looked down upon and thought to be an unfit race in humanity.When Mosher the Beadle was first evacuated, a turn of events was set in motion. When the Jews were t awaken to the Ghetto, no one knew of what was to come and they thought it was maybe a new begin inning for the Jews. However as they grew closer to the concentration camp, reality began to set I n and everyone became worried. Farther along when they were being evacuated, their number RSI had dwindled and all the remaining prisoners were weakened and worn out. They had been Dee imagined from the first time they stepped out of their houses to begin the long journey through t e war.

The Wave Chapter Prompts - 1534 Words

Year 11 General Term 2 Novel Study: The Wave Journal Prompts Q1 Because we knew about the Nazi’s and what they had done to the Jews before we read the novel, we had some sort of expectation of what would happen in The Wave. From knowing this information, we knew that the topic of The Wave would have something to do with power and control over people, and manipulating them into doing something that isn t necessarily correct. Because we knew that the Nazi’s tricked people into believing what they were doing was right, we were then able to understand that the novel would have some sort of basis on this. Which then happened to be true, Ben Ross the history teacher who came up with the idea became the leader of The Wave and started the new revolution. The whole topic of the wave is based on what Hitler and the Nazi party did, this is illustrated through the novel, when Ben Ross realises what he has done and still chooses to keep it going on even though he knew that it wasn’t the right thing and it was spinning out of control ver y quickly. b) Yes I believe that it is necessary for the reader to be able to understand the context of this novel because if you; the reader is unable to understand the context then you wont be able to grasp how the book is being set up so the whole basis of the novel is about how Ben Ross is controlling the people of The Wave. â€Å"They were studying World War Two, and the film Ben Ross was showing his class that day was a documentary depictingShow MoreRelatedWilliam Woolf s The Lighthouse1480 Words   |  6 PagesWoolf seems uninterested in the external influences that occur during the period of the novel, and passes over significant events such as World War One, and the marriage and deaths of her characters, effectively capturing these within 10 concise chapters. 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