Globalization & Culture: Understanding for Business Success - Essay Sample

Introduction

Globalization has had significant impacts on how people do business and even how they behave and think. With this phenomenon, a proper understanding of national cultures is of great importance in business as it allows individuals to design and implement strategies that meet the needs of specific target groups. In marketing, for example, culture influence how people make choices, and more importantly, how they respond to stimuli (Leng & Botelho, 2010). At an individual level, it is essential to understand other people’s cultures to improve communication and avoid problems that arise because of misunderstandings. By learning different cultures, one can understand other people's attitudes, beliefs, and how they do things, which forms the basis of self-cultural awareness. In doing so, an individual can develop a habit of appreciating diverse views, avoiding imposing their values on others, and stereotyping them. Hofstede's framework helps people to distinguish one culture from another by analyzing their differences and similarities. In this view, the paper critically evaluates the cultural differences of the United States and China and how it affects communication, motivation, and teamwork.

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Comparing the United States and China

China and the United States have significant differences in the dimension of uncertainty avoidance. However, the two nations have more similarities than differences in the domain of Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS). Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) for the United States is 46, while that of China is 30 (see figure 1). In this regard, it is apparent that UAI scores for the two nations are below average, suggesting that both Chinese and Americans are somewhat comfortable with ambiguity. However, Americans are more concerned with ambiguity than Chinese since its UAI is higher than that of China. This phenomenon suggests that the Chinese are more likely to relax during a time of uncertainty. Since UAI for the US is higher than that of China by 16 scores, it suggests that Americans strive to make life controllable as much as possible. Although Americans would aspire to make their lives predictable, this aspect is moderate since the US UAI scores are four scores below average. However, the situation is different among overseas Chinese who have developed a culture of minimizing uncertainties in economic relationships, besides reducing business risk and transaction costs (Flower, 2010).

Figure 1: Hofstede comparison of China and the US

In terms of the MAS dimension, the United States and China are similar in that both of them are masculine cultures. The masculinity score for China is 66, while that of the United States is 62. In this perspective, the difference between the two countries in the dimension of MAS is meager. The masculinity of the two nations is moderately high, although MAS scores for China is greater than that of the United States by four points. Since these cultures are masculine, it suggests that competition, success, and achievements drive their societies. In other words, China and the US follow a reward system and a value system where the winner defines success. However, this situation is a bit higher in China than in the United States.

At 66 MAS points, China is a success-driven as well as success-oriented culture. In order to achieve success, people of this culture are more likely to forego leisure and even family time to work. In short, leisure time is not so valuable in Chinese culture. This situation also exists in the United States because the two countries have masculine cultures. In the two nations, too, female and male roles tend to overlap less. Some of the positive characteristics that define men in masculine cultures (both China and the US) are being fast, strong, and behaving assertively. Moreover, demonstrating success is of great importance among men (Hofstede et al., 2010).

Cultural Differences and How It Affects Communication, Teamwork, and Motivation

According to Hofstede et al. (2010), countries that score high in the dimension of UAI tend to be expressive and anxious cultures. This point shows that people of Chinese culture have relatively low levels of anxiety. Moreover, they tend to have lower levels of expressiveness. Critical aspects that can affect communication between Americans and Chinese people are about aggression and emotions. In this sense, research has demonstrated that weak uncertainty avoidance cultures are against a habit of showing aggression and emotions (Hofstede et al., 2010). Hence, an individual is likely to meet disapproval in China, among other UAI low-scoring cultures, for being noisy and even behaving emotionally. In the US culture, individuals can vent their emotions and aggression at proper places and time. Hofstede et al. (2010) further said that people in Chinese culture are not allowed to release stress in any activity. Instead, they need to internalize their emotions, including stress. This aspect can potentially impact communication.

Research has also demonstrated that individuals in cultures that tend to avoid uncertainties (have high UAI) score low in the domain of “agreeableness and high in neuroticism” (Hofstede et al., 2010, p. 197). The term neuroticism, in this perspective, refers to low emotional stability. The authors further said that high masculinity tends to increase further neuroticism (Hofstede et al., 2010). In the context of the two countries, this point describes the United States since its MAS is moderately high. The main personality facets associated with neuroticism are vulnerability, depression, and anxiety. Other elements are self-consciousness, impulsiveness, and angry hostility. Agreeableness combines tender-mindedness, compliance, straightforwardness, trust, modesty, and altruism (Hofstede et al., 2010).

Uncertainty avoidance will influence how I relate with people from China. Since I belong to a moderate UAI culture, I may perceive Chinese people as emotional, suspicious, fidgety, aggressive, and busy. Since people from this culture tend to be emotional and aggressive, I need to have empathy and develop emotional awareness to improve communication. Because they are verbally aggressive, I should also respond with care and humor.

As a way to improve communication with people of this foreign culture, I need not take them personally since they tend to be defensive in communication. Hofstede et al. (2010) said that people from weak UAI cultures might perceive their counterparts from high UAI cultures as lazy, quiet, and indolent. This cultural difference can adversely impact teamwork between Americans and Chinese citizens. The reason is that they would be emotional and are more likely to perceive Americans as lazy and people who can easily avoid group activities.

Cultural differences between China and the United States, as well, impacts motivation. Research has shown that individuals from strong UAI cultures tend to be motivated in the workplace (Ema & Dijana, 2016). These people want environments with specific work instructions with no or minimal changes. So, such people can thrive in stable workplaces with rewards and incentives that require long-term determination and efforts. This aspect suggests that high UAI cultures have positive effects on motivation. Thus, US culture tends to promote motivation in the workplace and other domains of life than the Chinese culture would do.

In China and US cultures, masculinity affects the level of motivation in the society. These cultures motivate men to work hard, and at the same time, it demotivates women. Five dimensions in a masculine society, namely, earnings, challenging work, advancement, and recognition motivates men to work hard (Hofstede et al., 2010). Specifically, men in these cultures have an opportunity for higher earnings, advance to higher-level jobs, and get recognition when they work. Also, they get a personal sense of accomplishment since they do challenging work. While the two societies have masculine cultures, Chinese culture motivates men more than that of the US, although they have a minimal difference. At the same time, the cultures of the two societies have a small effect on women's motivation.

China and the US being masculine societies suggests that it negatively impacts the spirit of teamwork in the workplace. These cultures can easily create a notion of "you versus me" since competition is seen as a way to achieve success in society. In the Old Testament, Solomon told believers of Christ that people envy the success of their neighbors, and this bitterness is what it motivates them to succeed (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6, NIV). In terms of communication, the two cultures enhance social and communication skills among men because they behave assertively. In short, it trains men to express themselves adequately and also stands for their point of view.

Conclusion

China has a moderately high masculine culture and relatively low uncertainty avoidance. In contrast, the US is near the middle in terms of UAI. The two societies motivate men to achieve their goals through recognition, better earnings, and challenging roles, unlike women who cannot advance themselves because of family commitments. Chinese and US culture discourages teamwork as it values competition. As a US citizen, I need to respond to Chinese nationals with humor and care because they can easily become emotional and aggressive.

References

Ema, M., & Dijana, H. (2016). Impact of Culture on Work Motivation: Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Journal of Business & Economic Policy, 3(3), 79-87. http://jbepnet.com/journals/Vol_3_No_3_September_2016/8.pdf

Flower, C. (2010). The essential guide to customs and culture. Culture Smart! (3rd Ed.). https://b-ok.cc/dl/5421273/d363a5

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. H., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind: Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival (3rd Ed.). McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Leng, C. Y., & Botelho, D. (2010). How does national culture impact on consumers' decision-making styles? A cross-cultural study in Brazil, the United States, and Japan. BAR - Brazilian Administration Review, 7(3), 260-275. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1807-76922010000300004