Culture Clash
Culture Clash
RAMON GARCIA, from a medium-sized city in Mexico, was attending the University of Arizona on a tennis scholarship. He had won an award for excellence in the classroom and on the tennis court. As graduation neared, he found himself in odd social situations. Friends on campus would ask, "How are you?" followed by "How are the job interviews going?" He mentioned to a professor, "I can respond to the first question but am stuck for an answer to the second." Approach to job
hunting can varyOne possible reason for Ramon's dilemma is he is from a collectivist culture. In such cultures, people's identify is closely related to their membership in social groups. People learn to think of themselves in terms of their relationships with others, their social obligations and social norms they are expected to uphold. In contrast, people from individualist cultures, such as the United States, place more emphasis on unique aspects of themselves when they consider their identities. There is more emphasis on their skills, attitudes, opinions and personal goals.
There are certainly exceptions, such as very group oriented and sociable people who live in individualist cultures. Still, the distinction between individualism and collectivism helps suggests reasons for difficulties such as the one experienced by Ramon.
In an individualist culture, the person concerned has the responsibility for setting up job interviews. Consequently, when graduating seniors greet each other on campus, a question about the job interview process makes sense.
In a collectivist culture the person concerned's family and others may take responsibility for that process. Ramon's father, uncles and cousins could have the responsibility of finding jobs or interviews for him. In turn, once he is established in a career, he will be obliged to provide opportunities for relatives and family friends.
Individualism and collectivism should be understood rather than judged as "better or worse." In Hawaii, many people have strong collective ties. Managers are well advised to know about their employees' family obligations and other affiliations in addition to their individual skills and talents.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Special attention will be given to miscommunications caused by cultural differences. Each column will start with a short example of such confusion. Possible explanations will be offered to encourage thought about these issues.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration,
University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the
College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu