Short assignment
Write comments on students post. Write it in first person. Informal, agree or disagree, add new information or expend on the original post. Be respectful even when you’re disagreeing. 4 comments, 50-60 words each.
Student one:
I read an article that discussed a few important cultural values such as family, friendships and knowledge. I found the difference in how the Chinese culture values family compared to American culture quite interesting. Before reading this article, I would have said the family is an important value to American culture but after reading the article it doesn’t even compare to how Chinese culture values family. For one, in Chinese culture, the family pretty much lives together their whole lives. As the children grow up they stay home throughout school until they get married in most cases. It is not uncommon for kids to stay home while attending college in American culture, although I think more kids tend to move on campus. In American culture I think we value our independence a lot more and therefore you see so many adults move out at such a young age whether they have finished school or not. And when parents get older in Chinese culture, instead of moving them into a home they will move in with their children. In American culture I think we are quick to put our elders in retirement homes, that is kind of the norm for us, so we do not have the burden of having to take care of our children and parents. The article also says that parents of children attending college takes care of the cost of tuition so that they do not go into debt. I think that if more parents in American culture could do this they would, but a lot are not able to because tuition is so high. Some parents will help their children out or cover it if they can but that is not as common as in Chinese culture proven by the many people currently in student loan debt. The Chinese culture looks at the way they value family as more convenient, but it seems like more of a burden to parent or kids, but they have a strong foundation because they take care of each other all their lives it just shifts from the parents to the kids. The Chinese believe that harmony within the family is the foundation to success in life which explains the difference in the way we value family because that is not a popular belief here.
Example of a comment:
I think that your article is extremely informative and your analysis seems to be accurate as well. I used to live in China and I can back up all the points you’ve made. It is very common for kids to live with their parents for their whole life. This is due to the extreme degree of respect given to elders in Chinese cultures. For example, anytime I would turn on the television or watch a movie in China, the media would emphasize the importance of elders and show protagonists who respect them. I feel as though youth in China respects their elderly and grown ups due to traditions, values, and the large influence of media which I observed. I definitely agree with your points though, I would want more independence rather than to feel as a burden staying at home!
Student two:
The article that I will be discussing is written by the Free Press Jounral. The article highlights the key differences between Indian and American corporate culture. I found this very interesting since the article shows how two different work environments operate and lead to success. It just goes to show that corporate cultures may vary yet can still lead to the same degree of success.
The very first point I noticed was that Indian companies tend to value spirituality a lot more than companies in America. The article stated that it is not strange for the topic of spirituality or religion to come up in business meetings. Moreover, the role of superstition and customs plays a huge role in the decisions managers choose to take and employ in Indian corporations. Moreover, the article also speaks on how Indian managers strive to assimilate their values and beliefs unto their workers to unify a common message. This is very different from American corporate culture. In fact, there are laws in place which prevent bringing up spirituality during business meetings or discussing religion. Some workplaces forbid discussing politics, religions or spirituality due to contrasting beliefs which could lead to fallouts. I found it interesting as to how Indian corporations feel the need to be spiritually united whereas American companies prefer to focus more on technicality and stay away from any potentially controversial topics such as spirituality.
Another point that the article touched on was teamwork in both these regions. The article stated that workers in India tend to work for their own needs in order to move up the heiarchy of the corporation. This is largely due to the huge population in India and workers must compete at all times to prove their mettle since replacement would be quite easy. In contrast, American companies are built mostly on team work and groups according to the article. Many employers specifically look for employees who can work well in large groups as this demonstrates communication skills. I find it interesting how two different corporations operate and succeed even when group communication is not as prominent in Indian corporate culture.
Overall, India and America have very different corporate culture. Spirituality and religion is more dominant in Indian companies whereas team projects are much more prominent in American companies. Although, both these companies operate in different methods, they still achieve success. This goes to show that there are many approaches and methods to attaining success even if there are cultural differences.
Student three:
Having some previous knowledge on Southeast Asian culture, I decided to read an article on some of the differences of the culture in Thailand and America. The article focuses on how Thailand values fun. However, it is not the fun that Westerners might immediately draw their mind to. As the article puts it, “not fun as mindless diversion or frivolity”. The word fun seems to downplay the genuine importance of this value in Thai culture. In Thailand, their word for fun is sanuk. This type of fun seeps into their everyday life in every way possible. They bring sank into every situation they encounter. Sumet Jumsai, an architect from Thailand, said something that really demonstrates the difference between American fun and Thai sanuk, “…you Americans take your fun very serious” and “It’s not as uptight as in America”. Though these words are very simple, its very explanatory. Americans seem to plan out when to have fun. Many people wait till the weekends to have fun or say that they will have fun after they get an important task or event over with. But what is the reason that you cannot have fun while at work or while completing a long task? Fun seems to only be experienced as a means to produce a short term pleasure. However, in Thailand fun is implemented in their very being.
One of the reasons, as the article mentions, for this distinction of fun in everyday life in Thailand is their religion. Having visited Thailand, I can fully verify the fact that Buddhism seeps into all aspects of the culture there. A main concept of Buddhism is living and being mindful in the present moment. This can explain why they would want to bring enjoyment and their own fun to every situation. Why feel stressed and worried when you can be smiling and enjoying what you are doing? This doesn’t mean that Thai people live on a superficial level where they don’t feel hardships. They just choose to bring sanuk into them to cope. Finally, the article mentions how in the workplace in Thailand if a job isn’t fun to them they’ll quit, even if the pay is good. This is very different from America. I know many people who stay at a job who aren’t completely satisfied just because the pay is good. While it brings them that level of comfort, your job is pretty much your everyday life. Would you risk your happiness on a daily basis just to live comfortably? It seems to be a question that is answered through the value of the meaning of life for a culture.
Student four:
The article I found most interesting on cultural values is one about the practice of tipping. The article “How does the world tip? In some places it’s actually offensive!” It explains the origins of tipping in Europe and then overviews the practice of tipping throughout various countries in the world. It was really interesting to see how drastically different attitudes on tipping are. In some countries, to not leave a tip is considered the height of rudeness. Meanwhile in another country actually leaving a tip is considered rude and demeaning. In most cases the overarching cultural values of each country heavily influences opinions and practices surrounding tipping. For example, in Europe and the United States tipping is considered the norm. In fact, in the US servers often don’t make minimum wage and depend upon tips to make their living. The practice makes sense in American and European culture that values individualism and personal success. If an employee provides superior service they will be rewarded. If their service is sub-par, it will be reflected in their tip.
In Asian countries tips are often not expected and often even refused. In some countries it’s actually illegal to accept tips. This practice makes sense when considering the cultural values typically held in Asian countries. Asian countries often have a collectivism value over the individual. Harmony is highly valued as well as deference for superiors. In China, tipping can be considered a bribe. It can also be seen as belittling. These values are played out in the service industry. Quality service is expected, deference for the customer is expected. The notion of getting a reward for individual proper behavior is alien. While the concept of retaining the good name of your employer or company would be more prominent in Asian cultural values.
I found this article very relevant to our discussions on cultural values and businesses in different countries. Tipping is something we consider so routine in the US we wouldn’t naturally think about how it would be viewed in other countries. Yet it is a very important concept to understand from other cultural perspectives.