reply to the response in 150 words and provide 1 reference
question: Most of us have heard or read about differences in other countries and cultures. Many of our classmates may be from other countries and cultures. Discuss some of these differences and how they affect business.
students reply
Having been born and raised in the Philippines prior to moving to the US, I have witnessed first-hand the differences in culture and how it can affect business. Culture is defined as “characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts”. (Culture, n.d.). These differences make a country unique, affect customer-buying decisions and reflect in their day to day living. (Rothaermel, 2017, p. 340). Language is often one of the major differences between cultures; however, it is less of a barrier in the Philippines than might be expected. In the PI, Filipino is the official language and there are thousands of dialects spoken, Tagalog being the most popular. I remember that from Kindergarten to college, English was taught. As it is an integral part of school curriculums, most people are able to communicate in English, making it unnecessary for visitors to learn the Filipino language and allowing for normal business relationships with most westernized cultures that also speak English.
In my opinion, a larger difference between the two cultures lies in the Power-Distance relationship. The Philippines, a hierarchal society, ranks high in this category, scoring 94 as opposed to the United States which scores a 40. Traditionally, Americans are much more offended by the notion of inequality and display an urge to fight for balance of power. A comparison of these scores shows that Americans in the Philippines may have difficulty adjusting to what they perceive as unfair, specifically regarding relationship between management and labor in the work place (Country comparison, 2019).
Another major area of difference is Individualism. Individualism is a measure of the independence each member of a society has from its society; the right to determine one’s own destiny. The Philippines, as most Asian cultures, is a collectivist society. Both, from a familial and societal standpoint, Filipino people are likely to sacrifice personal desires to conform to the norms of the group for a greater good. With regards to the work place, this difference may manifest in the way an American may move from job to job in search of promotion whereas a Filipino is likely to remain loyal to a particular company (Country comparison, 2019).
References
Country comparison. (2018). Retrieved from Hofstede insights: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-philippines,the-usa
Culture (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved fromhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
Rothaermel, F. (2017). Strategic Management. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education
