Case 1
The shipping agent is serving the customers in the way that is considered efficient in Venezuelan culture. To the Canadian, however, this is unfocused activity that is not nearly as efficient as it would be—particularly from her point of view– if the agent simply dealt exclusively with her scheduled appointment. In Canada, businesspeople typically write appointments and activities into the day’s agenda every day. They then work sequentially through the agenda until they have completed each task or the day is over. In other words, Canadians prefer to do one thing at a time, while the South Americans, including Venezuelans, tend to do a few things simultaneously.
Case 2
As a Westerner, the American visiting professor does not quite understand the collective ownership of information in some other cultural environments. What makes her annoyed is a different attitude toward information about people. In the U.S, it is generally assumed that personal matters are private. Teachers go through elaborate procedures to assure that students do not have access to each other other’s grades. In business, it is the same. Evaluation is confidential.
Case 3
As a matter of fact, the American woman was not being disrespectful. However, it is clear that her way of showing respect and welcome was different from the ancient tradition of keeping physical distance from superiors, which is still widely observed, especially when royalty is involved.
Paul Keating, the Australian Prime Minister, may have intended to suggest by his gesture that Australia would no longer accept the Queen as head of state but just as one of their honored guests. Obviously, the British would not like it at all. Sometimes, such seemingly trivial things can influence relations between countries. That’s why protocol is taken seriously and people who are to hold diplomatic posts will be given detailed and careful instructions.
Case 7
When the Canadian young man said, “who took my peanut butter?” what he really meant was “where is my peanut butter? I can’t find it.” The Chinese doctor felt accused and upset because in Chinese culture, questions like this, especially expressed in the way the young Canadian did, often imply that someone is to blame. Chinese culture prohibits direct accusation unless a person has been targeted for shame. However, true to her learned cultural behavior of never showing anger in public, the Chinese doctor didn’t say anything, though she was deeply distressed.
Later, the physiotherapist was making a joke when she said the Chinese doctor had “three hands”. She wasn't serious, of course, and expected the patient to be amused by her fanciful explanation for his pain: that the doctor on the other side of the room could have reached an imaginary third hand out to touch him. She didn’t know in Chinese a “three-hand person” is slang for a thief.
Case 8
In American culture, people’s personal goals take priority over their allegiance to groups like the family or the employer. The loyalty of individualists to a given group is very weak; they feel they belong to many groups and are apt to change their membership as it suits them, switching churches, for example, or leaving one employer for another. And they are not likely to be emotionally dependent on organizations and institutions.
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