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Cross Cultural Differences- China and Usa Essay

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| THE 101: Cross Cultural Issues in Tourism & Hospitality | Assessment No.2 | | Ariana Janjua | 201111790 |

Culture, as defined by Geert Hofstede, is the "the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another". (Hofstede, 2011) It is due to the research carried out by scholars such as Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars that we are able to understand cultural values, and the difference in cultures more thoroughly. This information gives us the ability to understand, and interact people for other cultures that may be drastically different from our own.
Such research also gives a basis by which social and business dealings can be held. (itim …show more content…

“Individualism on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. “ (Hofstede, 2011) China is a highly collectivist culture, where all individuals are part of the unit, with the most fundamental unit being that of family. The prosperity of these units is ultimately more important than that of individual persons. Collectivism is apparent in all parts of life, from the attention given to group behavior more than individual behavior, to small everyday activities such as crowding on to a bus with numerous other passengers, such as seen in bustling Chinese cities such as Shanghai. (Gallo, 2009) These beliefs stem from the Confucian values of “ harmony, strong interpersonal relationships and group loyalties.” (Fitzgerald, 2002) Loyalty to relationships is emphasized, even in a business context. For this reason, employees are dedicated to the company they work with, and in turn they are treated with the same loyalty, transforming the business environment into a somewhat family environment. (Gallo, 2009) Also in business, every employee regards himself as part of team, and all his efforts are solely to work towards the success of that team. Collectivism in Chinese culture can be summed up in one term ‘ guan xi’, which can be loosely translated to mean “to concern, to relate, to make connections, to make relationships’.

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