Having been in the USA for 3 weeks now I have gained a huge insight into the cultural differences between the UK and USA. The differences are surprisingly prevalent from the moment you arrive although the UK and USA are thought to have many of the same cultural values according to Hofstede’s 6 dimensions (see figure 1). Having studied Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory in my L2 contemporary cultural challenges in international business module I have been able to gain a greater understanding of this theory in an applied environment. Hofstede’s model concentrates on cross cultural communication.
Through looking at the 6 dimensions and specifically the long term orientation which Hofstede notes “stands for the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular perseverance and thrift. It’s opposite pole, Short Term Orientation, stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of ‘face’ and fulfilling social obligations.” (Hofstede, 2001). This dimension has the most noticeable difference between the two countries with the USA scoring 26 and the UK scoring 51 according to Hofstede’s insight (see figure 1). Though being in the USA I have been able to see this data in everyday work life for example how business decisions are made very quickly and then implemented to achieve a more immediate result. During my placement at Northeastern University I have experienced this in tasks such as when creating the course handbook. Usually our office NUGlobal would hire a design student to create the handbook. However, one was not immediately available. Therefore, our Assistant Director took on the task. This was done to cut out the recruitment and selection process and get more immediate results by getting the task done internally.
This experience solidified the theory that the USA workplace prefers fast pace decision making for immediate results. When reflecting on this experience of investigating the cultural difference between the UK and USA through Hofstede’s cultural dimensions I have been able to achieve one of my learning contract goals. “My goal is to be able to use the academic knowledge such as in my contemporary cultural challenges in international business module in a practical way through the workplace”.
Bibliography
Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures Consiquesnces . (2nd ), p359.
Insight, H. (2019, 7 24). Country Comparison. Retrieved from Hofstede Insight: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-uk,the-usa/
Ray, R., Sanes, M., & Schmitt, J. (2013). No Vacation Nation. Center for economic and policy reasearch, 18 & 19.
Links to Articles
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/324690
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/319680
https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-and-us-compared-biggest-cultural-work-difference-2018-4
Abby Duncan 