How to Overcome Ethnocentrism

How to Overcome Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is when one tends to judge other ethnic or cultural groups according to the dominant, or superior, culture in which they belong. This judgment places special concern on behavior, customs, language, and religion. To overcome ethnocentrism through communication, one must first have an open mind in order to develop cultural awareness and sensitivity to others. To even the most highly motivated individuals wanting to reduce or eliminate their ethnocentrism, this is not an easy task. Efforts must be made to increase knowledge about cultural differences and similarities in order to have a better understanding of the need for a diverse population and to help overcome any prejudices. You may need to change lifelong beliefs about yourself and your culture. Moreover, recent research suggests that people often have beliefs and biases that theyre not even consciously aware of and that may even conflict with the beliefs they think they have. (Thill and Bovà ©e, 2008, pg 75) Some ways in which to learn about other cultures would be to read foreign books, learn a foreign language, browse foreign internet sites, watch foreign movies or television, attend services from another religion, travel or study abroad, learn to appreciate cultural music, or join cultural clubs to cultivate friendships. A degree of ethnocentrism is natural when being introduced to a different culture. Fortunately these cross-cultural barriers can be overcome through exposure. In my life experiences, prejudices have simply been nothing other than fear of the unknown. Explain the eight main types of cultural differences. Provide an example of each (5 points). When communicating in a diverse world, one must recognize and accommodate cultural differences to avoid the chance of any misunderstandings. There are eight main types of cultural differences: contextual, legal and ethical, social, nonverbal signals, age, gender, religion, and ability. Any attempt at communicating, cultural context plays a role in. Cultural context is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between two members of the same culture. (Thill and Bovà ©e, 2008, pg 76) There are two types of cultural context, high-context and low-context. As an example, in a high-context culture, ones position and status is valued more highly than their competence, whereas in a low-context culture, ones competence, position and status are valued equally. Cultural context also affects legal and ethical differences. In a high-context culture, verbal agreements are viewed as more important than written agreements, and in a low-context culture, a written agreement is binding, with little to no value placed on a verbal agreement. The nature of social behavior differs between cultures, and at times, quite markedly. A good example of this difference is in a high-context culture, time is often seen as more flexible, meaning late schedules or appointments are overlooked in order to maintain relationships, whereas in a low-context culture, schedules, appointments, and deadlines have rigid requirements. Being late might be seen as disrespectful, lazy, or incompetent, and normally unacceptable. Nonverbal differences could be grouped along with social differences as they are both a type of behavior, but can also differ quite markedly between cultures. Examples of these differences can include greetings such as a handshake, possible intrusion of personal space, facial expressions, eye contact or posture. The remaining four differences, I believe could be grouped together, as each one, age, gender, and ability are things that one cannot change in themselves. Even though I feel religion should be a choice, in some cultures that it not allowed. All four of these differences have the potential to bring about controversy while communicating. Some cultures give the most respect, power, and freedom to their elders, while other cultures believe that the younger generation can bring fresh ideas and creativity to the table. Some cultures allow more women to hold executive positions, while others still believe men should hold the positions of authority. While some cultures find people with impaired abilities a significant disadvantage and may not give them equal opportunities, other cultures recognize these individuals as an opportunity to help them with tasks that they find difficult or almost impossible to perform, and can possibly lead to finding new inventions in which to aid these individu als. Some cultures believe they should be allowed to express their religious beliefs in any environment, while others do not believe in openly expressing themselves so as to avoid friction between individuals. In todays economy, anyone who can make a contribution that has a positive impact on society should be allowed, but we all must learn to see past our cultural differences. List and discuss the important components of successful intercultural communications (5 points). Intercultural communication is difficult and in order to communicate successfully, there are barriers we must work through. Important components of communicating successfully are to research and study other cultures and languages, learn to respect preferences for communication styles, learn to write and speak clearly and listen carefully, and help others adapt to your culture. Learning just the basics of any culture, even common phrases, can help get you through everyday situations. There are many ways of researching and studying other cultures and their languages from reading books, to watching movies, traveling to another country, or even taking classes to learn a second language. Knowing the communication style of a culture is particularly important in effectively communicating, whether it be verbally, or nonverbal. Learning other communication style also shows that you respect their culture. Writing and speaking clearly and listening carefully are also a part of effective communication. If youre in a meeting, making a presentation, or listening to a presentation, in order to give or get appropriate and realistic feedback, you must be an effective writer, speaker, and listener. One word can have different meanings to different cultures. When helping others adapt to your culture, both can learn which forms of communicating are easier for each culture w ritten or oral. Since successful communication plays such a vital role in todays society, it is imperative that any stumbling blocks be overcome so there can be a win-win situation for everyone involved. List the seven components of writing and speaking clearly. Provide an example of each (5 points). In learning to write and speak clearly, it is recommended one follow these seven components: 1) Use simple and precise language; 2) Be brief; 3) Use transitional elements; 4) Address international correspondence properly; 5) Cite numbers and dates carefully; 6) Avoid slang, idiomatic phrases, and business jargon; and 7) Avoid humor and other references to popular culture. Listed here are samples for each component: 1) the word run, used as a verb or noun, would have over 40 distinct meanings, where the word taxi, which may differ slightly in spelling would tend to be recognized as the same meaning; 2) organize your thoughts and materials to eliminate any redundancy so your information can be conveyed in the shortest and simplest way possible, and if need be, break information into smaller sections to help readers capture your message; 3) using transitional words and phrases such as even though, furthermore, because of all this helps readers understand what they are reading; 4) be sure you correctly use all address elements for a country, e.g. (city + hyphen + postcode), and another country may use (city + state (abbrev.) + postcode); 5) a date written as 1/2/03, in one country may mean the first of February, 2003, but in another country mean the second of January, 2003; 6) such idiomatic phrases as its on the tip of my tongue should be avoided as your audience may not have any idea what you mean; and 7) what is funny to one person can be entirely different from what the next person thinks. Lets say making a joke about a popular entertainer like why was Lady Gaga carried on stage in an eggshell and dressed like a newborn. This would most likely be completely alien to your audience. So unless you are familiar with your audience, it is best to avoid humor altogether. When communicating in intercultural conversations, whether speaking or writing, remember to become familiar with their communication style and adapt accordingly, and to follow the seven components of writing and speaking clearly. On page 94 of your text, do exercise 3.1 (Intercultural Sensitivity: Recognizing Variations). Be sure to provide a rationale for your answer and use citations or references to the text or other materials to support your answer. You may find it helpful to visit your textbook Web site and go to the Featured Web Sites section for Chapter 3, then visit the Executive Planet Web site for some additional information about communicating in a business setting with specific countries. (10 points) A Canadian toy company representative, Ms. McGraw, is in a first negotiations business meeting with Mr. Morioka, a manufacturer of miniature truck wheels in Osaka, Japan. Ms. McGraw has just finished explaining her companys expectations for the design process, the materials procurement, and aggressively emphasizing their willingness to close the deal by laying their contract out on the table. Mr. Morioka is increasingly vague in his response to accept the contract by saying softly, perhaps that will be difficult, shows little interest in the negotiations, and Ms McGraw doesnt understand why. One possibility of a cultural difference that could be affecting their communication is the fact that women still dont play a prominent role in business, and woman executives who visit those countries may find that theyre not taken seriously as businesspeople. (Thill and Bovà ©e, 2008, pg 78) Age difference could also have an effect because in the Japanese business culture, elders are valued for their wisdom and experience they bring to the company. Another possibility could be in nonverbal communication such as how they are greeted or if there is a lot of direct and frequent eye contact. The Japanese traditionally prefer a slight bow of the head and eye contact can be considered aggressive. (Thill and Bovà ©e, 2008, pg 80) All aspects of Japanese life, especially business relations, are governed by strict rules of etiquette. A foreign business person who is either ignorant of, or insensitive to, Japanese customs and etiquette needlessly jeopardizes his companys prospects in this country. (Japanese Customs, Etiquette, and Culture, http://www.buyusa.gov/japan/en/customs.html)

Enlightened and Romntic Views of God

Essay I During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Europe, change was always constant, and two different movements that were brought about by this change were the Enlightenment and the Romantic movements. These two different schools of thought had both things in common as well as differing opinions. An example of how this is applied is when the matter of God and religion is discussed.These two different views encompass a lot of similarities with regards to theological matters, but the main difference between the Enlightened and Romantic views of God is that Enlightenment does not put as much focus and emphasis on such matters as Romantic thinking does. The Enlightenment era was brought about during the time of scientific inquisition and governmental criticism. During this time, philosophers were writing sociological doctrines about how man is best governed, and scientists were pushing the boundaries and frontiers of their respective fields even farther.During this time, which also included such events as the French Revolution, religious affairs took a back seat to issues that were of a secular nature. As opposed to times before, where religious persecution was encouraged, thinkers of the Enlightenment period highly promoted religious toleration, and it was a more common policy during the Enlightenment than any time before that. There was a higher abundance of different religions and denominations because religion was not seen as imperative as it was before because there were many new things to learn that did not involve the church.One similarity between romanticism and the enlightenment is that each movement held an unconventional way of seeing God. Each movement valued an individual relationship with God, rather than the conventional way of congregationalism. Each movement was disdainful towards formal church groupings and the imposition of religious doctrines upon the individual. The Romantic Movement was similar to the Enlightenment in several ways. T hey were both influential events that were quite impactful, and they stressed unconventional methodology.These movements differed as well, and a main difference was that the enlightenment emphasized things that were within rationality, reason, and could be proved. Romanticism tended not to focus on such things, because it investigated the realms of human emotion, while the enlightenment was based on intellectual and logical principles. Hence, Romanticism held more of an interest of the relationship between God and the individual, because it had a lot to do with human emotion and things that were considered to be beyond human comprehension and reason.The enlightenment shied away from religious topics in order to focus on such fields as science and government. The Enlightenment and Romanticism both held things in common as well as significantly differed. The enlightened mind was more inclined to think about science, and the romantic mind was more prone to theological thoughts. Each we re similar in the fact that they believed in the individual discovering the truth about God rather than blindly listening to a group’s opinion. In general, each movement saw God in a similar way with different details.

Genetic Engineering Technology, Equipment, And...

Imagine if you were to see a young, newlywed couple sitting down on their sofa and flicking through a catalogue, browsing at the variety of different options available. They are daydreaming about all these different options that could potentially be a part of their future. Is this catalogue for houses? Or the latest and greatest furniture? No, this catalogue contains all the traits possibly available, phenotype and genotype that this couple wants their baby to have. This includes the gender, physical appearance, personality traits and talents that they want their baby to have. This catalogue is basically a way for parents to design their own babies by picking and choosing the traits that they want the baby to have and not have. Imagining this doesn’t seem realistic in this day and age, but this is what our world is heading towards due to enhancements in scientific knowledge, technology, equipment and experimentation. This enables these scientists to undergo the delicate proces s used to enhance the characteristics of the individual. This process is known as genetic engineering. The aim of genetic engineering is to add new genes that have not been found in the individual. This could involve changing a base pair A-T or C-G in the DNA. In order to do this, scientists need to alter an existing gene in an organism s genome to make it express at a higher level. The genome is the full set of DNA, including all of the genes that the organism originally has. Each genome containsShow MoreRelatedRecent Developments In Gene Editing, Concerning The Modification1447 Words   |  6 Pagesof the recent developments with iPS cells, is the genetic modification of human embryos justified?†. New gene editing software CRISPR has created cheaper and more accurate modification, making the editing of an embryo a possibility. 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It is black and white due to artificial selection by the breeders, unfortunately decreasing the species genetic diversity. It was first imported to the South Island by Canterbury farmer John Grigg in 1884, and to the North Island by Wairarapa farmers four years later. Holstein- Friesians are large cows, and their milk has high concentrations of protein and

Euro Disney Case Study - 1430 Words

1. What factors contributed to EuroDisney’s poor performance during its first year of operation? What factors contributed to Hong Kong Disney’s poor performance during its first year of operation? a.) EuroDisney: * Families were reluctant to spend $280 a day to enjoy the attractions of the park * Staying overnight was out of the question because hotel rooms were so expensive * Old Work thinking of Europeans who did not understand US style free market financing lead to French Bankers hesitating to provide funding * By summer 1994, EuroDisney had lost more than 900 million dollars * Disneyworld in Orlando ended up being cheaper than a trip to Paris due to currency movements and transatlantic airfare wars *†¦show more content†¦Since the American managers in Disney did not do enough research on Europe before building EuroDisney, there could be an argument for ethnocentrism. The company might have believed that their ways, culture and beliefs were superior to those of the foreign country, so why change or adapt them? Since most of the factors that lead to poor performance during the first year of operation were as a result of cultural inconsistencies, it could be said that mindless ethnocentrism was part of the problem. 4. How do you assess the cross-cultural marketing skills of Disney? In the early stages of EuroDisney, specifically, Disney’s cross-cultural marketing skills were poor and detrimental to the success of the new park. There was not enough research done in terms of the new environment, which led to bad decisions on Disney’s part. In particular: * Advertising/ promotion * Focus on emphasizing glitz and size instead of the attractions * Didn’t stress entertainment value of visit to the theme park in their promotions which â€Å"ruined the magic† * Food/ beverage * French people have a rigid meal schedule compared to snacking * No alcohol is allowed in the park which is a huge part of the F rench culture * Vacation customs * French prefer month long vacations instead of several throughout the year like Americans prefer * Appearances * Strict rules on the appearances of theShow MoreRelatedEuro Disney - Case Study2145 Words   |  9 Pages1 Introduction Ââ€" Euro Disney s Plans and Reality When the International Offer of Shares for the Euro Disneyland S.C.A. (in the following called Euro Disney) was published in October 1989 the plans for this new enterprise of the Walt Disney group were ambiguous. The financial plans for the first year of operation projected total revenues of FF 5,482 million and a net profit after taxation of FF 204 million. For the following years the development should be even more impressive. At that time theRead MoreEuro Disney Case Study12599 Words   |  51 Pagescase fourteen Euro Disney: From Dream to Nightmare, 1987–94 Robert M. Grant At the press conference announcing Euro Disneyland SCA’s financial results for the year ended September 30, 1994, CEO Philippe Bourguignon summed up the year in succinct terms: â€Å"The best thing about 1994 is that it’s over.† In fact, the results for the year were better than many of Euro Disneyland’s long-suffering shareholders had predicted. Although revenues were down 15 percent – the result of falling visitor numbersRead MoreEuro Disney Case Study1353 Words   |  6 Pagesstill are to great success. Tokyo Disney followed with a slow start but quickly became a successful cash cow like the 2 parks in the United States. Disney next projected success was Euro Disney, today it goes by DIsney Paris. Disney was confident and quite optimistic that the 4th Disney theme park, located just over 30 minutes drive from one of the worlds biggest tourist attractions, Paris would be no different. Some would say a little too confident. However, Disney made so me major planning mistakesRead MoreCase Study of Euro Disney (Mgmt 322)2256 Words   |  10 PagesCase Study of Euro Disney (Mgmt 322) To this day, EuroDisney struggles to keep its doors open, while the American and European theme parks continue to thrive. My paper for my International Business course deals with the many problems that marked the opening of EuroDisney ... ________________________________________ For years, the Disney theme park empire was built upon three crown jewels located in California, Florida, and Japan. Combining the familiar, family-friendly characters and imagesRead MoreA Case Study on Euro Disney (for IntL Mkgt)1867 Words   |  8 PagesDIRECTLY UNDER THIS DISCLAIMER! http://hickeymouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/case-study-on-euro-disney-for-intl-mkgt.html Disney theme parks are enormously successful in the United States. Families flock there at all times of the year. Disney’s best customers are repeat customers.[1] When Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983, it was more popular than Disney ever imagined.[2] With one foot in to the international area, Disney decided to conquer Europe. They scouted out possible locations andRead MoreCase Study – Euro Disney, the First 100 Days1353 Words   |  6 PagesCase Study #1 – Euro Disney, The First 100 Days 1.0 Introduction Ever since the first Disneyland was founded in 1955 in Anaheim, California, the Walt Disney Company had experienced nothing but success in the theme park business until its second oversea Disneyland – Euro Disney was opened in France in 1992. Following the success of the company’s first oversea Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan, on April 12, 1992, within its $4.4 billion budget, Euro Disney was opened in Marne-la-Vallee, France on a siteRead More Euro Disney - Analysis of the External and Internal Environment1393 Words   |  6 PagesEuro Disney’ marketer’s before entering a market as in this case has been the European market should have scanned the environment. By scanning the environment they should analyze the mega-environment as well as the task environment for possible opportunities and threats. Yet, a close attention could have been paid to their strength and weaknesses inside the company. Indeed, the consideration about any trends should have been incorporated in their environment analysis. In this case there has beenRead MoreEuro Disneys Analysis of the External and Internal Environment1415 Words   |  6 PagesEuro Disney marketers before entering a market as in this case has been the European market should have scanned the environment. By scanning the environment they should analyze the mega-environment as well as the task environment for possible opportunities and threats . Yet, a close attention could have been paid to their strength and weaknesses inside the company. Indeed, the consideration about any trends should have been incorporated in their environment analysis. In this case there has beenRead MoreThe Almost Catastrophic Business that Was Euro Disney981 Words   |  4 Pages1992, Euro-Disney opened a new location twenty miles east of Paris. Due to many different conditions, which nearly lead to failure, Michael Eisner personally structured a package to reorganize the park in 1994. Although Disney is a label known around the world, Euro-Disney was nearly a enormous catastrophe. How something like this could happen is fascinating. There are many explanations for Disney’s near terminal presentation, both predictable and unexpected. Regrettably, Euro-Disney didRead MoreCase2 the Not-so-Wonderful World of Eurodisney1743 Words   |  7 PagesCase Analysis MKTG 650-6T1 Global Marketing Management Professor: Prof. Nicholas Name: Tim Date: 2/25/13 Case study: The Not-So-Wonderful World of EuroDisney Summary Euro Disney SCA formally launched its theme park to Europeans in April 1992 near river Marne, 20 miles East of Paris. It was the biggest and most lavish theme park that Walt Disney had built bigger than any of its Disney parks around the world. The location was chosen over 200 potential sites in Europe from Portugal through Spain,