Business is very competitive in any society. We focus on production, goals, individuals and management. Each culture has different ways of dealing with people and conducting business. There are many barriers that can affect the way business is conducted and how each country is treated. The main challenge is communicating with other cultures and adapting to change. While there are communication barriers, Jamaica is a collectivistic society and Canada has a relaxed culture. There are noticeable differences in the two countries and Canada fosters strong relationships.
After reviewing Hofstede’s five main dimensions of culture, I will compare Jamaica and Canada related to the model. According to Baack (2012), Hofstede collected data in the
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Jamaica believes in equal rights and coaching opportunities for the leaders. According to Hofstede and Minkov (2010), Jamaica has a laid back approach to work and the managers enjoy being called by their first name (Hofstede and Minkov, 2010). Jamaica maintains strong relationships, everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of the group and loyalty is a big deal. Jamaica is a masculine society, competitive and when issues arise they are resolved by physical means. Jamaica has a relaxed attitude and deviating from the normal practice is accepted. Jamaica is flexible and a very relaxed environment. Long term orientation and Indulgence have no …show more content…
Jamaica we have an Electric Company called PBS Electric. Canada the company is called XYL Gas Company. PBS Electric has a challenge based on the cost of electricity being very high right now. The recommendations for addressing business are overcoming the language barrier and the use of slang that is common in Jamaica but is not known in Canada. One suggestion is to have a class for those that cannot speak English and have trouble communicating while, conducting business. XYL Gas Company can help PBS Electric adapt to the laid back environment and the idea of balancing work life. Cultural assimilators would help to make sure the message is received clearly, avoid uncomfortable situations in business, learn how to show friendliness and respect for other cultures (Baack, 2012). Both companies should focus on eye contact, non-verbal communication, promote diversity and have leaders involved with the employees. Managers take a relaxed approach and make sure the employees are happy within the organization. According to Shakespeare, (1997), Jamaica is the third largest Caribbean island, environmental factors include hurricane season, which causes massive destruction and can become a serious problem (Shakespeare, 1997). Both companies will survive in the business if the focus is on understanding other cultures while conducting
In this paper I covered the geography, lifestyle history, people, and the society. Many different people transformed the history and the culture they have today. The people in Jamaica live in small communities without very much to live off of. Their climate does not range very much and their seasons depend on rain. Although, there society is poor, the people still find ways to live their lives to the fullest.
Approximately 250 000 people from various areas around the world enter Canada each year, as opposed to the 2000 that go to Iceland. People migrate seeking a better life and for more opportunities. Not all places can provide what people want or even need. Comparison will be made between Canada and Iceland, including the number of immigrants received every year. Canada has a drastically larger number of immigrants than Iceland. Many reasons contribute to this increased amount of immigrants, including Canada providing universal health care, access to education, and having decent weather. On the other hand, Iceland has very few hospitals for the average citizen, a lack of diversity, and unbearably cold winters. In addition, migration, whether
From the country’s earliest days, Jamaica experienced colonial status, with paternal influences from the West. Spain initially maintained ascendancy over the colony; yet, as they embarked upon their sesquicentennial reign, the Empire’s grasp began to loosen. Primarily incessant interstate conflict, between the Empire and its bordering nations, wreaked havoc. Contrastingly, England continued to thrive and experience heightened success in their colonial endeavors. Indeed, as Spain began losing dominance over Jamaica, England looked to the Caribbean to increase their economic hegemony; in 1650, the British successfully cap...
Culture, family background and the society in which I live all play a vital part molding the persona of me today. My actions, thoughts and decisions have all been influenced by my environment and the people in which I interact. The main influences that has molded have been the fact that I was born in a Christian household, the Jamaican culture and society and the hardships faced and seen in my lifetime.
The Caribbean is comprised of a group of island. Jamaica is one of the greatest Antilles. It has a tropical climate. Each country has its own culture, Jamaicans is not an exemption, and they have an assorted and distinctive one. “Their culture is a complex mixture of African, Arabic, European, East Indian, and Chinese roots combining together to create a rich, dynamic heritage” (Gall, 2009).
Berteaux, John, and Gerrald D. Doppelt, ed. Dimensions of Culture 1: Diversity. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 1998.
Canada, G. o. (2013, 05 13). Defining Culture. Retrieved 03 12, 2014, from Statistics Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/87-542-x/2011001/section/s3-eng.htm
The culture of Canada refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that are a representative of Canada and Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced by American culture because of a shared language, proximity, television and migration between the two countries. Over time, Canadian-American relations have helped develop Canada’s identity during the years 1945-1982; thus introducing changing social norms, media and entertainment. In support of this, due to the United States being approximately 9.25 times larger in population and having the dominant cultural and economic influence, it played a vital role in establishing Canada’s identity. With Canada being its neighbour, naturally, the United States would influence their way of life upon Canada.
Marcus Garvey said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” (Vinod, 2013, p. 358). According to (Cole, 1986) Culture is “a people’s patterns of behavior; the totality of values, ideas and means by which a people deals with its geographical, social, political and economic environment” It is considered as way of life adopted and exercised over a given period of time some bordering to centuries. Different communities have different cultures which are essential in assigning each of these communities an identity. With globalization and modern trends, cultures have been shared among countries leading to determination of newer cultural practices corresponding to the society in question. Cultures give rise to behaviorism and inform the social relations among people and countries. Cultural pundits have argued that the Bahamian culture and the American culture are highly similar and related in terms of dialects, beliefs and values. However, major differences in language, religion and traditions show that the Bahamian and American cultures are more different than many people believe.
The rest of the book is spent discussing each of the countries in detail. For each country the authors give a brief explanation of the history of the culture. Then they give tips on what each country expects from a visiting businessman. This includes tips on whether or not it is okay to be late for meetings, proper behavior during a business lunch or dinner, and how to properly address people you come in contact with during your business trip. They also give a guide t...
Living in two different places is an experience that opens people’s mind to a new way of thinking. The diversities of each country has its own appeal and often times, we find ourselves comparing and contrasting these nations based a variety of aspects. Despite bearing some minor similarities, the differences in geography, climate, tradition, and economy between the two countries, Jamaica and the United States of America are extensive.
Culture is everywhere we go and involves everything we do. There are different cultures all around us, weather it be where we are, whom we are with or what events are happening around us. One of the main identifiers of culture is based on which country we are in, as each and every country has its own unique culture dynamics within in. Throughout this paper two cultures will be compared and contrasted, those two being the countries of Canada and Costa Rica. These two countries have many differences yet still have similarities among them. To compare these different cultures, they will be looked at in light of three of the cultural dimensions identified by Geert Hofstead (Cultural Insights). Not only will these countries be looked at in regards
United States and Jamaica have many similarities such as they were both under British rule for several years, and they both elect officials to govern the country. However the differences between the two are quite vast when it comes to the quality of education, government, and healthcare. When the three are compared it is clear to see that in terms of where is a better place for a child to grow up the United States is a better place to be.
Our economic development will forever be defined as our ability to succeed internationally. PwC forecasts India’s real annual GDP growth until 2050 at 8.9 percent, Vietnam’s at 8.8 percent, and China’s at 5.9 percent. The list of fast-growing emerging markets goes on and on. The U.S. forecast is a meager 2.4 percent, comparable with most Western economies. The domestic companies that are likely to see incremental growth in the coming decades are those that are not only doing business internationally, but that are developing the strategic skill set to master doing business across cultures. Cross-cultural core competence is at the crux of today’s sustainable competitive advantage. For example, political environment will tell us, as to how and why political leaders control, whether and how of international business. Legal environment, both national and international will tell us about many kinds of laws by which business firms must work. The cultural environment will tell us about attitudes, beliefs and opinions important to business people. Economic environment will tell us about the economic system being followed by the host country, which may or may not be different from home country. It will also explain the variables such as level of development, human resources, Gross Domestic Per Capita and consumption patterns that determine a firm’s ability to do business. Geography will tell us about location, quantity, and quality of the world’s resources.
The differences in other cultures vary from beliefs to ways of life, or norms, of the different societies. The importance of understanding and sensitivity to other countries’ differences is crucial to a business’ success. “Lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a co...