Running head: Intercultural Communications

Intercultural Communications
Your name
Grantham University











Delora Peters
Business Communications CO210
Date
Intercultural Communications
1

For this assignment, I chose to compare the culture of the United States with the culture of the Canada,
comparing power distance, individualism, masculinity/feminity, uncertainty avoidance and long term
orientation.

In comparing the two cultures, in power distance, Canada scored slightly higher than the United States
in this dimension, simply due to the fact that in American culture we enjoy the premise of liberty and
justice for all., and by the American focus on equal rights in all aspects of American society and
government. Within American organizations, hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are
always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both
managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time,
communication is informal, direct and participative. Power distance is defined as the extent to which the
less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is
distributed unequally.

In comparing Individualism, The degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members,
and whether the peoples self-image is defined in terms of I or We, The United States, scored higher
than the Canadians, meaning that Americans have a loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that
people look after themselves and their immediate families. There is also a high degree of geographical
mobility in the United States and most Americans are accustomed to doing business with, or interacting,
with strangers. Consequently, Americans are not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts in
order to obtain or seek information. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and
display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are
based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.

Intercultural Communications
2

In comparing Masculinity / Femininity, The United States score was moderately higher than Canada
on this dimension and is considered a masculine society. Behavior in school, work, and play are based
on the shared values that people should strive to be the best they can be and that the winner takes all.
As a result, Americans will tend to display and talk freely about their successes and achievements in
life, here again, another basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Typically, Americans
live to work so that they can earn monetary rewards and attain higher status based on how good one can
be. Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.

In comparing Uncertainty avoidance, The US scored slightly less than Canada on this dimension and
therefore, American society is what one would describe as uncertainty accepting. Consequently, there is
a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new
or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or foodstuffs. Americans tend to be
more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. At the same time,
Americans do not require a lot of rules and are less emotionally expressive than higher-scoring cultures.

In comparing Long-term orientation, The United States again scored slightly higher than Canada on
this dimension and is a short-term oriented culture. As a result, it is a culture focused on traditions and
fulfilling social obligations. Given this perspective, American businesses measure their performance on a
short-term basis, with profit and loss statements being issued on a quarterly basis. This also drives
individuals to strive for quick results within the work place. There is also a need to have the absolute
truth in all matters.