ISPM/ICC/GROUP/7

  POST №5 Cultural Misunderstanding/ Dilemma Last year, I studied here for a foundation year. It was a very multicultural class, where I met a lot of new friends with very different cultural backgrounds. The only guy, that was always trying to socialize with others, but had some problems with it, was a Chinese student, from another class, that had never experienced intercultural communication before.   We thought that it would be a great idea, to help him to adapt faster. We decided to be friendly with him by giving him some sweets sometimes or inviting him for drinks. But after our first time going out, on the next day he texted us asking to have a Chinese traditional lunch together. We thought that he will show us, how to cook it, and we will share it together. However, on that day, he just brought already prepared lunch. We were shocked because we were supposed to learn how to cook it by ourselves. And what shocked us more, was that he already ate lunch, and just brought other p

  Post №4                       POWER DISTANCE ·        Germany is characterized by a strong middle class and a decentralized structure. Due to this, the country is relatively low on the power distance index, scoring 35. Workers have a high degree of co-determination rights, which management must take into account. Communication and meetings are direct and participatory, and there is a general aversion to control. Leadership is most effective when it is based on expertise. ·        Northern Italy values equality and decentralization of power, as indicated by its score of 50 on the power distance index. The younger generation in particular dislikes formal supervision and control, and prefers teamwork and an open management style. It's worth noting that the strong individualism in Northern Italy contributes to the aversion to being controlled. In contrast, Southern Italy tends to have high power distance, with a centralized decision-making and a higher acceptance of control.