WHAT WENT WRONG?

Done by: Rachel Ferrao

1. SELECT ONE OF THE CULTURES THAT ATTENDED THE MEETING AND

EXPLAIN HOW YOU WOULD HAVE HANDLED THE SITUATION
DIFFERENTLY.

I am going to select the German culture and if being a German and I were part of this diverse
team attending the meeting, I would have likely approached the situation way differently.

In the described scenario, the Germans, along with the Danes and Anglo-Canadians, seemed to
prioritize efficiency and task completion, as evidenced by their swift rearrangement of furniture
to create a more functional meeting setup. I personally think it was quite unprofessional of them
as they did not seem to respect the culture of the Koreans. In fact, if I really felt a need for a
change of the furniture set up, I would have respectfully asked the other cultures present if it is
fine to do so. I might have also initiated a brief discussion about the meeting setup, asking them
why it si the way it is so as to respect the preferences and comfort levels of team members from
diverse cultural backgrounds.

I would have probably done my HW on the other cultures present and understand that direct
communication may not be used as much publicly in high-context cultures, I would have actively
encouraged open communication within the team, emphasizing the value of sharing opinions and
concerns. By doing this I would have created an inclusive environment where team members feel
comfortable expressing their thoughts, whether during the meeting or in more private settings.

2. DO YOU FIND THAT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTITUDES AND

BEHAVIOURS DESCRIBED ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CULTURE?

Yes, the description of attitudes and behaviors in the scenario is consistent with cultural
expectations and orientations, as highlighted in the context of high-context and low-context
cultures.
High-Context Cultures:
1. People of high-context cultures are kind of hesitant to voice their disagreements in public,
which is evident from the above meeting. These cultures frequently value relationships
and the atmosphere in which communication takes place just as highly as the topic of the
issue being discussed

2. Another factor that screams high context in this scenario is the socializing and
relationship-building is shown by the desire to spend time getting to know one another
and building a foundation for future connections.

Low-Context Cultures:
1. The way that the Germans, Danes, and Anglo-Canadians immediately rearranged the
furniture, showing a very direct and task-oriented mindset as well as also a desire for
direct communication at the meeting without much small talk or relationship building.
Low-context cultures prefer to prioritize tasks and have a more direct approach to achieve
whatever their goals may be.

2. German and Danish team members' observation that there was little input from members
of high-context cultures throughout the meeting hints to a priority that they things done
quickly and an opinion that other people are not as straightforward in their
communication just shows.