Intercultural Communication for Managers

CHAPTER 14

Working in the United States, and with Americans

The idea of a “typical” American is an illusion.

You’re coming from another country to work in the United States. What should you understand in order to communicate, negotiate, and do business with Americans?

Before we look at some of the elements that make up the collective personality of Americans—history, culture, religion, landscape, values, economy, management style—let’s consider the dimensions we have already discussed in this book: power distance, individualism, masculinity, risk avoidance, and long-term orientation.

Once again, here is how the United States rates along each of these five dimensions, according to Geert Hofstede’s research. Each index can range from zero to ...