Ethno-cultural peculiarities of the countries-IPR objects of Ukraine

The USA

We know perfectly well that, according to the classification by Geert Hofstede (see Lecture I), American society is characterized by the little social distance, strong individualism, a weak fear of uncertainty, and the male values dominance. Let’s consider in a more detailed way the components of this classification, and add something new that was left beyond its scope.

Speaking about such a complicated in both – historical and cultural – sides country as the United States, it is rather difficult not to deviate from the chosen theme. We see the USA as a country founded by the settlers of Anglo-Saxon origin which carries on (albeit in a very specific way) the traditions of the white European culture. However, in America there has long been a tendency to the increase of the social role of the so-called minorities – that is, ethnic minorities (in the first turn, they are Afro-Americans and Spanglish people). No wonder that according to a famous statement the typical American of the 21^st century will be a black man who speaks Spanish.

Pragmatism. The American culture has been strongly influenced by the Protestantism (in the acronym WASP it is represented by the letter «P») the adherents of which thought a desire for material success, a spirit of enterprise, and diligence to be the most important religious virtues. Religious zeal has long become extinct but the American from the WASP generation still regards almost everything he does from a pragmatic point of view. Such down-to-earth approach is a characteristic feature of all Americans – even of those best and the most talented citizens of the USA; for example, a great engineer and inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) complained that his son showed the inclination not to his father’s business but to a pure science and wanted “to be in the clouds like that guy by the name of Einstein”. But for his “head in the clouds”, the theoretical physics would have never reached such unbelievable results, among which one of the main proofs of American power – atomic weapons. For its power the present-day America owes much to the European scientists, who are less pragmatic than Edison, who just wondered what is there, “over the next hill”.

Attitudes towards changes and success. Hofstede points out that the fear of uncertainty is not a characteristic feature of the American society. Quite the contrary, the American from the WASP generation constantly looks for changes, creates them by investing all his forces into the desire to succeed. The changes are considered by the Americans in the light of a firm belief in progress. According to the main principles of this belief, a successful man should not say: “I can’t”. His ideal is a self-made man, a man who owes for success only to himself, who achieved this very success in spite of all troubles. To be a loser, as the adherents of this belief in success think, is a deadly sin. Almost all principles of the American applied psychology concern the problems of personality who strives for success and, at the same time, who is afraid of life defeat (in all its forms).

The attitude to time; punctuality. Many peoples have expressed their attitude to the use of time in some catchy phrases. For example, a Roman poet Horace said: “Carpe diem” (“Do not lose your day”, in the word for word translation we get: “Savor every day”). A Russian proverb says: “Делу время, потехе час” (“Business before pleasure”). A German proverb says: “Ohne Hast, ohne Rast” (“No hurry, no rest”). An Italian says: “Chi va presto, more lesto” (“He who walks quickly, he hurries to the death”).

Business formalities. As the business takes the first place in the life of the American from the WASP generation, it cannot and should not be mixed with anything else. Ukrainians, as well as Russians, who are inclined to combine formal and informal relationships, should remember that in the American point of view there is always a clear line between business and personal life. Of course, it may seem to be a curious argument, but the “bad guys” from the American movies sometimes accompany their evil deeds with some specification: “Nothing personal” as if they invite their victim to look at the situation from a purely business-like point of view.

Contentiousness (inclination for conflicts) of the American culture. The individualism is inseparably linked with a large extent of the contentiousness of the American culture. Here we do not mean domestic aggressiveness but a high persistence in defending own interests, the desire to receive from others as much as possible and give them in return as little as possible. (Such feelings can be seen in the behavior of individuals as well as in the actions of large organizations.)

The sense of national superiority, ethnocentrism. The American can be not only non-ceremonious, but also unceremonious. Such lack of ceremony often hides a badly concealed sense of national superiority. Above we have already talked about the fact that American culture does not encourage a clear demonstration of your advantages to the detriment of the others’ self-esteem, and now we indicate an inclination of Americans to over-emphasize the achievements of their country (real and imaginary) in communication with the representatives of the other countries. How can we explain this contradiction?

We can find the answer to it in the idea of ethnocentrism introduced, by the way, by an American sociologist William Sumner in 1906. Ethnocentrism (from Greek “éthnos” – people) is a man’s inclination to evaluate all the life phenomena in the light of the values of his own ethnic group, which is considered to be a model, the preference to his own way of life over the rest. In accordance with the logic of ethnocentrism, a deprecating attitude to the demonstration of personal advantages protects only “ours”, that is only members of the American society. The representatives of this ethno-social community are considered to be specially selected, those who live in the most perfect of the ever existed societies, which crowns neither more nor less than the whole human civilization. Only Americans have the highest extent of liberty and the opportunity to fulfill themselves; nobody can deprive them of these rights within their society. An American is proper with respect to “ours”, but the people of other cultures still have to prove him that they have reached the same level of perfection. And yet it has not proved, the American has a perfect right to express his sense of superiority. (And even if the proofs are really found, those who represented them can be considered only as capable imitators.)

Political Correctness. Political Correctness (PC) is the strict observance of the code of requirements used to ensure the equal opportunities for one and all independent and free citizens of America. PC requirements may be expressed in the form of some informal directions (akin to the code of ethics) but more often they are embodied in the laws. These requirements are not exactly brand-new and unprecedented. In America the struggle for civil rights of the Afro-Americans and for women’s rights has a long history. What is peculiar for the present situation, that is its wide scope which hasn’t laid aside a single sphere of social and private life of Americans.

Political Correctness is expressed through the inviolable admission quotas of coloured students to the American universities, protection of the handicapped, liberation of sexual minorities, etc. How can we account for such a scope? Last but not least, the fact is that the most remarkable social-and-political weight is attributed in the modern America to the generation of so-called “baby-boomers”; that is the generation of Americans who born during the postwar baby-boom and raised in the 1950-60’s when the whole USA were gassed because of the struggle for the rights of the black Americans, protests against the Vietnam war, and the activities of those youth movements which were seeking for the new values instead of the conservative ones of their parents. Becoming in the course of time the most powerful force in America, “baby-boomers” gained an offing to implement their ideals within the whole society. This power is notable for its sympathy, social hyperactivity, and strong desire to free the American society of all that “baby- boomers” believe to be the remnants of outdated views on relations between people. The administration of the 42^nd President of the USA Bill Clinton (born in 1946, the years of his presidency – 1993-2001) was considered to be a mouthpiece of this very approach. However, the accession to power of the more conservative administration of George Bush Jr. (born in 1946) also didn’t change much as the energy of the most powerful generation of America is still rather great. (This stream is formed on the basis of not only typical Americans from the WASP generation but also the representatives of various ethnic and social minorities, each of which expects to protect its own interests via the PC intensification.)

Holidays. Lack of knowledge about the American national holidays does not promise you really serious troubles, but it may sometimes put you on the spot. So, the most important American holidays are as follows:

January 1 – New Year’s Day.

January 15 – the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

In 1950-1960’s King was at the head of a powerful social movement of the black Americans who struggled for their civil rights. In 1964 he received the Nobel Prize for Peace. He was assassinated in Memphis, the state of Tennessee April 4, 1968. Of course, it goes without saying that the date of this holiday is especially important to remember when you deal with Afro-Americans.

February 22 – the birthday of the first President of the USA George Washington (life years – 1732-1799, the years of his presidency – 1789-1797).

Since recently this holiday has got a new name – the Day of the American President. And with the change of its name the original tenor of this celebration has also changed. Now it is believed that the Americans should not pay too much attention to the memory of the first head of their state – the commander-in-chief of those military forces who struggled for the independence of the United States and the chairman of the Convention who developed the American Constitution. In the eyes of the PC fighters, the homage rendered to Washington can insult the black Americans as the first president of the USA (as the majority of his associates) was a slaveholder. This fact is now shyly covered by the impersonal holiday dedicated to all American presidents, the political institute of the USA presidency as it is. The recognition of slavery as a shameful page of the American history should not cover the absurdity of these actions in any way.

July 4 – Independence Day of the United States.

Fourth Thursday of November – Thanksgiving Day.

This holiday is connected with the history of early, colonial America and recalls that Te Deum which was chanted by those settlers who luckily sailed across the ocean and founded the first colony in the state of Massachusetts.

December 25 – Christmas.

The majority of the experienced foreigners know that in the United States the time between Thanksgiving Day and the New Year’s Eve is not the best time to negotiate with the leaders of the American companies. You should remember about it before planning this or that PR-activity. It must be well thought-out and chimed with the main trend of the season. Perhaps, if the character of the PR-action does not conform to the present atmosphere at all, it is better to hung-up it for a while.

Gifts. If you want to know for sure that the American partners will not consider your gift as equivocal, just present them with the promotional gifts (items with a company logo, Ukrainian souvenirs, etc.). Personal effects (ties, shirts, perfumes, etc.) should be given only to the closest people. Choosing any gift, you should also take into consideration a cost factor. Expensive gift can be regarded as an attempt to put pressure or to bribe.

Canada

Canadian society is characterized by the middle social distance, strong individualism (which is less, however, than the USA’s), a little fear of uncertainty, and the male values dominance.

An ordinary Ukrainian knows little about Canada, although this country has (besides hockey) quite a lot of the remarkable “business cards”.

The size of its territory (9.9 million square meters – the second place in the world after Russia).

Niagara Falls (which Canada “shares” with the United States).

The longest undefended barrier in the world (between Canada and the United States) – 8893 km.

The longest highway in the world (Trans-Canada Highway) – 7604 km.

The Tower in Toronto (Canadian National Tower) – the highest self-bearing constriction in the world (595 m).

Holidays. Besides the traditional winter holidays – Christmas (25 December) and the New Year’s Day – let’s mention one more date which is especially important for the Canadians.

July 1 – the Day of Canada.

On this day in the year of 1867 Canada became the first dominion (self-governing division) of the British Empire. By the way, it is one more significant fact of Canadian – as well as of the world – history. In the future the Canadian way to the independence was repeated by Australia (1901), New Zealand (1907) South Africa (1910), India, and Pakistan (both countries – in 1947).

Great Britain

The information mentioned below can be applied to the British, that is to those Englishmen, Scots and Welshmen who inhabit the British Isles. We do not want to underestimate the dimension of the problems in the relationship between the different parts of the British whole (in the first turn, between the Englishmen and the Scots). It is very well-known that some historical scores among peoples united under the common name “the British” have not paid yet. But centuries of cohabitation and the interweaving of all the threads of economic and social life could but work out some common character traits that allow us to talk about a big British “family”.

The social distance that exists in Britain is more than in the USA and Canada. The British social hierarchy was very neatly characterized by Friedrich Engels who lived for many years in the British Isles and knew well this country: “What is the most repulsive here, that is the bourgeois “respectability” put in the flesh and blood of the working class. The social division into the grades, quite innumerable but undoubtedly recognized by all, each of which has its own pride but, at the same time, each of them is imbued with an inbred sense of respect for the those “best” and “higher””. These lines were written in the nineteenth century, but even today in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, despite all the scandals in the royal family, the prestige of the aristocracy is still very high, and respect for elders and obedience to them are considered to be a very important virtue.

British individualism is very strong (according to the classification by Hofstede it is nearly the same as the USA’s). According to a research team, this quality can be expressed in the working place in the following way: “British workers, unlike their colleagues, who represent the collectivist cultures, do not expect the managers to take care of them and assist them in solving their problems. ... For them a manager, who really cares about the welfare of his subordinates, is the one who provides them with such conditions which are necessary for improving the efficiency of labor. In other words, managers and subordinates maintain strict, purely business relationships”.

Fear of uncertainty. Even less than an American, a British seeks to avoid the uncertain, new, and risky situations. Researches and innovations top the chart of the English history. It was the United Kingdom who has been for a long time a real pioneer of technical progress and who has won the fame of “the workshop of the world” by the middle of the nineteenth century.

Traditions. It seems to be quite strange that permanent innovation is declared to be part and parcel of the British culture well-known for its loyalty to the traditions. Probably, the essence of this contradiction is the most neatly expressed in the comparison of the British society with a good sports car whose driver is simultaneously stepping on the juice and on the brake. The British combine in their nature an inclination to comprehend something new and a desire to preserve the old. It will take much knowledge and efforts to try to find out when and where we can touch this or that chord. To start with, it should be noted that the main “reserves” of the British traditions are as follows: polity (“decorated” with the whole set of the archaic procedures and ceremonies), legal system, and some aspects of education. In the sphere of business the Britons are more likely to accept novelties. (It is quite appropriate here to remind that it was Britain to be the native land for those so-called “merchant-adventurers” who developed the new markets at their own risk.)

Pragmatism brings an American and a Briton closer to each other. People from the British Isles are devoted to the business. According to the Russian culture expert A. S. Karmin, “An Englishman is inclined not so much to think (here only pure ratio is meant – D. P.) as to act”. That was the native-born of the British Isles (a famous philosopher and scientist Francis Bacon (1561-1626)) the mind of whom produced a maxim “Knowledge is power” which equalizes the search for truth and the ability to influence the outer world in order to change it to one’s own liking.

The Britons are more restrained and conservative than the Americans. Despite the fact that the creation of a huge colonial empire is a constituent part of their comparatively immediate past, the Britons are far less than the Americans affected by the hypnotic influence of some large-scale projects and activities, all that the American managers call “large-scale endeavors”. However, let’s remind that this very nation installed the first telegraph cable on the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, built the Suez Canal, and launched “Dreadnought” (in 1906 – the largest warship in the world) and “Titanic” (the tragedy of its short history does not conceal the fact that it was the most majestic liner in due time). This short but impressive list points out that the Britons feel equal to the large-scale projects but they begin to do something only when they see the practical conveniences of any kind.

In the British culture the male values dominance is expressed much more often in the form of the competitiveness rather than in the form of the gigantomania. This fact is very important for answering a question about what traits of image of a foreign state, company or organization the British society can estimate in the first turn.

Holidays. The contemporary British holidays are the result of the common influence of such factors as the rich history, the combination of several peoples and cultures, and the loyalty to traditions.

January 1 – New Year’s Day.

March 1 – St. David’s Day (a patron saint of Wales).

Second Monday of March – Commonwealth Day.

It is talked, let’s just remind, about the so-called British Commonwealth of Nations which has united since 1931 under this title many former British possessions which continue to recognize nominally the power of the British monarch represented in these countries by the governor-generals appointed by this monarch.

April 23 – St. George’s Day (a patron saint of England).

30 November – St. Andrew’s Day (a patron saint of Scotland).

December 25 – Christmas.

December 26 – Boxing Day (a day when the gifts are either presented or packed).

From the very beginning, on this day that follows the Christmas day representatives of the upper classes distributed to the poor some simple gifts packed in boxes. Nowadays Boxing Day is continuation of the Christmas celebrations, an additional opportunity to do something nice for people around.

We have agreed not to talk about the Irishmen, but if you are in the UK you still should remember that 17 March is St. Patrick’s Day (a patron saint of Ireland).

Gifts. The British business circles have special rules for the presentation of gifts as well as for the choice of the items to be presented so that they will be considered to be just a gift not a bribe. To these items we ascribe calendars, notebooks, lighters, pens with a company logo, alcoholic beverages (the last item – only for holiday gifts). As in the communication with the Americans, we should remember about the strict limits of the gift cost. Expensive gift can puzzle a British and even cause the suspicion of the purity and sincerity of your intentions.

Greece

The Greek society is characterized by a large social distance between the separate social layers, groups and individuals as well.

The embodiment of the individualism is not typical of the Greeks. Let’s remind that for the collectivist cultures family and other social units play a more important role than for the cultures with a predominance of the individualistic attitudes. Well, with the exception of the large industrial enterprises, banks and transnational corporations which are organized on the basis of modern management approach, the Greek firms are just a family business. Greece takes the first place in Europe in the number of small mom-and-pop businesses. Like the representatives of the other collectivist cultures, the Greeks are able in some cases to show a certain reticence in the communication with “aliens” who can destroy the traditional lifestyle.

A strong desire to preserve such state of affairs means that a fear of uncertainty is a characteristic feature of the Greek culture.

The male values dominance. This trait is expressed through the contentiousness and a higher extent of emotionality of the Greek communicational culture, which is characterized at same time by a certain weakness of the braking mechanisms.

Let’s also remind, so to say, the historical inclination of the Greeks to the discussions. The tradition of verbal punchfest throw back the ancient history. It is the Ancient Greece which was a mother land of the philosophical debates, lawyer’s eloquence and political demagogy (later, in the Christian era, it became also a mother land of the theological disputes).

Holidays

March 25 – Independence Day (the first day of the anti-Turkish uprising in 1821 which developed into a war ended only in 1829 with the liberation of Greece from Turkish pressure).

October 28 – Day of Greece.

December 25 – Christmas.

The orthodox Greeks celebrate this important for all the Christians holiday not according to the Julian (as the orthodox Christians in Ukraine and Russia do) but according to the Gregorian calendar (as Catholics do).

Spain

Spain is a country with a very specific cultural-and-historical complex. Along with the proper Spaniards (Castilians, Aragoneses) who occupy the majority of the territory of the country, the northern Spain is a home for the Basques and Galicians. Here we will focus exclusively on features of Spanish culture.

Its characteristic features, according to the classification by Hofstede, are as follows: a large social distance, strong individualism, a strong fear of uncertainty, and the female values dominance.

Non-punctuality. By this remarkable quality we can distinguish Spaniards from the other European nations. One should think that it is the result of the close historical bonds of the Spanish population with the Arabs (to be more precisely, with the Moors) – bearers of the eastern values where, as we already know, punctuality does not occupy a prominent place. In the American cultural studies there is an informal – somewhat condescending, though rather correct – definition of such relaxed attitude to the time which is a characteristic feature of many nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America, – “Colored Peoples’ Time”. It is significant that Western culture experts have a special term to denote the proper Spanish non-punctuality, – “maňana-habit” (from Spanish maňana – “tomorrow”, and from English habit; so it is easy to understand that maňana-habit means the habit of shelving proposals or, to put it in simpler words, “Tomorrow come never!”).

So, punctuality does not seem to be a must for a proper business organization for a Spaniard. If you know this feature of Spanish culture, it will be hardly reasonable to focus your attention on the problems of accuracy, time savings, etc. It can spoil your relationships with the Spanish side, you will get the reputation of a man of principle, or even an arrogant man. The last one is especially dangerous for your relationship with the Spaniards, for whom a personal dignity and honor (el honor) is not a tale that is told.

The Spaniards can be also characterized by the specific non-ceremoniousness which can give a shock even to the rather relaxed Americans. For example, it is here quite all right to conduct business acquaintances and important meetings in simple cafes opened for the widest range of visitors. You should take it into account for establishing the relations with them: it is the Spanish culture which inspires the Spaniards much closer relations with their foreign partners.

Holidays:

July 25 – Day of St. James (Santiago) (a patron saint of Spain).

October 12 – Day of the Spanish nation (Discovery Day).

Despite the fact that during the whole nineteenth century Spain had lost all its colonies in Latin America (the first one – Paraguay – in 1811, the last one – Cuba and Puerto Rico – in 1898), the former mother country kept close cultural and political ties with its separated possessions. In some cases, the Spanish and Latin American world is considered to be a cultural-and-historical unit which has common traditions recognized on the both sides of the Atlantic ocean. Thus, in order to add to the above-mentioned about the establishment of the relations with the Spanish society, it can be noted that that the good relations with the Spaniards can also be the first step to the establishing of the good relations with the people from Latin America.

December 25 – Christmas.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 709