Increasingly, managers must deal with multiple ethnic groups with very different cultures. Thanks to globalization, you are likely to work with Japanese, French, Chinese, German and all sorts of other nationalities. It is important to recognize that people from different cultures have are different in a variety of ways, including
different ways of looking at things
different ways of dressing
different ways of expressing personality/goodness
In an ideal world ...
the policemen would be English
the car mechanics would be German
the cooks would be French
the innkeepers would be Swiss,
and the lovers would be Italian
In a living hell ...
the policemen would be German
the car mechanics would be French
the cooks would be English
the innkeepers would be Italian
and the lovers would be Swiss
These differences can cause problems interpreting what the other person is doing. Some simple examples:
This module was designed for a sixth grade Global Cultures class although it could be implemented in classes ranging from sixth through ninth grade studying history, geography, and culture. The module is utilized in a private school, but also includes content that address relevant Tennessee middle school state World History and Geography Standards. Examples include 6.32—“Analyze the influence of geographic features on the origins of ancient Chinese civilization in the Yellow River Valley, and explain how China’s geography helped create a unique yet diverse cultural identity that was isolated from the rest of the world,” 6.35—“Explain the significance of the unification of ancient China into the first Chinese empire by Qin Shi Huangdi, beginning the Qin Dynasty,”6.25—“Identify and locate geographical features of ancient India including the Ganges river, Himalayan mountains, indian ocean, indus river, monsoon winds, and the subcontinent of India,”6.26—“Explain the emergence of the Harappan civilization in the Indus River Valley as an early agricultural civilization, and describe its achievements including architecture built with bricks, arranging roads into a series of grid systems, and sanitation and sewer systems,”6.55—“Describe the characteristics of Julius Caesar’s rule including: leadership in the military, popularity among plebians, role as dictator for life, and assassination,” and 6.56—“Analyze the influence of Augustus Caesar, including the establishment of the Roman Empire and its political, geographic, and economic expansion during the Pax Romana.”
