EDC315

I've added two sample searches for each case study. Try them out, look for articles of interest, and then adjust your search as needed until you find what you are looking for. Remember that research is largely trial and error so keep track of what you find as you go. Feel free to contact me if you need help!  Lisa

Sofia is a Romanian university student studying abroad for 6 months in France. Her account is below:

“I was excited to study abroad in France because, though I had traveled to other parts of Europe before, I had not spent a long time in any one place. I was not too worried about culture shock- we are both European… How different could we be? However, I couldn’t understand why it was hard to connect with others. Early on, I tried to make a French friend in one of my classes. Adriene seemed nice enough, so I asked if she wanted to form a study group. But, she was not interested! At my university in Romania, it’s very common to study and work in groups. Here, no one seems eager to help each other, and students are quite competitive with each other! Eventually, though, she did invite me to a dinner at her house. I was surprised because it was on a weeknight - wouldn’t she be studying? When I arrived, many people were there, and they had wine and cheese galore! I asked what the special occasion was, but she said they do this at least weekly! Back in Romania, it could have passed for a birthday party or holiday dinner! It was all too much- the food, the atmosphere… I told Adriene that I could not believe she would have such an extravagant dinner on a weeknight but refuse to join a study group- was she even serious about her studies? She was taken aback and offended. She even said that she had better test results than me, so how would she benefit from working with me? I couldn’t believe it, and stormed out!”

You will research Romanian and French cultures and examine the potential source of the cross-cultural conflict through Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory discussed in class in addition to the DMIS (identify what stage Sofia is in and how she can advance to the next stage). You’ll then make recommendations for how the conflict could be resolved.

Jianyu is a high school student who has moved from China to Sweden because his dad got a position at the Swedish headquarters of his company. His account is below:

“I was scared to move so far away from home, but my dad helped our family prepare. He said that Sweden is very different from China. It would be colder there, and it might be hard to make friends. Many cultural aspects would be different than what we were used to. I read books from Sweden and tried to study the culture. I thought I was well prepared for the differences! On my first day of school, when our first period teacher walked in, I automatically stood at my desk to greet him. The other students remained seated- and laughed at me! I did not make that mistake again; this was something always done in China! Another thing that was surprising to me was when how much less homework I was given in school than what I was used to in China. In China, I would often come home from school and complete homework late into the night. Overall, I was very observant and thought I was doing well conforming to Swedish culture. Until midterms! I received low grades in my courses because of one thing - apparently, I was seen as disengaged in class! My teachers encouraged me to contribute more to discussions. I can’t understand why. Aren’t they the experts?? Why would I know better than them? This is the next thing I will need to research…”

You will research Chinese and Swedish cultures and examine the potential source of the cross-cultural conflict through Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory discussed in class in addition to the DMIS (identify what stage Jianyu is in and how he can advance to the next stage). You’ll then make recommendations for how the conflict could be resolved.

Michelle (born and raised in Australia) and Fahima (born and raised in Saudi Arabia) became good friends when they were both doctoral students at the same Australian university. Now, both working at a women’s college in Saudi Arabia, they are experiencing a breakdown in their relationship. Michelle’s account is below:

“I was excited to accept Fahima’s offer to come and work in her college to help accomplish her goals and vision for the school. She was a high-ranking administrator there, and I was looking forward to working collaboratively with her. I did not want to be prejudiced by others’ opinions of Saudi Arabia, so I deliberately avoided reading and listening to material about the country. When I arrived, I stuck close to Fahima, but was quickly surprised to find that she expected me to be her assistant rather than her partner. She acted so arrogantly! To make matters worse, I was never sure what my role was supposed to be- despite asking many times, she did not define the exact purpose of my position. Why had she even invited me to work here? When she was away at a conference, I decided to have a series of meetings with other administrators to see if I could get more information from them. They were all pretty cagey, but one staff member from the U.S. was finally able to give me some insight into what I should be doing. I felt much better… until Fahima returned. She was livid with me and said that I should not have spoken to the other leaders. She said everyone must go through “formal communication channels”. She was apparently so hurt that she even cried and said I had ruined our friendship! I realized I had made a huge mistake and attempted to reconcile with her after looking further into Saudi Arabian culture. For the rest of my stint at the college, I made sure to only ever go through her for information and to pay more attention to the way she communicated rather than just what she said or didn’t say.”

You will research Australian and Saudi Arabian/Arab cultures and examine the potential source of the crosscultural conflict through Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory intercultural theory discussed in class in addition to the DMIS (identify what stage Michelle is in and how she can advance to the next stage). You’ll then make recommendations for how the conflict could be resolved