Society Archives

Giving Feedback Across Cultures: Tips & Strategies

What is the key to delivering clear yet considerate feedback? How does feedback differ across cultures? The ability to deliver feedback on someone’s performance in a way the receiver understands is essential to both your and the feedback receiver’s success. If you’re too indirect, the receiver might not understand its content and if you’re too direct, you may come across as cruel or incompetent. In this article, we’ll look at the two main ways cultures give feedback and present some strategies for giving feedback across cultures.

What Is the Difference Between Race and Caste?

What is the difference between race and caste? How do race and caste work together to segregate societies? According to Isabel Wilkerson, race and caste are not synonyms. In her book Caste, she explains that race is the arbitrary manner of differentiating one group from another based on skin color. In contrast, caste is how we use that distinction to maintain division among groups and ascribe the appropriate lifestyles. Continue reading for an in-depth discussion on race and caste.

How Do People View Time in Different Cultures?

How do people of different cultures perceive time? What is the difference between linear time and flexible time perception? Understanding how other cultures perceive time is crucial for maintaining beneficial business relationships. Otherwise, you might be furious that you’ve been kept waiting—then become even angrier when your partner arrives and not only doesn’t apologize but is also confused as to why you’re so upset. In her book The Culture Map, Erin Meyer classifies the perception of time in different cultures into two broad categories: linear-time (aka monochronic) and flexible-time (aka polychronic). In this article, we’ll explore the differences in time

How to Be Good at Small Talk: The 3 Principles

Do you want to know how to be good at small talk? Should you wait for somebody to approach you or should you start the conversation? In her book The Fine Art of Small Talk, author Debra Fine says that anyone can master small talk if they practice the principles. Whether you like it or not, it’s impossible to avoid small talk because it’s present in many aspects of life, so you might as well get better at it. Here are Fine’s tips for how to improve your small talk skills.

How to Build Trust in a Cognitive Culture

What is cognitive trust? How do cognitive cultures approach professional relationships? Erin Meyer, the author of The Culture Map, describes cognitive trust as trust that develops based on behaviors (as opposed to personal feelings). Cognitive cultures strictly delineate their personal and professional relationships. In this article, we’ll look at how members of cognitive cultures build trust and present some tips you can use to build trust in a cognitive culture.

How to Make Personal Connections: Acceptance Is Key

Do you struggle to make personal connections with others? What does acceptance have to do with connection? Whether it’s with a friend or with a date, making connections is important. There are several ways you can go about doing this, but the root of all connections is acceptance. Keep reading to learn how to make personal connections.

Caste: Book Review, Context, and Background

Are you looking for a book review of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson? Does the book deserve all of the hype it received upon its release? Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste was an almost instant bestseller, making it onto Oprah and Barack Obama’s suggested reading lists. It was generally well-received, however, it did receive some criticism. This Caste book review cover’s the book’s background, context, and critical reception by the readers.

Conflict and Culture: How Different Cultures Disagree

How do different cultures approach conflict? Does the culture you come from tend to express disagreement openly or tacitly? Conflict and disagreement are necessary realities in the business world. But the rules for appropriate disagreement vary across cultures. In discussing conflict and culture, cultural communication expert Erin Meyer divides disagreement styles into two extremes: “confrontational” and “avoids confrontation.” In this article, we’ll look at why it can be so hard to determine where a culture falls on the disagreement spectrum and present some strategies you can use to ensure that disagreements don’t harm your business relationships.

Erin Meyer: The Culture Map Framework

How do you measure cultural differences? In what key ways do the world’s cultures differ? In an increasingly globalized world, understanding different cultures is an essential business skill. However, there are few systematic methods for analyzing and dealing with specific cultural differences. To address this gap, cultural communication expert Erin Meyer developed an eight-dimension framework for mapping cultural differences. In this article, we’ll look at Erin Meyer’s culture map comprised of the eight axes of cultural difference.

Cultural Leadership Styles: Egalitarian & Hierarchical

How do leadership styles differ across cultures? Why is it important to understand a culture’s approach to leadership when working internationally? According to cultural communication expert Erin Meyer, leadership styles differ drastically across cultures. If you’re a manager, Meyer argues that it’s your responsibility to adapt your leadership style to what your subordinates are used to. But even if you’re not, knowing how leadership works in different cultures can help ensure you give a good impression and don’t offend anyone. In this article, we’ll look at how Meyer divides cultural leadership styles into two extremes (egalitarian and hierarchical) and present