After working abroad in Ireland, I started to understand business culture and began to pick up differences between American & Irish business culture. One of the first things I noticed, was that it was okay to be up to 30 minutes late to work and even a meeting. It isn't until 30 minutes have passed that people start to become annoyed that you're tardy. The book mentions that Switzerland ranked first in the desire to comply with schedules & Mexico ranked last. I wonder where Ireland would fall on that list.
Since my current internship at ECHO is managing their social media channels, I cannot help but look at each of the topics in our textbook through the social media lens. Cultural communication is more than being aware of color meanings and fashion faux pas. It can be about spreading awareness of other cultures and international issues. Twitter has proven to be a useful tool in connecting cultures. Jessica Faye Carter wrote a Mashable article on October 14, 2012 titled, "Why Twitter Influences Cross Cultural Engagement". Since Twitter has become an international communication platform, it is easy to learn about other cultures with just a few clicks and browsing through what's trending. It is no doubt spreading globalization, as the textbook referred to when they identified four trends that are increasing globalization
- "Trade-import and export transactions among nations
- Movement of Capital - the flow of investment money between countries., including foreign aid and private stock purchases
- Movement of people - the mobility of workers who cross national borders in search of better jobs or in fulfillment of employment obligations
- Spread of knowledge and technology - the exchange of information and equipment among nations
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