The following chart lists twenty cultural attributes that Americans value.
It is a list of values that are considered important by Americans and that are frequently emphasized by most of the academic and popular liter-ature on U.S. culture.
Now please take a moment to see how they match your values and your cultural priorities.
Please rank them according to what you think is important for you, cross out what you would not value, and then see what the differences are.
COMPARISON OF VALUES
U.S. cultural values Your values Your cultural priorities Freedom
Independence Self-reliance Equality Individualism Competition Efficiency Time is money Directness, openness Family, friends Meritocracy Informality Social recognition Future-orientation Winning
Material possessions Volunteering
Privacy
Popularity/acceptance Accepting failure
When this exercise was conducted during a class on cross-cultural values at Stanford University, American students consistently picked the following attributes as first on their list: time is money, indepen-dence, friends. Foreign students made different choices, depending on their culture of origin.
Why is this exercise important?
It is important because if you are aware of the main cultural differences, and you understand your reaction to the predominant values, you will have gained important knowledge that will guide your actions in the U.S. business world. In other words, you will be less likely to make ca-reer-damaging mistakes.
Is there still an “American Culture”?
There is a very distinctive American way of carrying a conversation, striking a deal, socializing, etc. that may have been influenced by the cultural contributions of different ethnic groups, but still retains its key Anglo-based attributes. As Francis Fukuyama, a well-known historian who teaches at Johns Hopkins University, points out, the Anglo-Amer-ican culture is fundamentally rooted in the Protestant work ethic.9 Despite all the talk about diversity, and the diversity training programs that are mandatory in many companies, most American compa-nies—especially in corporate and professional settings—generally perceive diversity as defined by race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Cultural differences don't enter the picture. Any foreign-born profes-sional is still expected to adhere not only to the company culture, but also to an implicit (Anglo) American value system.
In the business world, regardless of the recent influx of professional im-migration, American culture is still defined by a set of values shaped and established by white, Anglo-Saxon men over the course of the last several decades.
The “American culture,” according to the experts in the field, is, at its core, an Anglo-Saxon, male-dominated culture that traces its roots to the Protestant pioneer background of the early settlers from England.
It is still the predominant culture throughout the whole country despite 9. Fukuyama, Francis. “Inserto Cultura.” Corriere della Sera, July 17, 2007.
a large, growing population of foreign-born professionals. And, despite the fact that the two coasts—West and East—tread differently, even in this regard, than the rest of the country.
Some of the key traits include the following.
Tolerance for Failure
The ability to fail and not be considered a failure yourself is a core principle in Silicon Valley and throughout the West Coast. Failure is accepted, as long as it was a learning experience; people are encour-aged to try again, and the implication is that they will be successful the second (or third or fourth) time around.
Meritocracy
This society is built on meritocracy; rising in a company through hard work (which can include ingenuity and creativity) is what matters. So if your company has an employee roster in which you are encouraged to write a short profile of yourself, you are better off sticking to your own accomplishments. You will be respected for who you are, not for what your family does. We remember the case of a Russian-born analyst who described her “influential family of doctors,” which raised quite a few eyebrows in the company.
What people really don't like here—especially on the West Coast—is arrogance. Connections are as important as anywhere, but who you are and how you behave toward others will say more about you in this society than if you list all the “important” people you know and try to impress others.
You are never “smarter” than your coworkers, regardless of your edu-cation, background, and perceived status. Most professionals in the Bay Area are well-educated, accomplished, and smart.
Being Positive and Optimistic
A negative approach is very unusual in this country, even when you feel at your wit's end. It might be acceptable in France, or Italy, or Germany, to have a cynical outlook on life, but by and large, things are looked at
in a positive light here; “the glass is half full, not half empty,” and this, at least for Europeans, is a refreshing and liberating way of looking at things.
Consider what happened during a class on managing virtual teams taught by one of the authors at Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. A woman in the class complained about the frustrat-ing difficulties she experienced when dealfrustrat-ing with various engineers to whom she was outsourcing in India. The instructors and the other students in the class spent about 45 minutes trying to pinpoint her problems and to help her find some actionable solutions. However, every suggestion was met with a negative reaction, with answers such as “This never happens to me,” “My case is not solvable in this way,”
“These ideas won't work for me,” etc. If this had happened in a European setting, the students might have commiserated with this par-ticipant and shared her negative outlook. But this attitude was highly unusual by American standards; all the students were puzzled by her behavior and were glad when it was time for a break.
USEFUL TIPS FOR WORKING IN THE U.S.
Helpful
Having a positive attitude Being on time
Planning ahead Working hard
Admitting to your mistakes and learning from them Making your point with facts and figures
Harmful
Being cynical and negative Relying on family and connections Criticizing in public
Lacking self-confidence Arguing
C h a p t e r