CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

WORK: PRACTICES AND ATTITUDE

AND
UNDERSTANDING US & CANADIAN
ATTITUDES TOWARD WORK
Group 5:
Annisa Nur Fitria Salim Nurfauzi Ahmad
Dini Handayani Riska Lestari
Ghea Hafiizha Nazmi

1. Cross-Cultural Implication of The Job

Search

Job hunting in the United States is a

challenging experiences for Americans, but it
is especially do for people from other
countries.
A personal contact, such as a friend or
relative, can be of help in informing someone
of a job opening and possibly helping the job
applicant obtain an interview.
HOWEVER, this kind of connection (i.e.
friend or family member) does not usually
affect hiring decision.

2. Steps to Find A Job in US

Some Common Questions For

Interviewing a Job Applicant in US
Tell me (or us) about yourself.
What do you know about this company
(organization, etc.)
What are your streghts and weaknesses?
In which areas do you need more experience?
Why did you leave your last job?
What are your interests outside of work?
How does your education and work experience
relate to this job?
What are your career plans?
What do you expect to be doing in five years?

3. Employer-Employee
Relationships

One of the first things that foreign-born

individuals notice in American companies and
organizations is the casual nature of the
employer-employee relationship.
Among employees of different status, foreigner
often observes a great deal of informal
interaction like chatting and joking.
Some supervisors and managers have an opendoor office policy whereby employees may
enter without appointments.
The American value of egalitarianism manifests
itself in casual and informal behavior among

AMERICAN

INDONESIAN

Subordinates often
call their superiors
by first name.

Call their superiors

with Maam or
Sir.

Speak with
informal language.

Speak with formal

language.

Using casual and

informal behavior

Using polite and

formal behavior

4. On-the-Job
Communication Skills

Americans employers sometimes confused

about the reason of employees behavior of
saying they are understand the command but
in fact they are not understand. If American
does not understand and the command is
unclear, he or she will say that he/she does
not understand and ask more explanation.
Do not understand I do not understand,
please elaborate again Americans
Do not understand I understand (Saying
not understand is considered rude) Asians

Americans may want to know others

opinions or reaction. In meetings, coworkers (or bosses) may ask each other.
Americans like to discuss their preliminary
reactions and opinions even before having
all the facts.

In American business meetings, people are

expected to participate verbally, or else
others may think that they are uninterested
in the meeting.

5. Time Considerations in the Work World

Promptness and punctuality are major

expectations in the American workplace. People
who keep appointments are considered to be
dependable, and those who do not are seen
unreliable.
The American workday usually begins at 8.00
AM, 8.30 AM, or 9.00 AM, not 8.10, 8.40, or
9.10. In many countries, employees feel that
they can stop working if the boss is not around.
This may happens in US but Americans feel that
they are not using their time well if they are not
productive during most of the day.

6. Workaholics

In American English, the word workaholic

describes people who are as addicted to their
works as an alcoholic is to liquor.
There are conflicting points of view about
workaholic. From some points of view, they are
seen as valuable members of society because
they are extremely productive and embody the
values of achievement and efficiency.
Some people are workaholics in their twenties
and thirties, but in mid-life may change their
priorities.

7. Work Ethic and

Materialism

Attitudes toward work in the US were

greatly influenced by the work ethic,
which motivated people to work hard
become successful.
This ethic, which originated with Puritan
colonists from England (early English
people in America), was an outcome of
their religious belief that material
success was a sign of Gods favor.

ACHIEVEMENT
ORIENTIATION IN
US

D
O

THE HARDER ONE

WORKS, THE MORE
SUCCESSFUL ONE WILL
BE

MAK
E

Success brings material rewards,

which can be a proof of hardwork.

8. Reactions to Work

In the US, ones job is all important facet of

personal identity.
What do you do? is synonymous with What are
you? or Who are you?
In American English, asking a child, What do you
want to be when you grow up? really means,
What kind of work do you want to do?
Work is one of the most important activities in an
individuals life. In addition, what someone
does helps to determine that persons prestige.

9.
Resumes

There are some specific Dos and

Donts to keep in mind when we write
resume to find a job in US:

DO
Make sure that your
resume has been
proofread by someone
else.
Have your resume printed
professionally.
Write succinctly.
Limit your resume to one
page, if possible.
Make your resume visually
attractive.
Use good-quality white,
off-white, or gray paper.

DONT
Exaggerate or lies about
your experiences.
Underestimate the
importance of your
experiences.
Include information about
salary.
Use personal pronouns or
abbreviations.
Explain why you left your
previous job
Put personal information
(e.g. height, weight, or
marital status).

10. Cover Letters

The cover
letter that
one submits
with a resume
can be as
important as
the resume
itself. The
body of cover
letter is
divided into
three
sections:

11. Understanding US and Canadian

Attitude Toward Work

For Americans and Canadians, work is

very important that can give them a
sense of identity and become a high
priority for them.
They believe, work needs to come first
before anything else.
Even though they are not enjoy it but
they do believe that work comes before
play or business before pleasure.

Conclusion

For American, having job is an important

thing. It can be said that job is one of crucial
aspect in their life. They have many rules
related to their job such as manner, ethic, and
work time.
But American does not have hierarchy
status in business life. They socialize with
their subordinates like they are his/her friends.
There are casual relationship between them.
It is important to watch many consideration
before we apply a job in United States.

From group 5 ^^