2. Cross-cultural analysis

From what I have observed, I believe the Russian girls were behaving that way because they might have felt like “being in the office”. In Russia, there is a really High Power Distance and one of the aspects is not to question managers (which would be the group leaders in my case). Also the type of communication between them and other group members would be indirect communication because we weren’t that close to each other (almost strangers) and there is no trust. Besides that, in Russia there is a acceptance of gender roles which probably means that they thought the men in the group would do most of the work for them. As soon as the girls sees that someone contributes more than they do, they prefer to step aside not to be liable for the outcome- which is a part of uncertainty avoidance (this means that Russians tend to be very formal and distant to people they consider strangers). 

3. Recommendation:

If you’re in a situation such as the one described above, you should let the Russian girls know that they should work too. You should give them work with clear instructions in detail so there is no confusion or misunderstanding of the task. Communication between you and the Russians should be direct so that they understand what you want them to do. The important thing is to always check their work as it could be of lower quality. If the Russian girls have a small little group within the group, it is recommended to give them a task which involves all of them with some minor share of duties.

Refusing a favor.

1. Description:

As students, hanging out after university is a common way of socialization. One time, me, my Egyptian friend and other friends from a class have decided to go out for some dinner and then walk around the city- at the same time visit numerous bars to see how they fare between each other. During dinner everything was fine so we left to have a good night out after that. During our trip to the bar however, my Egyptian friend has become less and less sociable as he was constantly using his phone to keep contact with some guy. After being annoyed by the fact, I have asked him what is wrong and he has said that a friend of his is asking a favor (to go with him buy a alcoholic drink in the shadier part of town). My Egyptian friend didn’t want to say a straight no to his friend, and instead resorted to prolonging the conversation by answering very indirectly and trying to change the topic to something else. This had affected our group’s night since my Egyptian friend kept saying he will leave but did not and did not socialize (kept playing with his phone to negotiate with his friend) with the rest of us for the rest of that day.

2. Cross Cultural Analysis:

From the Cross-Cultural Management criteria, I can infer that my Egyptian friend couldn’t say a straight answer-which was a simple no, because of his cultural background. He is from Egypt, in which communication is done trough a large network of family and friends. Communication in Egypt is high context and at the same time very indirect (didn't want to say no, thinking I would’ve been rude). This perfectly fits the situation my Egyptian friend was in and explains why he couldn’t just directly say no to his friend’s favor, preferring to drag the conversation for such a long time until his friend gives up persuading him.