United States

United States

United States of America

Abbreviation: U.S. or USA

Cultural Note

Things are big in the United States—trophy houses, super-sized stores, Hummers, and of course, large people. It is well-known that world obesity levels are highest in the United States, lending to the validity of the stereotype “overfed American.” In foreign countries, one can often guess which tourists are Americans just from their girth. When international visitors arrive in the United States, the size of things and people in America can be disorienting.

●3 What’s Your Cultural IQ?

1.When calling upon a prospect for the first time, what don’t U.S. salespeople usually bring?

a.A contract

b.A product demonstration

c.A gift

ANSWER: c. U.S. executives do not generally exchange gifts—particularly between men. However, demos are expected, and contracts can follow rapidly.

2.True or False: By the year 2020, it is expected that white males will be the minority in the work force in the United States.

ANSWER: True. Attracting and training ethnically diverse employees in preparation for the changes in the work force is a common practice within many Fortune 500s.

3.The United States attracts many great minds. They come for the well-funded research positions, high-paying jobs, excellent universities, freedom of expression, etc. One of the results of this intellectual prowess is that the United States has won the most Nobel Prizes

in all categories except for one. Which is it?

ANSWER: c. As of this writing, French authors have been awarded the most Nobel Prizes for literature.

Cultural Note

Executives from the United States are well-known for telling acquaintances to use their first names almost immediately. This should not be interpreted as a request for intimacy, but rather as a cultural norm. Even people in positions of great authority cultivate down-to-earth, accessible images by promoting the use of their first names, or nicknames.

United States

The 1960s was a period of social unrest. President John F. Kennedy, his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and African-American leaders Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were all assassinated. Racial desegregation was implemented. The United States became involved in the war in Vietnam, which would eventually cost the lives of untold Vietnamese and nearly 60,000 U.S. soldiers. U.S. involvement in Vietnam ended with a cease-fire in 1973. The next year, President Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal.

The subsequent presidents were Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Investigations into scandals continued—from Irangate in the 1980s and a presidential sex scandal in the late 1990s, to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in 2004, but the economy generally remained stable.

In 2000, there was great controversy over the election results for the presidency. It was exceedingly close, and the Supreme Court became involved. George W. Bush was enabled to take the presidency, although he had a smaller share of the national vote than Al Gore.

The attacks of September 11, 2001, by terrorists decimated the self-confidence and sense of security in the United States. Over 3,000 people were killed. There was a military retaliation by the U.S. government, which, as of this writing, did not result in the capture of Osama bin Laden, who evidently directed the attack. A Department of Homeland Security was established, and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was toppled.

Type of Government

The government is a federal republic system; individual states have sovereignty over their own territory. The president is both chief of state and head of the government and is elected for a term of four years. An electoral college of delegates from each state elects the president—an unwieldy system that gives disproportionate power to the most populous states. The legislative branch is elected by universal direct suffrage. It is made up of a bicameral Congress, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Women were given the right to vote under the twenty-ninth amendment in 1920. Females have received more positions of power under recent administrations, such as positions as secretaries of state under President Clinton and Bush. However, the percentage of women in national politics is still relatively low. For current government data, check with www.cia

.gov./cia/publications/chiefs.

Language

English is the official language. Spanish is the most widely used second language.

The number of languages listed by www.ethnologue.com for the United States is 231. Of those, 176 are living languages, 3 are second languages without mother tongue speakers, and 52 are extinct. Education is compulsory in most states from age five to age sixteen. It is free up through the secondary school level, although a large number of private schools exist.

The View from the United States

Church and state have always been separate in the United States; however, many citizens belong to a religious group. Most are Christian. Judaism, and Islam each account for about 2 percent of the population.

Certain parts of the United States will be more oriented toward religious activities than others. Some states are part of what has been termed the “Bible Belt.” This region generally extends from South Carolina down and west toward Louisiana and Texas (these states are also more comfortable with delays). People in the Northeast are generally more formal, high-speed, driven by work, and reluctant to admit mistakes. The West Coast may be the most liberal area of the country—home to the most high-tech firms, and very diverse populations. There is little stigma associated with failure in the West (some attribute this to the “California Gold Rush” mentality—where the concept was to get out there and try to strike it rich). Statistically, the Midwest generates the most successful international executives. They are generally stable, hardworking employees who can adapt to many situations, yet feel secure in their own identities. Hawaii and Alaska have entirely different cultures than the rest of the United States.

Be aware that because the United States is the most litigious society on earth, corporations are extremely familiar with employment, health and safety, copyright, and every other type of law.

*Know Before You Go

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Different parts of the United States present different hazards. The Northern states can have bitterly cold winters—and flooding in the springtime. The Midwest and southeastern states suffer from tornadoes. Some Atlantic and Gulf states are prone to hurricanes—and parts of the West Coast are cursed with mudslides, forest fires, and tectonic instability.

In 2005, the Gulf Coast region was hit by a hurricane that devastated New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as areas in several southern states.

Tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity occur around the Pacific Basin. The weather is a common topic of conversation.

Security in airports has increased tenfold since the events of September 11. Security lines add hours to travel—and any traveler may be subject to protracted searches.

Private gun ownership is permitted, and the United States has more firearm deaths than any other industrialized nation.

United States

United States

Negotiation Strategies: What U.S. Citizens Accept as Evidence

In negotiations, points are made by the accumulation of objective facts. These are sometimes biased by faith in the ideologies of democracy, capitalism, and consumerism, but seldom by the subjective feelings of the participants.

Value Systems: The Basis for Behavior

It is often said that Judeo-Christian values are the basis for behavior in the United States. However, these are heavily influenced by egoand ethnocentrism. The following three sections identify the Value Systems in the predominant culture—their methods of dividing right from wrong, and good from evil.

Locus of Decision-Making

Although the United States has tested out as the most individualistic of all cultures (followed by Australia and the United Kingdom), people are considered replaceable in their organizations. There is a high self orientation emphasizing individual initiative and achievement. The individual has a life of his or her own that is generally private and normally not discussed in business negotiations. Friendships are few and specific to needs, but each person generally has loose ties with multitudes of acquaintances. In general, people from the United States do not find it difficult to say “no.”

Sources of Anxiety Reduction

There is low anxiety about life, as external structures, religion, and science provide answers to important questions. Anxiety is developed over deadlines and results because recognition of one’s work is a great reward. The work ethic is very strong, so that it appears that one lives to work. There are established rules for everything, and experts are relied upon at all levels. U.S. citizens are generally comfortable with risk.

Issues of Equality/Inequality

There is structured inequality in the roles people take, but personal equality is guaranteed by law. There is considerable ethnic and social bias against some minorities. Competition is the rule of life, but there is a strong feeling of the interdependency of roles. Excellence and decisiveness are prized characteristics. Material progress is more important than humanistic progress. The society is still male dominated, but traditional sex roles are changing rapidly. Women have become more assertive and fight for equality in pay and power.