Exercise #5

"Outsourced" the movie study guide

Cultural Dimensions in Outsourced:

Cultural Dimension	Character Todd, Puro, Aisha or other	Outsourced Scene or Circumstance
Communication- direct/indirect	Todd and the manger Dave	A direct communication when Todd was called by his manger Dave to the office.
Accountability – Individual / group	the indian employees	The indian employees started to work together as a group so they can improve themselves.
Decision-making: rules / relations	Todd and his manger Dave	Todd was forced to go to india and he've been told that he will loose his job if he didn't perform the order.
Expression – Reveal / conceal	Todd	Todd revealed his expressions when his manger Dave told him about going to india and it was so obvious that he disliked the idea.
Connecting – Inclusive / exclusive	Indians	People of india gets to celebrate the day of Holi with everyone even with foreigns.
Context – Informal / formal	Todd and the indian employees	The context was formal between Todd and the indian employees.

Reflections:

3. When he gets on the train, he cannot find an empty seat. How is this problem
solved for him? How might this be a cultural solution?

 Todd got on the train and couldn't find an empty seat. Therefor, an indian kid gave up on his seat to Todd. In return to that, Todd enabled the kid to sit on his lap. I think that this is a cultural solution because respecting older people is a must in every culture.

4. As any exchange student, he has a lot of experiences trying new food. His first
encounter is with an iced drink. What happens?

As soon as Todd got in the car with Puro, he was offered to drink an iced drink. And then Puro told him that a lot of tourists got sick and ill after trying this iced drink. Todd felt the stomachache right after he knew.  

7. Todd wants to check in to a hotel. But Puro insists he comes to a boarding house.
What is the reason he gives Todd?

Puro didn't want Todd to feel lonely in the hotel, he insisted that he goes to a boarding house so he can have someone to take care of him and keep him in company.

8. As soon as they meet, Auntie Ji starts asking very intimate questions that
Americans who have just met would never ask. What kind of things does she ask?

Auntie Ji asked Todd a very direct personal questions such as how much is your salary? do you have a girl friend? Are you willing to get married?. Todd was shocked about being asked about his personal life by a person he just met.

Exercise #4

CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD MAKE DECISIONS

How does culture and the 12 dimensions influences:

•  Life choices.
• Thinking.
• Sense of group \ accountability.

One Asian model

 Communication, expression and connecting are the three dimensions that the model I chose is mainly focusing in. First of all, communication is Asia is indirect. Individuals can't talk to the head directly or in a straightway, they must talk to the person who's in charge to deliver the talk, whom most probably be the group leader. Secondly, Asians are more likely to conceal their expressions, they doesn't depend on self-expressions and they don't get the chance to express the way they feel. Thus, Asians can't give out their point of view about anything and they can't make their own choices. Thirdly, the way Asians connect is exclusive. They only connect with people from their own society or people they personally know. In other words, they are isolated together. 

In my point of view, these dimensions affected on people's life choices. In addition, they can't think more than what they are allowed to think of. Asians must think of the group they're in before thinking about themselves, and if a person objected or disagreed on something he will be judged and considered odd. Moreover, here in the United Arab Emirates women's choices are limited whereas men get to do whatever they want. Women should think about culture and traditions before making any step, and they get judged about anything they make wether is it a good thing or not. I think that self-expression is so important and every person should have the right to express their own feelings, but women here mostly conceal their expressions and only reveal it in some situations.