This assignment helps you focus on an important course goal—identification of cultural values and how they may influence communication expectations, especially what can happen in the workplace. Homework 2, the interview of someone with a cultural background different than yours, helps you understand more about diversity within culture. This assignment also helps you avoid stereotyping in a harmful way, or being “politically correct” (unknowing use of identity politics).

Steps to help you draft your essay (paper)
TIP: At first glance this assignment looks complex. The sequence or order of the content grading rubric factors, provide an outline for the flow of the essay. Use that sequence. Remember to insert an introduction section to the beginning.

Grading Rubric
Content:

1. Background of your interviewee is included as a main section of the essay. Using Survey 1 answers, information about family, career/education, and important values are described.
Yes No/cannot locate enough description

2. Background of yourself is a main section of the essay, using your replies to the Survey. Description includes information about family, career/education and important values.
Yes No/cannot locate enough description

3. Perceptions Prior to Interview: This section needs to be done in advance. It provides an overview of what you believe will be likely differences. ( For Similarities see, #5 in this rubric). Select two (2) readings from the reading list, p 8 of this guide, and use to frame what you believe to be the basis for differences. Yes. No/cannot locate enough discussion about likely cultural differences

4. Differences: Backgrounds are compared, based on interview survey responses for differences. This section has two (2) or more paragraphs. Include a discussion of two (2) or more topics that surprised you, or helped you learn more. Include a discussion of the role for operating stereotypes, if those stereotypes seem important.
Yes. No/cannot locate enough discussion

5. Similarities: How are you and your interviewee similar in backgrounds based on survey responses? Similarities will likely be discovered through the interview process. This section has two (2) or more paragraphs. If relevant, use readings from list p. 8, as source material to back up your thinking.
Include a discussion of how you perceive common ground between you and the interviewee. Are similarities helpful to the interview discussion? Would the similarities aid you in managing your interviewee in a work setting? How?
Yes No/cannot locate enough description

Option: Managing Differences. Write a discussion section about what should a manager consider when addressing diversity. How could a manager incorporate different perspectives and be more inclusive? In that section build on the information you gathered about cultural values— from your interviewee’s, your survey and assigned readings.
Yes No/cannot locate enough description

8. Conclusion: This last section summarizes the analysis process (re-statement of thesis, sentence describing methods used, two or more sentences describing key results).
Yes No/cannot locate enough summary, or insights are mixed into the conclusion

Content Factors Contribute 60% of assignment score.

Organization of Paper (use of APA format)
1. Heading or short title for each section
2. Each important essay idea has its own paragraph. Or, said differently, each paragraph addresses one idea, not multiple ideas.
3. Sentences are clearly written and not run-on (no multiple clauses/phrases or too many ideas).
4. The first paragraph(s) of the essay is an introduction and includes a purpose (thesis) statement to set up the analysis.
5. The last section is a conclusion with “Conclusion” as a heading. It is a summary of the analysis and includes: a re-statement of the purpose, the method used, and 1-3 important findings, which were discussed in detail earlier in the essay.
6. Correct use of grammar, spelling and punctuation
7. Sections include in-text citations, when source materials are used—Adler text, LEO Content Modules, Hofstede website, etc.

Organization factors Contribute 40% of the assignment score.

Grading Policy:
Scoring this essay uses a percentage range (0-89%; 90-100% for a truly outstanding set of essays)

SURVEY OF BOTH SIZE: Interviewee and myself

Interviewee Survey

Female
44 years
Childhood location: England, United Kingdom
Professional life: Working full Time
Career advancement: Education and work
1. Public education: School was not religious. My education is typical of children in my area. I started school at 5years old and went to the local primary school. After that I went to middle school and then high school. I completed my 9 Gcse’s when I was 16 years old. I completed a further 3 A-levels in law, business studies and English language and literature and performance management when I was 23. I completed this via distance learning when I was living in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2. I have a master’s degree in training and performance management. I will finish my MBA in leadership and innovation in December 2018.
3. I chose my profession in training and development because I enjoy helping and supporting people. This is not similar to my parents who were both hoteliers. I consider this profession to be a semi successful position in that it is a professional position that pays well, and I am a director, but it is not a profession associated with vast success and wealth such as a doctor/ banker/ lawyer.
4. I work because I enjoy it and also because I want to be financially independent from my husband and contribute to our family so that he is not the only one carrying the financial stress. Working makes me feel like I am making a difference is society and that I am part of a wider family than just my own. It also brings social aspects such as friends. I enjoy spending the money I earn without feeling guilty that it is someone else’s’ money.
5. In career advancement I think it’s important to work hard and go above and beyond your current role to be ready for the next. Loyalty is an admirable trait but, in some industries, it’s not a requirement. Loyalty can be anything from 1-10 years depending on the job. It is important to adapt to the job and those people around you. Build strong trusted relationships. Be friendly and approachable and be the best you can be in that role.
6. At work, I work with people from many countries, from all over the world. The diversity is a huge positive support for our team and of great value.
Family background:

1. I have one younger brother and six paternal half brothers and sisters.
2. I am married. It was not an arranged married. My husband and I married after two years of dating. We both get along well with each other’s family.
3. We have 2 sons that are 9 and 11. It’s tough to be a parent in America today. Kids in America are very spoiled and don’t understand the value of money. They are not as responsible growing up as my generation was. They are lazier! I think today kids are understood better than when I was a child. We are more protective, loving and attentive to children today than when I was a child.
4. I think of my family as being everyone from aunts and uncles, to cousins and 2nd cousins. We do not get together very often because of us living far apart but we are in contact regularly. I think family is very important.

Economic Indicators:
1. My family is stable financially. We are not rich, and we are poor, but we are happy with our income level and can afford to do nice things sometime and go on holiday. All of our money was earned ourselves. we did not inherit anything.
2. Our is regarded well by our community because my husband has a good job.
3. We live in a single-family house in Woodbridge, Virginia. This is a nicer home than our parents or siblings have because we earn more money than they do.

Sources of cultural values from background:
1. I am not religious at all. I was not raised in a religious family and I do not practice religion.
2. I only speak English fluently. I speak a little Dutch and mandarin because I lived in Amsterdam and shanghai for a few years. My father speaks 5 languages, but I never learned them.

General views of US:
1. The US is ahead in terms of innovation. They are very creative and advanced when it comes to technology and services. The US is behind in terms of historical importance and embracing diversity.
2. The culture of eating so much annoys me about the US culture. Portion size is way to large. The entitlement culture annoys me. Children and younger adults expect things that they haven’t earned.

MY survey

Age 24
Country: Cameroon
Professional life: Working full time
Career Advancement: Education and work

1- Public education
I started school at the age of 4 and it was at non-religious elementary school. Since in my country’s there is just high school, I went directly to high school where I received my high school diploma at the age of 17 years.
2.I have a bachelor’s degree in accounting- control and audit. I have started my master’s degree and financial management as well.
3. I choose my profession because I’m a passionate of numbers. I love helping company with their finance and everything related to their accounting. My profession has nothing to do with my parent’s did. It is a successful position and it pays well.

4-I work because I went to school for that and to be independent financially. Working makes me feels like I’m a woman of influence and must be proud of that. I work because I want to be free to get whatever money can buy.

5- In career advancement I think it’s always better to go above your expectations so that you can embrace the next with confidence and motivation. Loyalty is a big part of what our employment values but being to loyal can be cruel. Being innovative is a major tool in workplace, get out with new ideas can lead to career advancement.

6- I work with people from so many countries in this world and I enjoy it. We share different ideas from our culture and we learn from each other.

Survey 1: Family background

1. I came from a very small family with 4 sisters. I wish I have brothers. I’m the second born.
2. I’m married, with my high school boy’s friend. We have known each other for 7 years now. My choice was motivated by myself and approve by my family. Where we live today was base on our revenue not family influence.
3. I don’t have children.
4. I think my family is an extended family. From aunts to cousins, we do not see each other often because I live in another country and they are far away.

Economic Indicators:

1- My family is not rich, but we live with what we have. My family works for what the earn today.
2- My family is regarded well by the community because we work hard to have a better life.
3- we live in one-bedroom apartment, and it is not similar with my parent’s economic status.

Source of cultural values from background

1- I’m a religious, a catholic Chretien. Religion is something very important to my family and I. However, I’m a member of a religious organization. I go to church upon availability.
2- I speak French and English, my family also except my mother who doesn’t speaks English. Being bilingual is a plus everyone need.

General views of US:
In this topic I share the same point of view with my interviewee.