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Inquiring minds :
A Primer on American Work Culture

In the new book, Guide for Internationals: Culture, Communication, and ESL, Deborah Valentine, a senior lecturer in management communication, offers international managers/employees a primer on U.S. culture and its impact on employee/manager interaction in the American workplace. Valentine and co-author, Sana Reynolds, provide solutions for breaching the cultural divide on the job.

Q. How do you define culture?

A. Culture teaches what is appropriate verbal and non-verbal behavior based on a core set of values that are handed down by parents, the community, and religious leaders. Cultural teachings involve attitudes toward personal space, concepts of time, and how the individual fits into society. As long as we live and work in our home culture, we know what is expected. But with 100 million people living in the United States with roots in a culture other than Northern Europe, cultural perspectives can make it difficult for them to understand how employees relate in the U.S. workplace.

Q. Once cultural mores are ingrained, isn’t it almost impossible to relearn the way one operates at work?

A. Depending on what culture you’re from really dictates what is the most difficult thing to relearn. However, some people are more culturally adept than others. This applies to those coming from abroad to work here or Americans working abroad.

Q. What is the main point you want to relay to readers?

A. Knowledge is the most important tool for unlocking culture. International employees don’t have to give up their own cultural beliefs and behaviors. Rather, they can learn to recognize the expectations of American co-workers and learn ways to work with them more effectively.

—Myra A. Thomas

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