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Cultural Orientation of North Americans PART 2
By Harriet Cochran Murrray • Cochran Real Estate - July 2010

The three countries of North America share similarities and differences. There are many Canadian
and US citizens vacationing and buying properties in Mexico. We all experience a convergence of these different cultures when we have an exchange, whether it is social or business.

• CANADA

Cultural Orientation:
Canadians in general are well informed and open to reasonable discussions. French Quebec is less open. Canadians are quire analytical and prefer objective information over subjective. They act on problems more from the perspective of universal rules rather than from the particular perspectives of the people involved.

Negotiation Strategies:
Facts are accepted as the primary evidence in negotiations, with little credence given to feelings. There is a strong ethnocentrism (the belief that one’s own ethnic group, nation, culture is superior) within the provinces, especially in Quebec. This leads to a faith in self-determination that may underlie behavior in negotiations.

Value System:
The French province of Quebec has a different value system from the rest of Canada. Consumerism is well developed in all provinces.

Decision Making:
Ther e i s ex t remely high individualism in decision-making, but one must follow company policies. Therefore, one person can be exchanged for another without disrupting negotiations. Canadians do not find it difficult to say “no.” A need for privacy prohibits discussing one’s family and personal affairs in business negotiations. Friendships are few and specific to needs.

An objective approach to life allows the use of social organizations and other external structures to provide stability and insulations from life. Emotion is not to be shown in public. Competitive behavior is expected, since recognition is one’s greatest reward. Time is money. Experts are relied upon at all levels. Emphasis is on one’s ability, but considerable tensions exist between the provinces, particularly with Quebec. Although there are inequalities in roles, equal rights should be guaranteed to all, as superiors and subordinates are “people like me.” Material progress is as important as humanistic progress. Traditional sex roles are changing rapidly, but women are still fighting for equality in pay and power.

• THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Cultural Orientation:
In the United States, the culture is ethnocentric, so it is closed to most outside information. It is very analytical and concepts are abstracted quickly. Innovations often take precedence over tradition. The universal rule is preferred, and company policy is followed regardless of who is doing the negotiating.

Negotiation Strategies:
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 System:
It is often said that Judeo-Christian values are the basis for behavior in the United States. However, these seem to be eroding and being replaced by ego-and ethnocentrism.

Decision Making:
Although the United States is probably the most individualistic of all cultures, each person becomes a replaceable cog in the wheel of any organization. There is a high “self” (as opposed to “other”) orientation emphasizing individual initiative and achievement. People from the US do not find it difficult to say “no.” The individual has a life of his or her own that is generally private
and not to be discussed in business negotiations. Friendships are few and specific to needs.

There is a low anxiety about life, as external structures and science provide answers to all-important questions and isolate one from life. Anxiety is developed over deadlines and results because recognition of one’s work is the greatest 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.

There is structured inequality in the roles people take, but law guarantees personal equality. 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. Traditional sex roles are changing rapidly, but women are still fighting for equality in pay and power.

Harriet C. Murray
E-mail: harriet@casasandvillas.com.

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