What Example of Cultural Misunderstanding Did Anthropologist Jill Kleinberg Find

question 19

Multiple Choice

What example of cultural misunderstanding did anthropologist Jill Kleinberg find in her study of Japanese-owned firms in the United States?

• A) The American employees were frustrated by the lack of opportunities to advance, and the Japanese managers felt the Americans were too hard to manage.
• B) The American employees were very time-oriented, while the Japanese managers were frequently late to meetings.
• C) The American employees were very formal when speaking with their co-workers or supervisors, but the Japanese managers had a relaxed, informal style.
• D) The American employees felt the workday was too long, while the Japanese managers complained about the laziness of the workers.

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Definitions:

Reality Checks

Moments or instances where one is forced to recognize the true nature of a situation, often contradicting prior beliefs or expectations.

Tacit Knowledge

Describes the unarticulated, intuitive, and acquired knowledge that people possess, which is often difficult to transfer to others without direct personal interaction or experience.

Knowledge Management

The process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization to enhance its performance.

Nonprogrammed Decision

Nonprogrammed decisions are made in response to situations that are unique, poorly defined, and largely unstructured, requiring a bespoke approach.