SOCS 350 Week 7 Discussion 1 Appreciating Our Differences - Download For A Pass

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SOCS 350 Week 7 Discussion 1 Appreciating Our Differences Appreciating Our Differences (graded) We have been talking about the importance of understanding our own attitudes and prejudices ... in order to appreciate cultural differences. In light of this topic, why is it important? How have you dealt with situations in which you did or said things that you later learned or realized might have been offensive, or at least misunderstood? This section lists options that can be used to view responses. Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Sort by Read/Unread Sort by Response Sorted Ascending, click to sort descending Sort by Author Sort by Date/Time* (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/11/2014 12:53:55 PM WELCOME TO OUR FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! We took some time earlier to visit the question posed in the heading above... this week we can actually elaborate, in the spirit of sharing what we have learned from our own experiences, related to the topics that we've covered so far... Before you post, please be sure to read what others have posted, so that we may have a dialogue. It's possible, even likely, that you can find similarities in your experiences. Ready? Think about the people you have connected with the most here... did you find yourself agreeing with their points of view, or did you connect more with those who challenged your points of view...? Collapse Mark as Read RE: FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! John Curry Email this Author 10/13/2014 1:36:14 PM Prof. Morgan and Class, The past seven weeks have been quit an adventure to say the least. I have encountered students with opinions the same as mine and different from mine. I can remember that week 2 discussion over what does it mean to be American was my first encounter in this class where my strong opinion clashed with that of another. I have to say I actually enjoyed the disagreement and that I did notice I disagreed with the same student during a different week’s discussion. For the most part I noticed that I agreed with a lot of the class and a handful that commented on my posts seemed to have agreed with me week after week. I always like classes where the instructor pushes us to give our opinions and then support them, it creates a very diverse atmosphere. I can remember where I was having a meeting with my staff and I was going over the chain of command. I instructed the staff that RNs were at the top, then LVNs and then CNAs. I made the comment of CNAs being at the bottom of the food chain and this tended to offend and upset some of the CNAs. They felt as if I insulted them and felt them to be worthless. After a few of them brought this to my attention I addressed the issue and reminded them that I started as a CNA and worked my way up to the position that I am in now. I reminded them that CNAs are the backbone of patient care and they play a vital role in the care given to their patients and that LVNS and RNs depend on them and their knowledge. Collapse Mark as Unread RE: FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/13/2014 7:04:39 PM I have enjoyed this class very much. I appreciate your style of teaching, Prof. Morgan. You have challenged me to look at race, ethnicity and social status with understanding eye especially when it comes to diversity. I have also gained great respect for my classmates. I agree with majority of the post and some of them I have to agree to disagree. I applied week 4 "working together " concept in our monthly meeting last week, how understanding and valuing cultural and racial and ethnic differences promote productivity. Wow 7weeks already. Collapse Mark as Read RE: FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/14/2014 11:45:42 AM Profesor Morgan and Class, I have to say where has the past seven went. This was second online class to take and my first to use a E-Book which was very different to me. I have enjoyed everyone's post and our opppions may be different at times but it gives us a new way of thinking. I have been lucky to have grown up in a area where we had several cultures and really enjoyed everyone's post. I think this class has broaden my way of thinking on culture and diversity even more. My wife was raised to be a very closed minded individual and only associate with people of her race. She expressed to me when reading some of the post how far she has come froma narrow minded person. We all can continue to learn new ways of thinking and step outside of your box when it comes to a new culture. I am glad I took this class and have a better way of thinking. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: FINAL WEEK OF GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS! Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author10/16/2014 4:16:21 PM Hello Professor- I have really enjoyed this course! I found it very interesting, educating, interactive, attention-getting, and helped inform me. Like I have said in many post before, I'm form a small town, rural, and country community so I have never really ever experienced diversity as well as know much other cultures because I have never really seen it, been around it, or experienced it before. This course has really helped inform and educate me on cultural diversity in all parts of our everyday life's. One of my parts of this course would have to be it's method of teaching. We not only got to learn, but it was as interactive, strong communication, and laid back course. It made me feel like I was sitting in class still learning, and no other online class as made me feel that way. Great job Professor Morgan! I also really enjoyed it when it came to discussions and communicating with classmates. Everyone got to speak their minds, learn from one another, and be ourselves. I know the two classmates that I related to, communicated the most, and shared a lot of similarities with were Timmy and Kristen. But I really enjoyed reading and communicating with everyone in the course. I felt like I connected with people who I had similarities with more, but I still feel like I tried connecting with all the classmates in some way or another (or at least I hope so). Personally, I have always enjoyed communicating with others who I don't always agree with so I can hear their points of view, think about their view, and then learn from it. Overall, I really enjoyed this course and would highly recommend it to others. Thanks for educating me, especially in a subject that I needed to learn and be informed about. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesDonna Tizzano Email this Author 10/12/2014 5:36:34 PM Modified:10/12/2014 5:37 PM Professor and Class, During these past 7 weeks, I have learned so much from reading my classmates posts. I learned from the classmates who had the same point of view which I did because they often had different scenarios or examples which helped me to validate my point of view on a topic. I found that most of the time, the same classmates week after week were the ones who shared my point of view on things. I especially enjoyed reading posts from diverse classmates who did not share my point of view on the various topics. These classmates opened up an entirely new perspective on how to view the subject matter. Seeing different perspectives, it challenged me to complete more research on the topic being discussed and to help me be more open minded and accepting of different views on the scenarios being discussed. Over the past several weeks we have learned that stereotypes are beliefs which have been passed down or learned or developed through life experiences. Our prejudice or preconceived attitudes may be conscious or unconscious (DeVry, 2014). As we have discussed, if we do not identify and admit to our own personal biases, prejudices and triggers, we will never be able to fully appreciate how a variety of diverse perspectives brought to the table will assist in problem solving and creative solutions. If we do not learn to at least recognize the beliefs, traditions and culture of those we work with or come into contact with, we will miss out on the benefits of assimilation in our society. When I first graduated from nursing school, I worked at a Jewish Hospital where we cared for many Orthodox Jewish patients. My first encounter with an Orthodox Jewish male was when I was providing care to a female patient and her Rabbi came to visit. When he entered the room, I immediately noticed the traditional Jewish clothing, hat, and hairstyle of the Orthodox Jew. I turned to him and introduced myself and held out my hand to shake his. He said hello, but kept his hands at his side and did not extend his hand. It was an awkward moment for me, I was embarrassed. I quickly put my hand down and exited the room. After this encounter, I did quite a bit of research on the Jewish culture so that I would be better educated on how to be respectful of the traditions and beliefs of their culture. Looking back, it certainly would have been helpful if there would have been some formal education provided on cultural diversity during our orientation period. I know that the Jewish customs and traditions were respected in the hospital, we maintained a Kosher kitchen and provided electric candles during the Sabbath, but no education was provided to new hires in order to help them embrace this diverse culture. Donna Reference: DeVry University. (2014). SOC350 Cultural diversity in professions: Week 1 and 3 lessons. Online Publication. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesJennifer Schmieder Email this Author 10/13/2014 9:00:05 PM Modified:10/13/2014 9:01 PM Donna, I had a very similar experience working at a primarily Jewish hospital with an Orthodox Jewish couple. I was new to the facility. I acquainted myself with my patient and attempted to shake hands with her husband as a greeting, while introducing myself. He did not receive the greeting well, and like you I was confused and embarrassed. “It is felt that touching a person of the opposite gender is essentially a sexual act, or at least the precursor of a sexual act” (Rozovsky, 2014). I meant no disrespect and was certainly not being forward, just misunderstood, as an example of this lesson progressing. Jennifer Rozovsky, R. (2014). May I shake the lady’s hand? Retrieved from http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1051760/jewish/May-I-Shake-the-Ladys-Hand.htm Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesKristen Roberts Email this Author 10/14/2014 1:35:29 AM Donna, I must say that I read a lot of your posts and agreed with almost everything you had commented on. I enjoyed readying your posts and you had a lot of information to add. I learned a lot these last 7 weeks. Thank you for putting in so much effort to your post and really making the content worthy reading. I honestly think that all of our posts and discussions are important because we all come from different walks of life and that is a perfect example of how much we have learned because of diversity. Diversity it self can be a learning experience. Kristen Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesDonna Tizzano Email this Author 10/14/2014 6:43:29 AM Kristen, Thank you so much for the kind words. I too noticed that we were most often on the "same page" in our perceptions and thoughts. Your posts are very comprehensive and insightful. I enjoyed seeing how you related them to your patient experiences and interactions. I was very anxious about taking this class, because I did not know what to expect. I am amazed at how much I have learned and how I have been challenged to see other perspectives related to diversity. It has certainly made me more open minded to different cultures. I can honestly say this has been the best class I have taken so far in my BSN journey. Donna (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesProfessor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:16:10 AM One of the ways that we interpret a person's comment is voice tone. Another way we make a determination about a person's comment is by their accent. We each have an accent that denotes something about us. How many have been aware of the ways in which accents do not come into play in an online format? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesDonna Tizzano Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:27:32 AM Professor and Class, Until you mentioned it, I did not consider how a person’s accent would factor into the dialogue of classroom vs on line learning. English is the dominant language in the United States. If we were in a classroom setting, a person communicating with an accent may heighten a classmate’s preconceived stereotypical attitudes towards the person which would not happen in an online discussion. These prejudices although they may be conscious or unconscious, negative or positive, being face to face in a classroom with a student speaking with an accent may hinder effective communication. Being aware of our preconceived or learned stereotypes and prejudices is the first step in being able to accept and embrace the differences in another person’s culture, their beliefs, traditions and values. It also allows us to begin to reshape and rethink what our own beliefs are and how we respond to one another (DeVry, 2014). If we are able to do this successfully, we will be able to communicate effectively whether we are face to face or online. Donna Reference: DeVry University. (2014). SOC350 Cultural diversity in professions: Week 4,5 and 6 lesson. Online Publication. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesKristen Roberts Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:47:59 AM Professor and class, Accents do not come into play while in writing online because most likely we are using proper English language. I think we are more non-judgmental and able to relate more to another writer because when we read a classmates post it is within our own mind. We read it in our own accent or language; therefor making it more likely for use to understand, agree, and connect with. Now if you heard the writer with a deep accent maybe you would be more likely to argue the point or disagree? Who knows, that particular accent may be a trigger, or prejudice that you have. That is why I think I learn more online because I take everyone's opinion equally and there is no judgment. Kristen Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesJennifer Haas Email this Author 10/15/2014 6:22:42 PM Dear Donna and Kristen, I agree that in the online classroom a person is more likely to be non-judgmental and able to relate with other individuals without the prejudice of accent. As Donna wrote preconceived stereotypes may factor into opinions a person forms when in a standard classroom. “Vocal triggers include distinctive accent, speech patterns, terminology, inflections or timbre, rhythm or lilt, argot or slang” ( DeVry 2014). Vocal triggers may generate a negative or prejudice reaction to a minority person without fact or reason. Just as the appearance of a person speaking can change the perception of the listeners without cause. The online classroom removes many of the factors or triggers that may cause preconceived stereotypes toward a person. An online student will be able to communicate through writing with the appropriate style and language skills. Jennifer DeVry University. (2014). Working Together [Week 4 Lesson]. Retrieved from Online Publication Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesDavid Smeed Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:17:01 PM I agree Jennifer! With an online course, one has all the time in the world to synthesize a proper response. Unfortunately, real life requires in the moment conversations which can lead to eliciting certain triggers and potentially saying things that are offensive. However, online courses also have limitations. For example, when writing a discussion post one is unable to emphasize vital aspects of normal conversations. You may write something and intend it to be positive, but when I read it, I could take it offensively. This has prompted even DeVry to create a policy for such communications in discussion posts. For example, they state “If you are using humor or sarcasm, make sure to clearly label it as such. Humor on this list should be indicated by an emoticon. For example: 8) :-) :-)” (DeVry University, 2014, para. 8). Therefore, I feel like both online and in-person discussions have their pro’s and con’s. The importance with either is to understand these pro’s and con’s and act accordingly. References DeVry University. (2014). Netiquette Guidelines . Retrieved from www.my.devry.edu Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesRhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:53:47 PM Interesting question Professor. From reading the posts I knew that we had many classmates from different cultures but without the visual clues, I was able to focus on the content of what they had to say instead of making, or trying not to make, judgement about where they were from and allowing all those unnecessary intrusions into the conversation. I very much enjoyed the posts and agreed with most of them when trying to see them from different perspectives. Not only by name 'recognition', but by the ideas and information that was provided. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesCorinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:39:04 AM After reading your question, I did realize that accents were not part of how I was reading things. I think without accents and clues, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, I was able to read and interpret peoples responses better. I was worried that the discussions in this class would be uncomfortable because of the topics and because sometimes its hard to understand the tone of a response, such as something that was meant as a joke would come across as sarcastic, or vice versa. Thankfully, that didn't happen. Donna, I too had the same kind of issues when I started in my current hospital, with a high volume of Jewish patients, it was hard sometime to know what was acceptable. We did have minimal training during orientation, but I did have to go and learn on my own. I agree that it would be a better idea to have a formal education on cultural diversity when they hire, but even in nursing school, I did my labor and delivery rotation in a Jewish hospital and even then, we received no education on the religion and had to rely on the nursing working on the floor to help us understand what was acceptable and not acceptable, which made our rotation even more stressful. Collapse Mark as Unread RE: Appreciating our DifferencesArthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/18/2014 10:17:42 PM With proper grammar, punctuation and spelling accents do not come into play in an online format. Getting the accent right is about getting the culture right and capturing how that expresses itself. If you don’t know the culture, you’ll struggle with how that accent or the tone of the voice will be understood. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Ann Langley Email this Author 10/13/2014 5:19:41 AM Professor Morgan and Class, As Donna has said I found myself agreeing with the majority of the students in the class, we shared many of the same thoughts on diversity. Growing up on Military bases in Canada, then in small towns there were not as many ethnic groups as many of my fellow classmates encountered. I dealt mostly with Mennonite, Hutterite, and old world Ukranian families as I was growing up, reading the posts of fellow students was enlightening. I find that I associate particular ethnic groups in a stereotypical fashion, Hutterites keep very much to themselves, shunning the liberal minds of most communities. They definitely know how to manage their community in a profitable manner, while maintaining their cultural heritage, and religious beliefs. Have I offended a person unintentionally, oh yes, in fact quite recently at work. An older gentleman came to the ED with chest pain, the man had a long standing history of cardiac problems. The man was signing himself out of the hospital against medical advice, the physician asked me to speak with the man in the hopes I could convince him to stay. I was speaking with the man and his wife explaining that he had EKG changes and his cardiac enzymes were positive and he really needed to stay in the hospital overnight. The gentleman was adamant that he was going home, his wife was curiously silent during the discussion. I finally said that he had the possibility of going home and dying, he needed medical intervention he could not get at home. The man got highly agitated and told me I had no right to threaten him or belittle his religious beliefs. His God would not let him go home and let him die with his wife requiring his assistance, once his wife was healthy, his god could take him home. I had no intention of offending this gentleman, I was truly concerned for his health. I apologized to the man and his wife, I left the room concerned I had added even more anxiety to a gentleman who did not need additional stress in his life. We all have biases or perceive people in a stereotypical manner, learning to look beyond our perceptions, accept each person for who they are is the goal we must attain. Ann (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/13/2014 9:41:29 AM I continue to learn and to be surprised in this course. For the past several years, when we get to this week, those who are nurses report having been apprehensive about the online format. The responses above indicate that things may be changing. When we think of the nursing profession, are there aspects nursing may help prepare someone for an online course? What I'm thinking of specifically is triage nursing, where you don't actually see the patient. You would know far more than I do about the field, but I do find in interesting that so many here have embraced the online format. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/13/2014 12:43:37 PM Professor, I have spent the majority of my career in nursing as a triage nurse. I worked for a 1.5 years on a Labor and Delivery Unit in a hospital and have spent the last 10 years in Women's Health Offices, working on the phones and on the computer. It took me a moment to consider how my skills as a triage nurse has prepared me for the online learning environment. There are aspects of the job that are essential and yet are done without consideration as it is part of the expectations as a triage nurse. For instance, there is a lack of hands on physical contact with patients. I do not have the benefit of physical appearance, facial expressions, or body language. I can not do a physical assessment over the phone. I have to be exceptionally good at asking the right questions to elicit responses that will add me in decision making. I discussed this in another class, but triage nurses have a great amount of autonomy in their practice. I do my work independently of those around me. I do not have a rigid guideline that must be adhered to. I have parameters and guidelines to follow, but I am given the freedom to make clinical decisions. Example: we have a set of guidelines for when a patient calls with complaints of a possible UTI. However, I am given the autonomy to decide if it sounds like a UTI. If it does then can treat according to guideline. Online learning is the same way. I do not have the benefit of hands on physical contact with anyone in my classes. What is required of me is good communication skills with words. I must be able to clearly communicate my meaning and to ask the right kinds of questions. This type of learning is very independent. I am given guidelines and it is up to me to make judgments and decisions within that set of guidelines. It still holds the same type of autonomy. Example: I have to post in discussions 3 times a week, the first time by Wednesday 11:59 Mountain time and ending on Sunday 11:59 Mountain time. When I post, how often I post, and how I post are completely up to me. I am not sitting in a classroom every Mon, Wed, and Fri at 2pm. I hope that answers your questions. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:02:29 AM Kelly, that is exactly what I was wondering. Since you have spent the majority of your career in triage, I see that it has helped you. Is triage a part of training for all nurses, such as in course work? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/14/2014 2:12:25 PM Professor, I can only speak for my nursing education, but no, it was not a part of our education. The entire body of my clinical education was in a hospital setting and hospital based practice. I did not learn how to do telephone triage, or office nursing until I decided to work in an office. The beauty of nursing is that it has so many possibilities. I am not limited to only working in a hospital. I have so many options as to how to apply my education. I just found that office nursing and triage suited me and I really have flourished in this environment. It is not something that everyone can do, just as hospital nursing or cardiac or pediatric nursing is not for everyone. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:18:50 PM Hi Kelly, Professor, and classmates. Triage is not generally a part of basic nursing education per say, but you do learn very quickly to break down what the patients are saying and applying critical thinking to narrow down the possibilities for treatment. In my ICU, my patients are infants and don't speak, so it's up to the parents to give needed information. You quickly learn to ask the right questions and probe under the surface for other information. I think these discussions are sort of the same way. You take the information that's presented and use critical thinking to probe for meanings. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Jennifer Schmieder Email this Author 10/16/2014 7:17:08 PM Professor, Kelly, and class, I applaud the autonomy that seems to be present working in phone triage. Do you have to use scripted responses or are you afforded the use of nursing judgment? I only ask, because I see that you have experience in labor and delivery and in my current hospital we are not allowed to give any information other than to tell the caller to either contact their physician or come to the hospital to be evaluated. Oftentimes a costly hospital “emergency” visit could be avoided with education over the phone, however, I am not currently in a position to offer advice within this context. Thanks, Jennifer Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 10:36:31 AM Kelly, I agree with you as nurses we are only in the hospital setting while in school and only a day of riding with a home health nurse. Clinic nursing is very busy and is not for everyone if you like doing bedside nursing. I have always worked the ED and ICU and filled in on the Medical Surgical unit if they needed extra help. I love what I do as a nurse but you have to be flexible and learn to adapt and carry on. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Carolyn Wright Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:32:06 AM Professor and class, Triage is not a part of training for all nurses; however, prioritizing is. I think I can compare online discussions to report by phone that I receive quite frequently. While getting report via phone I cannot see, touch, or listen to the actual patient. This is where I need to pick up on vocal triggers. If the nurse reporting off to me changes her speech pattern while telling me something about the patient it can lead me in the right direction of thinking. This was a great question that made me think about examples of nonvisual conversations I have had. The question I would have is if the person had an accent would I still be able to pick up on the vocal triggers? Hmmm, something to think about. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Angela McCoy Email this Author 10/15/2014 6:54:10 PM Kelly, Your answer is very informative. Nursing is hands on. When we can't see an individual it is hard to assess the nature of the problem. We were taught as nurses to look at our patient to see what is going on with a patient. Touch the patient to provide a sense of caring for that patient. I also like the flexibility of the online class because sometimes I'm working 10 - 12 hours in surgery everyday and I have to make time to read, post, and do research for my papers. It has been a true challenge especially taking NR361 with the Sociology class. It is true brain exercise. Angela Sociology-Week 7 Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:11:05 PM Professor, I was vehemently against on-line classes when I started this journey to obtain my BSN. I was only familiar with the traditional classroom format of learning. I agree there are comparisons between on line learning and the skill set nurses require. This is my 4th class as an on-line student. Once I got over my anxiety about learning a new approach to education, I found myself embracing the flexibility of the program and appreciating the discussion threads from people across the nation. If I was in a traditional classroom, I would not be exposed to people and their experiences that live all across the U.S. Nursing requires RN’s to be autonomous, and to use critical thinking skills to put all the parts of a clinical situation and care of a patient into place. They must also have the ability to effectively delegate tasks within one’s scope of practice to the appropriate job classification and to monitor outcomes. We follow algo-rhythms in codes to provide the appropriate treatment for patients. We follow the Nursing Process to identify patient problems and develop a nursing treatment plan. I compare these algo-rhythms and the Nursing Process to my on-line education journey. The syllabus provides us an outline of the class content. Assignments are defined weekly with due dates provided to turn in work. Lectures and topics for discussion threads are outlined with specific parameters for postings and responses. This form of learning requires one to be able to work independently, utilize their time effectively and communicate in a professional manner-all skills which nurses need to possess. I miss the classroom setting at times because I like to observe body language and make eye contact with people I am communicating with, and it is a more personal setting than communicating on-line. Donna Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:27:15 PM Professor, I was not apprehensive about online courses because I took one for my associate degree. I really liked the flexibility and it gave everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts and life experiences, well because it is required to post more than once. I also enjoy that I can do my work at any time of the day. I work third shift and when it is slow at work I can get some homework and posts done. It is very convenient for me. In labor and delivery we have a triage, but we actually do see the patient. Our assessment is fact and site specific. This does relate to online college because if a patient comes in with a headache, you will focus on neuro, blood pressure and maybe run some labs to gather more information. Online if you want to learn or gather more knowledge in a specific area than you are able to focus your attention on that rather than everyone. Like triage, you can personalize your education on what you need to learn most. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences David Smeed Email this Author 10/13/2014 1:40:16 PM Ann and Donna great posts! I agree we have all learned a lot from each other. I have not only just enjoyed reading and learning from each other’s posts, but I have also enjoyed the questions that have prompted me to evaluate my own personal biases and prejudices. There have been activities that go beyond traditional textbook learning and require critical thinking skills. My favorite examples were the “You Decide” projects. I especially enjoyed when everyone was able to discuss their opinions for or against building the homeless shelter. Even in a class like this, it was amazingly beneficial to have a diversity of opinions. Everyone brought their unique life/personal experiences. As stated above, it is very important to recognize personal prejudices and attitudes about certain cultures or ethnic groups. We have learned that diversity is vital and should be promoted within a workplace. By identifying such personal biases, one can hopefully circumvent situations that demote such diversity. At least understanding and acknowledging these cultural differences is important in order to better interact with such individuals (DeVry University, 2014) The main difficulty in relation to identifying times where we were bias is that many times such biases are so innate that one may not even realize their mistake at the time (or ever). For example, in Ann’s case she was unknowingly discriminating to this man. If he would have never said something, she would have never known. There has been many times where I may look at an individual and pre- judge them based on certain triggers. An example of personal prejudice was when my girlfriend and I volunteered at a homeless shelter. My girlfriend observed a male pull out what appeared to be a wallet filled thick with cash. She pointed this out to me, and we came to the conclusion that he most likely sold drugs. Later we found out that his wallet was filled primarily with different business cards and other bulky materials that gave this the appearance from far away. In fact, the gentleman actually helped sweep after the kitchen closed. It was so engrained in our minds that anyone with money or the appearance of money most likely attained it illegally. This prejudice led us to make faulty assumptions and criminalize a man who was actually very nice. This type of quick-opinions and prejudice is dangerous, and I still feel bad about it today. Reference DeVry University. (2014). Week 1 Lecture. Retrieved from https://my.devry.edu/ Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Stephenie Gordon Email this Author 10/13/2014 5:01:28 PM The past seven weeks have been a great experience for me. I have encountered different opinions from others but more so then often I found myself having the same opinion as everyone else. I have learned so much from reading my classmates posts that I often find myself discussing our TD with my family and friends. I agree with you David, I personally enjoyed the “you decide” assignment. This assignment showed me that many times we can be prejudice unintentionally. Have I offended a person unintentionally, yes, very recently at the grocery store? As I was talking to the cashier at the counter, I made the remark. “You looked like him, Are you guys brothers?”(Pointing to the guy moping the floor) I can tell he was quite upset and he replied “He is Asian and I’m Mexican. I was very embarrassed and I still feel very bad about it. My own scenario reminded me of the video we watched with the Asian girl, many times we respond and react to other ethnicites based on assumptions. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Alan Dean Email this Author 10/14/2014 10:42:58 AM Stephanie, Don’t punish yourself over this. My wife is Filipino. Her two sons who are here in the U.S. get mistaken for Mexican often. Vic is a doctor and told me that he has had patients refuse to let him care for them because they think he is Mexican. Naz was working in an auto parts store in Dallas before he was a nurse and said people would walk up to the counter and start speaking Spanish to him. Maybe the floor-mopper was Filipino. Many of them have Spanish blood. ~~AD === Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Alan Dean Email this Author 10/14/2014 10:30:00 AM Hi David, I remember you mentioning the assumed-to-be drug dealer in a previous post. Elaborating on your assumption brings to mind the famous 2009 picture of a black man at a soup kitchen taking a picture of Michelle Obama with a cell phone. Although there was never any clarification of who the man was, whether he was homeless, or even whether it was his cell phone, many people expressed outrage, commenting that “here is a man who can afford a cell phone taking a government handout.” I found out about the controversy when I got a few emails from relatives and coworkers about it, some with racist undertones. As I said, there doesn’t seem to be any documented evidence as to whether the man was homeless. Regardless, working poor people, that is, people who worked 27 or more weeks out of the year but whose incomes were still below the federal poverty line (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014), turn to food banks and soup kitchens even if they are not homeless, as many people will forgo food in order to pay the rent and keep the lights on (Warerkar & Cunningham, 2013). Scott Schenkelberg, executive director of Miriam’s Kitchen, where the photo was taken, had this to say about the cell phone issue in an interview with The Ethicurean (2009): I suspect some people don’t understand how inexpensive cell phones are, or how critical they are to this population. These days, you can purchase a cell phone at 7-11 for $10, then pay for minutes as you go. Our clients have a very fragile safety net. Many of them don’t have shelter and are extremely vulnerable. For them, cell phones could literally be a lifeline. If they’re looking for a job, the cell phone would also be incredibly important — can you even imagine trying to apply for a job without a phone number? Cell phones simply aren’t luxuries anymore. If a guest can scrape together some money to purchase a cell phone, I think that’s wonderful. Turning now to a related subject, remember our “You decide” assignment about building apartments for the homeless? This is a link to an article about a new apartment complex for homeless people in Los Angeles, complete with exercise facilities, a library, and an art studio: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/star-apartments-los-angeles_n_5961558.html? cps=gravity ~~AD ========== References: Ocasio, L. (2009). Michelle Obama and the soup kitchen cell phone guy: the danger of assumptions. (Online blog post). NJ voices, June 24, 2009. Updated March 30, 2010. Retrieved from: http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2009/06/michelle_obama_and_the_soup_ki.html The Ethicurean (2009). After Michelle Obama: a Q&A with Scott Schenkelberg of Miriam’s Kitchen (Online blog post). The ethicurean, March 11, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/03/11/obama-qa-miriams-kitchen/ United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014). A profile of the working poor, 2012 (Online article, n.a.). BLS reports, March, 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpswp2012.pdf Warerkar & Cunningham (2013). ‘Working poor’ are turning to food pantries, soup kitchens in growing numbers (Online article). New York daily news, November 20, 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/workers-hungry-article-1.1523824 Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:17:47 PM I have never taken a college class or a class at all like this class. At first I was not sure what to expect or what we would talk about. I thought we would focus on many different cultures. Cultures I thought people from different countries and regions on the world. I over looked race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and even socioeconomic status. Now I know that someone's culture is just not where they come from; but it is who they are, how they think, what they believe, their morals and values, past experiences, and personal bias. I have found that I have many bias and prejudice that is rooted in me due to my past experiences, where I was raised as a child and what I was taught from my parents. Being able to evaluate my bias has brought light to certain thoughts I have. It has taught me that my thoughts towards others need to shape into appreciation rather than comparing differences. Recognizing there is differences and what they are is important, but to be ethnocentric is when appreciation is lost and negativity becomes a factor. I work in downtown Milwaukee, 90 percent of our patient population is black. This class has taught me to be a better nurse and understand their culture better and realize the struggles they face due to their race that is ascribed. I have found a way to better appreciate their differences. I can see that every human is really just looking for happiness, love and support and to have fun! About a year ago I was riding in a car with a couple of friends. Three white and one half black man. While driving there was black person driving erratically on the highway and went to take the ramp to go northbound. I had made a comment about the black people living on the north side and "go figure" that is where he was headed. After making the comment I felt bad immediatley because there was the black guy in the car. Looking back it is wrong of me to say something like that because in reality blacks can live everywhere. The north side has some very nice neighborhoods as well as anywhere else and I did not even know the guy on the road. I realize that I had prejudice against that black man and especially where he was driving to. Having a new friend now that lives on the north side of town and is half black I realize that his house is just as nice as mine in New Berlin. I am no better than him nor he is of me. We both work hard and it should not matter geographically where someone lives. I realize that have bias and prejudice, but if I pay close attention to my thoughts I can evaluate my process of thinking and hopefully develop more and more appreciation for others. Doing this will allow me to develop a habit of putting myself in other peoples shoes and grounding me as a person. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:07:22 AM Kristen, I imagine that as a nurse you are very tuned in to visual and auditory cues, which we don't always get in written discussions. So I appreciate your comments! Another thing about nurses that I continue to learn is the 'prescriptive' way in which so many nurses approach the class assignments. This is the class that I teach that has, by far more nurses than any other class that I teach. And it's the only class where I sometimes have to ask for fewer citations in the threaded discussions. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our differences Lori Snyder Email this Author 10/13/2014 3:37:34 PM The last 7 weeks have definitely been eye opening we have learned so much in these 7 short weeks. There have been many discussions that I have been able to relate to or agree with others and there have been other topics that I have not agreed with others views. I have also learned to look at things differently and be more open minded when it comes to cultural differences and ethnic and gender differences. It was very interesting to see how others viewed our discussions over the last 7 weeks, I have learned so much from everyone in this class along with the reading we did for the class. I would like to thank everyone for sharing your views during our discussions. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Ann Langley Email this Author 10/14/2014 4:46:35 AM Professor Morgan and Class, Donna, I was concerned about online schooling and was hesitant to take classes but several co-workers said it was the best way to do the RN-BSN program. I am really enjoying the flexibility of the class, I can do the work at any time, if I had to attend a traditional class I would not be back in school. The school would take me over an hour to get to, attend classes 2 hours, then at least an hour drive home. This is not practical when I work 12 hour nights, and spend 40 minutes driving to and from work. There would be little time left for homework or any time for household duties, not the way I want to spend my days. Stephanie, I share your embarrassment in not recognizing subtle differences in ethnic groups. I work with a nurse who can pick out different accents, subtle facial differences and know where the person is from. I can't tell the difference, by looking, between Jamaican, Haitian, or people from the Bahamas, at least not until they speak, and even then it is sometimes difficult to distinguish their ethnic background. I work with people from all three areas on a daily basis, plus the occasional person from Bermuda. I can't distinguish who is from where, not that it really makes any difference in the work environment. Ann Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:28:28 PM Ann and Stephanie, I recently was in a patient room with a patient care assistant and a few family members. The patient care assistant was African American and had a heavy accent. The aide entered the room and "John" introduced himself as the sitter. The aide said 'I love your Jamaican accent", to which John replied that he was not from Jamaica but from Malawi. Embarrassment ensued. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/18/2014 8:34:07 PM Hi Rhonda, I can relate to the embarrassment from the situation you described. The hospital I work at has Residents from all over the world. Last week, one of them was chosen to be a "secret shopper" in the ED by the Infectious Disease Department. His job was to enter our ED and pretend to present with a high probability of having been exposed to Ebola in order to assess the preparedness of our ED to handle such a patient. The day after the scenario occurred, we had a follow up and review of the scenario. The Resident was worried that he would be identified by his "fake African accent" which he had been practicing. The Resident is actually from Jamaica, but once again, I just assumed he was from Africa, because he was black. I recognize that I still have a ways to go in recognizing my preconceived stereotypes. Donna Collapse Mark as Read AppreciatingOur Differences Andrea Rankin-Hayden Email this Author 10/14/2014 6:59:39 AM This pass seven weeks has been a wonderful learning experience for me. I learn so much from this class. I like the way the discussions went the class was very engage and everyone has so much to share. There were a lot of my classmates that I did agree with. I have come to learn that we all have some prejudices inside of us. In future I will re-evaluate how I respond to people of different cultures as I have learned that we are all different and have different values and beliefs. I have made judgments about some patients especially if I am receiving a patient from the ER with a diagnosis of pancreatitis. I immediately assume that this person is an alcoholic and more so if this person is Hispanic. In the future I will remind myself not to do this. Andrea Collapse Mark as Read RE: AppreciatingOur Differences Virginia Smith Email this Author 10/16/2014 10:34:43 PM Andrea, I also find myself at times judging patient's based on the diagnosis. I do not let my judge interfere with patient care. Like you stated if a patient has pancreatitis a nurse automatically thinks alcoholic. Even though we know that pancreatitis could also be medication induced. It is something to think about, but I guess we go to the source of alcohol because it is more common cause of pancreatitis. Part of me feels like this is a judgment, but in my nursing experience many patient that are alcoholic's develop pancreatitis. Virginia Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/14/2014 8:15:15 AM In taking this class, it has helped me examine my own attitude and prejudices. I think when I was younger, I had a different view of the world and how it worked. I grew up not having any racial biases, but any time I encountered someone who did, I would argue with them about it, not taking into account their reasoning, only seeing mine. I learned from that. Also, becoming a nurse helped me to understand different cultures and backgrounds. I did have an encounter with a woman who was going in for a minor surgery. I introduced myself and started to ask her the same questions I asked everyone, i.e., what procedure are you having done? Do you have any allergies? She stopped me and told me that she had already been asked those questions and I should try reading the chart. I was so surprised, I then tried to explain that we all asked the same questions because we are trying to be very thorough and make sure all of the people in charge of her care were on the same page. She then told me to get her another nurse because she didn't want me. I was very upset, and only later did I realize that she was scared and maybe my approach was wrong and I should have tried talking to her a different way. I didn't know her background and just assumed she was a difficult patient. But I learned from that and have applied that knowledge to patients that I have cared for since. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:06:07 AM Corinne, has it felt safer to explore your own prejudices (which we all have) in an online format, where there is more time to reflect before responding to various questions and topics? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/15/2014 12:43:29 PM I think it does feel safer. You have the option of reading a question and thinking about how you feel. You also have other classmates who responses may be similar or you give you a better perspective about your own prejudices. Sometimes its very difficult to explore those things but it can also give you a better understanding of yourself and give you better ways to respond to situations. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences David Smeed Email this Author 10/15/2014 5:31:27 PM I agree Corinne, Without the perspectives of other classmates, I would miss a lot. When reading other peoples posts, it helps me identify my own prejudices by learning through others experiences. I am not a RN yet, but hearing from experienced nurses and leaders in the field, I can better prepare and get a better understanding of the challenges that will be faced as one. The online format also I feel is better for discussion posts overall. In a classroom setting discussion can be awkward, or not everyone is able to give their input. With this option, everyone is able to fully elaborate and take time to create an excellent post. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:06:04 AM I agree David. In a regular classroom setting, it is awkward and people don't want to bring up sensitive subjects or be the first person to comment on a subject. I have never seen a discussion do well in a classroom setting. I think the online discussion helps because it allows you to cite information, so that you can give others a better idea of where your information is coming from. And I love hearing other peoples experiences, especially with nurses, they are so similar to what has happened to me, that it gives you a completely different perspective. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating Our Differences Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:17:32 PM I agree with Corinne and David. It feels much safer to think about what you're going to say before you say it. We often don't have time to think in clinical situations. No one wants to reveal their prejudice, especially when we aren't even aware of it. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciate our Differences Marie Gilbert Email this Author 10/14/2014 8:39:02 AM We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring. Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness. We are all the products of our own individual upbringing and experiences so it is completely natural that we will all have differences in opinions on a wide range of issues. The world would be a very dull place if we were all the same and it’s the incredible diversity amongst people throughout the world that makes it such a fascinating place. God has given each individual a talent! Our brother Paul says in Romans 12:6-8, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Whatever we have that is good, God has given it to us. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:09:04 AM If we don't know the impact of some of the things we're saying, then are we really at fault? That's actually one of the problems that I have with the notion of being politically correct; people are made to feel ashamed for saying things without being aware of what they mean, and the shame completely shuts down the conversation. I would rather be informed than shamed. While we're on the subject of the origin of phrases, has anyone thought about where the expression, "rule of thumb" comes from? Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author10/14/2014 5:12:45 PM Hello Professor and classmates- I can't believe this is our last week of discussions together. Oh boy how time flies by. To answer your question Professor Morgan, I think it is our fault when we don't know the impact of what we are saying. I say that because communication is a vital and key important part of our everyday lives. You need great communication with family, friends, at work, and pretty much all the time. If we don't know what the impact of what we are saying, then how is the reciever (the person or object we are communicating with) expected to interrupt what we are saying. Speakers who are negative at communicating only leads to negative receiving to the receivers. I also really agree with you on I rather be informed then shamed, but I also want to be a good informer then to shame the receivers as well as myself. I hope what I just said makes sense, my mind is thinking and speaking faster than I can type it. According to wikipedia, the phrase "rule of thumb" stands for a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation. It is also a easily learned and easily applied procedure for approximately calculating or recalling some value, or for making some determination.(en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thumb) It also went on to state that the origin of the phrase is still uncertain, but that the earliest citation came from J. Durham's Heaven upon Earth in 1685. (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thumb) I was shocked to believe that this phrase went back that far in time. According to the website Phrase Finder, this phrase means the estimation made according to a rough and ready practical rule, not based on science or exact measurement. (www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/rule-of-thumb.html) It went on to say that its origin has been said to come from the belief that English Law allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick so long as it is was no thicker than his thumb. Then it went on explaining more of the history behind the phrase, and it was somewhat disturbing. (www.phrase.org.uk/meanings/rule-of-thumb.html) After just reading both of these definitions, it was still a little hard for me to get the full concept of the phrase but I'm going to give it a try. In my opinion, the phrase "rule of thumb" means a solution/rule that is different in every individuals minds and its a true, formal, specific, or real rule. It's a rule that people form/come up with in their own ways and meanings. References: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thumb www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/rule-of-thumb.html Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:43:04 PM Professor and Class, The rule of thumb means to me of a set of unspoken rules that one follows if no specific directions are given. After some research this is what other sources had to say about the rule of thumb. “The expression rule of thumb has been recorded since 1692 and probably wasn’t new then. It meant then what it means now — some method or procedure that comes from practice or experience, without any formal basis. It is much more likely that it comes from the ancient use of bits of the body to make measurements.” (World wide worlds, 1999). World Wide Worlds. (1991). Rule of Thumb. Retrieved from http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa- rul1.htm Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! John Curry Email this Author 10/15/2014 5:36:36 PM Prof. Morgan and Class, The term "rule of thumb" has been said to come from many places. Its been around for hundreds of years and many think that it started by brewers using their thumb to measure the temperature. However, some people believe its from ancient times when people would use body parts as a way to make measurements. This would make sense to me seeing how I've used the end digit of my thumb to measure items by eye since its about an inch in length. Now my opinion about people saying something without knowing what they are really saying are at fault. I think this because if you don't know something don't act like you do. I wouldn't expect a dentist to give me advice about neuromuscular disorders just as I don't expect people to use words that they do not know the meaning of. Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 10:42:51 AM Professor Morgan and Class, I was a paramedic for many year s and we was taught in our has mat class to always move away from the area and get out use the rule of thumb, meaning to hold your thumb up if your could still see the scene you was to close so that is how I used the rule of thumb method Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:28:22 PM Hi Timmy, that's an interesting use of the phrase. I had never heard of that one. I always just thought it was a general way of doing something if you weren't sure of the exact way to do it. Does that make sense? Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:09:31 PM Professor and Classmates, One time, I was at the gym with my male friend. I saw this Black guy that I thought looked like Samuel Jackson but very muscular like Rambo. I joking said to my friend look at Sambo. My friend quickly told me do not say that. I asked him why. He said "it is offensive to a black person it was used during slavery." I felt horrible for saying that. I would have never said it had I known what it meant. I learned a lesson that day. Ursula Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:33:25 PM Ursula, That also happened to me but, I can not remember what the situation was at the time but I do know that I really put my foot in my mouth and I felt so embarrassed. I did apologize and mentioned to that person that I learned something new that day. Melinda Collapse Mark as Read RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Jennifer Haas Email this Author 10/17/2014 9:40:15 AM Dear professor Morgan and Class, Since we are discussing saying something without realizing the impact, I will tell you a funny story. When my son was about 14 or so, he was playing an internet game with friends, online. He was yelling at them and calling them names. He was using slang that I had never heard before and I didn’t know what it meant. I probably would have forgotten about it but he kept yelling it at them. So later that night at the dinner table I asked “What is tea*****?” Well I guess it was something inappropriate because both my son and my husband mouths dropped open and they just stared at me. My husband looked at me and said “I can’t believe you just asked that.” Then I continue to explain why I was asking that question and my husband was shocked. So needless to say my son language improved over his video game time disappeared. Plus he was probably afraid I would embarrass him again. I didn’t mean to embarrass him I honestly didn’t know it meant something bad. Sometimes we just want to know the meaning of a phrase or a word and it is much easier with the internet now but years ago it wasn't so easy. Jennifer Collapse Mark as Unread RE: OOPS-I didn't know that's what it meant! Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/18/2014 11:41:43 PM When we respect every individual's right to choose the language and words that best describe their race, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or physical ability then we will be more informed and not feel ashamed. The expression rule of thumb came the early days of England, it was ruled that a master could, without excessive force, smack, strike, beat ... his servants (including wife) with a baton no thicker than his thumb. A thumb was a general measure; pity the poor servant of a hairy-backed peat farmer. www.educationbug.org/a/rule-of-thumb.html Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our differences Larresha Nash Email this Author 10/14/2014 1:21:07 PM Its important to understand our own biases and prejudices when it comes to other cultures especially in the workplace. For most of us we do not purposely try to offend others, discriminate or show prejudice. Having a clear understanding of how we feel can be important so that we are not offensive to others. In my case I worked in a retail store and we would always get certain customers that would try and return clothes that were not accompanied by a receipt. Many of these instances meant that clothes were stolen and they were now trying to receive in store credit. I had gotten really good to the point that I could look at a person walking up and just know that they were up to no good. So I'm at the register and I spot a lady walking towards me. she fit the "profile" of one of these customers. I looked at her and asked rudely asked "do you have a receipt" no hi, welcome or anything of the sort. She rudely replied "yes" In that moment I realized that I had stereo typed this customer. I looked at her, the color of her skin, the way she was dressed and I stereo typed. It made me feel so bad because this was somebody of my own race and how easy it was for me to make judgments against her, how easy must it be for others to make judgments against us everyday. I immediately changed my attitude towards her and treated her like the customer she was, and the person she was. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our differences Nicole Drenckhahn Email this Author 10/17/2014 11:25:35 AM Larresha, I found your story very relatable. Unfortunately I have also stereotyped patients or customers. I think we all have at some point, the important thing to gain from the experience is that we all have our own bias and opinions and once we are aware of them and understand them we can learn how to put them aside when dealing with people we might have otherwise stereotyped or discriminated against. In your post you stated that once you acknowledged what you did that you took the steps to turn the situation around and make it right; I think that’s the best thing you could have done at the time and now you'll have a different view on things in the future. Thank you for sharing. -Nicole Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our differences Andrea Rankin-Hayden Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:31:07 PM Larresha, I am sure you learn an important lesson that way that you cannot judge some because they fit a profile. You just have to give people a chance to prove themselves. I am sure what you did that day many of us are guilty of doing the same thing. After taking this class I hope we will change our own prejudices and biases. Thanks for sharing your experience. We can all learn from it. Andrea. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our differences Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:37:33 PM Hi Larresha. I think we have all done something similar at one point or another. My story involves a young woman with an infant in my NICU. She was young and had purple hair, was tatooed from top to bottom, wore leather clothes and black boots...you get the picture. No one in the unit wanted to take her child as a primary patient because she was tagged as a troublemaker and probable drug abuser. I stopped by her bedside one evening, just being friendly, and asked how things were going. She started to cry and said I was the only nurse that had spoken to her all evening and she was upset that her baby didn't even have a primary nurse. Well, long story short, I took her daughter as a primary and had several long and very interesting conversations with her over the next two months. She was a lovely person and adored her daughter. Three years later I still get photos of that llittle girl and thanks from her Mom. I learned a lot that day. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our Differences Jennifer Haas Email this Author 10/14/2014 4:41:58 PM Dear Professor Morgan and Classmates, I wanted to thank my classmates and Professor Morgan for a very enjoyable learning experience over the last 7 weeks. Many of my classmates and I have had similar experiences and some have had completely unique experiences. With each experience, I was able to gain a new perspective and gained valuable knowledge. The stories and experiences helped me to understand and remember the lectures each week. Taking my beliefs tearing them down and building them back up, I believe helped me to become a more socially conscience and accepting person. “What is important to us as professionals is that we understand that racial/ethnic, gender, and cultural identities are important and fragile things” (DeVry 2014). I believe exploring the difference form of discrimination helps address and expose when discrimination is present. Recognizing when discrimination is present is the first step to eliminate this problem. DeVry University. (2014). Week 3 lecture: Acculturation. Retrieved from https://my.devry.edu/ Collapse Mark as Read RE: Appreciating our DifferencesVirginia Smith Email this Author 10/19/2014 6:14:34 PM Jennifer, I must agree with you. This class opened my eyes to see my self. Like you stated taking my beliefs tearing them down and building them back up. After taking this class, 7 weeks later I feel as I am not the same person I was starting this class. Now before I interact my social thinking considers many things. Virginia Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Nicole Drenckhahn Email this Author 10/14/2014 5:10:03 PM Professor Morgan and class, When we first started this class I was a little apprehensive with how comfortable I would feel discussing topics like discrimination and prejudice. I think part of it was the uncertainty of my own views or the fear of saying something that would come across as offensive to someone. I have learned over the last seven weeks that my classmates share many of my point of views and that with discussing such topics it actually helped me have a better understanding on my own attitudes. The time self-reflecting on topics such as gender, race, and age discrimination in the workplace has helped me evaluate how my behaviors and ideas can either negatively or positively effect the people I work with and my patients. I appreciated the opportunity to learn how nurses throughout the country perceive and handle different aspects of cultural diversity. I’d recommend to others taking this class online because it allows more insight into the challenges and perceptions of a greater amount of people from then what would be found in a typical classroom. I found myself agreeing with many classmates point of view but I enjoyed the challenge of accepting opposing responses because it helped me broaden my own attitude on how the same situation can be interpreted by different people. -Nicole Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Response Paul Tran Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:27:12 PM Professor and classmates, It is very important to understand our own attitudes and prejudices because of the diversity that surrounds us. To understand ourselves as well as others prevents any tension or misunderstanding between two groups or individuals. Sometimes we may say or do certain things that others might find offensive and we must step into their shoes and imagine how we might feel if we were them. I've had many experiences in which I've done or said things that have offended others or people have misunderstood. Usually I make a comment as a joke but what may be funny to me might not be to others. Comedians are probably one of the most offensive people around because of what they say and if you aren't able to take things lightly, it would be a great offense to you. They say things that can sometimes be considered racist, prejudice, discriminatory, and offensive. But we as a society are able to understand that that is their profession. People who are not of that profession or at least not known to be of that may not be applauded. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Differences Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:21:24 PM Hello Class and Professor, I would like to share a situation where I felt I was misunderstood by someone for a course of action I took. Growing up in a Filipino household, part of being polite was saying "no, thank you" to everything that was offered. It was a way of showing that you are not taking advantage of someone. Someone could offer you food and you could be very hungry but the "right way" is to pass the offer up unless insisted upon by the giver. One time I had a patient offer me lunch while doing home visit. I immediately said "no, thank you" as an auto response. Patient did insist. For some reason, after I left the patient's home, he patient called the agency and complained about my disrespectful behavior and that I acted like I did not trust the patient about the food that was being offered to me. I thought I was doing the right thing by saying NO. I really did not want to look like I was taking advantage. Collapse Mark as Read Tying Things Together Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:55:17 PM Many discussion throughout theses seven weeks has been truly eye opening. I will agree that the Week 2 discussion of "What does it mean to be an American" was a discussion that I was not sure if it was a trick question or what. Everyone's view of an American was interesting. Prof. Morgan your questions of the discussion made wonder is he crazy or what? As I read the reading I realize "oh, wait he is not crazy". As I read my classmates post I was wondering if I was the crazy one. Everyone had great points to their post and I always fell behind. Diversity is very important in nursing. "It is like a box of chocolates you never know what your going to get" (just like patients). I try as a nurse to be open minded to diversity and I think that I do well at it. I did not come from a town with different cultures. I do not even think twice about that as I come in contact with patients of a different culture. I respect their wishes because what if someday they are my caregiver. I would hope that they would respect me and my culture. There are many bias in this world and It is very hard to not judge people. As I said previously it is human nature to judge. If everyone in the world could take a culture diversity class and be open minded this world would get along much better. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our Differences.. Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/14/2014 10:06:32 PM Hello All, This is what came to my mind immediately upon reading this weeks discussion topic! Years ago I worked for a store in Seattle and a blind man came in, he was accompanied by his friend who had sight. The blind man asked me if he could use the restroom and I of course said yes and showed them where it was. It was a very small restroom just for 1 person so I turned around and the blind man entered the restroom and I said the light switch is on the right. His friend looked at me and I realized what a stupid thing I just said. I was really embarrassed, I hung my head and just walked away. I still remember this like it was yesterday though it was a good 25 years ago. Every once in a while I think God makes me remember to keep me somewhat humble! Howard Collapse Mark as Read Tying things together Virginia Smith Email this Author 10/14/2014 11:05:04 PM This class has made me pay attention to many things. In my conversations, I have become cautious in my comments, so I will not to offend someone. During the past 7 weeks I have thought of past times I made comments that may have offend someone. I have also realized to consider every gesture and interaction with an open mind and to remember to accept that everyone is different. This difference makes us diverse. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Ann Langley Email this Author 10/15/2014 6:49:36 AM Professor Morgan and Class, Giselle, I too would decline the food offered from a patient that I was seeing as a Home Health patient. Probably not for the same reasons as you, mine have several different reason. Initially my food bias prevents me from eating food unless I know what it is, what has been put into the food during preparation, not for any religious reasons. Fish makes me ill, I dislike cheeses or any creamy sauces as a rule, also am not a big fan of pork, nor do I eat bread. Hmm, this really rules out a lot of what most people will eat for lunch. I prefer not to offend my patients with my food dislikes, bad enough my co-workers have given up on feeding me. The other reason is a "stereotypical" reason, most of the home health care patients in this area are not affluent, actually poor, I would feel terrible taking food from them. The food I eat could well provide this person with another meal, one they may not have because of me. When patients offer food at work I usually laugh and say "thanks but I have already eaten" or "I am too picky an eater for most people to feed". So far most patients laugh, and tell me it is my loss, their food is exceptional. There is one aspect of online learning when it comes to Cultural Diversity that is a positive, even if we offend a classmate we do not see their face. They may respond with their dislike of our comment, which we can apologize for, but we do not have to face that person. I feel that online learning for this subject has made us more open about our bias or prejudice, an open forum for discussion. I have enjoyed the discussion, reading all the posts from fellow classmates, often an eye opening experience for me. Ann (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read ...a bit more on triggers... Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:17:26 AM So, while we're on the topic of saying something that may be misinterpreted, I will share something that I witnessed recently... I have done some work with incarcerated populations. From time to time I consult with forensic psychologists, who are charged with making determinations regarding a person's release back into the general population. The psychologists have either a PsyD or a PhD, and I'll never forget a particular situation, in which a psychiatrist and psychologist disagreed on a particular person's readiness to be paroled. The psychiatrist told the psychologist (PhD), in front of others, that the psychologist was not a real doctor and therefore his judgment should be overruled. And yes, if you are wondering, the psychologist did take action, and filed a claim immediately. (The claim was filed over a year ago and is still pending.) Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:19:29 AM Hi Professor, That was quite a story. The psychologist's ego was hit. I'd like to share a personal story as well that resembles this. My husband is a Physical Therapist. He works in an outpatient clinic. At a time when he working with a limited permit prior to his board exams, he had a heated discussion with a podiatrist. The podiatrist according to my husband acted like he ruled over all the staff in the clinic including the physical and occupational therapists. One time my husband called him for something and used the podiatrist's first name. The podiatrist told my husband " call me Doctor!". My husband who was aggravated at the time, told the podiatrist " You're not a real doctor, you just deal with people's feet". The other people were mad at the podiatrist too for his behavior, no one really said anything from what my husband told me. The husband asked to be transferred to another clinic branch after. Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Alan Dean Email this Author 10/16/2014 12:52:52 PM So Dan, Who triggered who in the conversation? I’m guessing that the Psychiatrist triggered the Psychologist to file a “claim”- - is that the same as a grievance? Or did the psychologist somehow trigger the psychiatrist to retaliate by insulting him? Or both? I think any one of the 4 main triggers listed in the week 4 lecture could be at play, although attitude was most likely the culprit. I’d be interested in learning the outcome of the claim, if there ever is one. Physicians in the hospital setting get away with being verbally abusive to the nursing staff. The best example where I work is an oncologist who rules the oncology floor like his own little fiefdom. He gets away with his ridiculous behavior because the nurses let him, and because he brings in a lot of money, so if anyone does report him, nothing is done. Once in a while one of the nurses will stand up to him. But in general, physicians there have been “written up” as being disruptive in the past, with no consequences. Giselle, I think the podiatrist triggered a response from your husband with his attitude. He obviously had an overblown ego. Once in the ICU a family member of one of the patients was telling the nursing staff that he was a doctor and tried to order us around. Number one, he didn’t have privileges there so he couldn’t order anyone around, and in questioning him it turned out he was a chiropractor. Nothing wrong with that, except that he didn’t have the knowledge base to be acting like he knew what was going on with his very sick relative in the Intensive Care Unit. One evening he was talking to one of the ICU residents and referred to himself as a doctor, so I pointedly asked him what kind of doctor he was. He hesitated for a moment, then muttered in a low voice “chiropractor.” Again, nothing wrong with that, but he was trying to pass himself off as something he wasn’t, and I wanted to make sure that the physician knew what he was dealing with. Also, we nurses didn’t appreciate his condescending attitude. ~~AD =========== Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:55:58 PM Hello Professor, Giselle, Alan- Wow, I was completely shocked by these stories and I really enjoyed reading all your post. I say this because I have never been part or witnessed that type of situation before. People should always stay respectful and professional towards others, especially in the workplace environment. No one should insult others professions, positions, and/or careers. All careers are important in all ways. Giselle, I'm really sorry to hear that about your husband, not one deserves that. Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/17/2014 12:32:08 AM Hello Alan and Nicholas, Rude people apparently are unavoidable. Thank you Alan for that share. Yes, Nicholas, my husband came home all upset that day. I do agree that all professions are important but one has to know when to stay away from an area they have no jurisdiction over or have limited knowledge about. I cannot tell a hairstylist how to cut hair just because I have more years of education than that person has. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/17/2014 7:22:27 AM Nicholas, I noted how surprised you were at what happened, but this scenario is not uncommon, as Giselle's post illustrates. And, it happens in other fields, including higher education. My doctorate degree is an Ed.D. rather than a Ph.D. There is sometimes a stigma associated with this degree, that it is less scholarly than a Ph.D., even though I wrote a dissertation and am published. It is less of a trigger for me now, but I remember when I was in my doctoral program, I often felt as though I had to defend my career choice, and the degree that I was pursuing. Alan raised a good point by asking who triggered whom first, in the case of my friend and the psychiatrist. Does it mean anything that my friend is a man and the psychiatrist is a woman? Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... David Smeed Email this Author 10/17/2014 2:33:06 PM I don’t think that the sex of the individuals has anything to do with the outcome of what occurred. I think it is a matter of a clash of opinions that could occur between anyone. In this case, the topic of the parole wasn’t the underlying argument. The true topic up for debate was who was more fit to make the decisions, and who was a more credible source and subsequently their opinion mattered more. When such a debate of livelihoods is discussed, people can go to extremes to prove a point and be right. The psychiatrist is doing just that. She was trying to gain the upper-hand through the best way she saw at the time. It was harsh to say, but people can say some pretty awful and demeaning things with the goal of being right/accepted. However, for the sake of argument, I do think back to the previous discussions to the glass ceiling for women ion the workforce. This psychiatrist could be overly exerting herself to make her appear dominant and not passive to the situation. She may feel like in order to be respected, she needed to be dominant and thus belittle her opposition. Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/18/2014 7:32:26 AM Professor, Its funny, as I was reading through your response, I have a example that goes right along with your post. Years ago, I worked in a physical therapy office that had 4 PT's and they were looking to hire one additional PT. The one they hired had a Ed.D and he too had to defend his career and degree. All of the other PT's in the office spoke about his degree as though it was a "lesser" degree, while all of them were going for their Ph.D. Its interesting, especially since most of the RN's I know don't discuss or criticize other RN's if they have an associates or bachelors degree. Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers... Stephenie Gordon Email this Author 10/17/2014 8:06:38 PM Giselle , This is not the first time that I have heard that about podiatrist. Do I consider them a Dr?. No and many people have refused to called them Dr. for the same reason, because they deal with feet. In the end, they went to school to earn their degree, then we as society should respect them as Dr's. Collapse Mark as Read RE: ...a bit more on triggers. Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/17/2014 9:50:04 PM Professor, As I read your story, I remembered that I was working on a medical unit. There was a patient that had a pulmonologist and a family physician caring for him. The patient was very ill. One physician ordered one antibiotics and the other order a different antibiotic. While reviewing the medical chart, I noticed that the sensitivity report of the culture showed that both antibiotics were resistant to the organism patient had grown. I called the pulmonologist and reported the sensitivity report since he had ordered the urine culture. As I told him the two antibiotics, he starting yelling what do you mean. I only ordered one antibiotic. I calmly said well the family physician ordered the other one, he commented how can you nurses follow the orders of someone who is not a real physician. I recalled that I was appalled by this comment. I thought how unprofessional and what lack of respect for a peer. It made me realize that no matter how educated one is, it does not make give them the right to put down a fellow peer. Collapse Mark as Unread RE: ...a bit more on triggers. Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/19/2014 12:09:34 AM Difficult people do exist at work. They come in every variety and no workplace is without them. The psychiatrist was wrong to see that in front of others that the psychologist was not a real doctor. Words that demeans a person should be avoided at all times. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:18:28 AM I want to revisit a question that I posed earlier in the semester: Suppose for a minute that you were a supervisor who had to decide whether or not to terminate a worker for poor job performance. Everything is documented, and employee morale has suffered because of this worker, but she is the only minority in your department. Everyone else is of the same racial and ethnic background. Would race or ethnicity play a role in your decision to terminate her? How many of us immediately thought of the race of the employee, and not about the dominant race at that workplace? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:57:37 AM No, that to me is being prejudiced. Poor job performance regardless of ethnicity if the team is suffering needs to be addressed. The important thing HR wise is to make sure all is documented and not only for this employee but for all employees. Did this employee do things that other employees did and nothing was said? If that is the case then that is different. My big question is can this person be retrained? Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Paul Tran Email this Author 10/15/2014 12:58:42 PM Professor and Howard, I agree with Howard's response. Basing your decision on race, especially that of the employee, is prejudice and also unprofessional. Like Howard said, it's important to document and take note on everyone's performance in the company and not the odd one alone. Employment should be based on effort, diligence, understanding tasks, and performance rather than by race. It's illegal to discriminate when hiring in most states now but I'm pretty sure some businesses still do so. As a server at a restaurant, I've learned to work with a diverse group as well as serve various cultures and people. There is sometimes prejudice against guests or employees that should not exist but still does anyways. I believe that decisions such as the one in the scenario need to be based on whether the company will benefit from hiring an individual or not. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Savannah Baxter Email this Author 10/15/2014 4:12:35 PM Paul and Howard, I agree on focusing on the performance of the employee would be the professional thing to do. If the employee were to remain employed based on the fact that they are the only minority, this could start employees singling out this employee because of there dislike of their performance. It would then become obvious that the employee was remaining in the company because of their race. This could start prejudice ideas and stereotyping because of this single person's performance. It would be unfortunate that a company would start a hostile environment based off of race. Savannah Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace David Smeed Email this Author 10/15/2014 5:49:14 PM Nice posts Howard, Paul, and Savannah! I think it is important to look at this scenario from a different perspective. Obviously we as the boss are not going to try and purposely discriminate against any minority. However, isn’t creating a work setting that isn’t diverse predisposing this individual up for failure? I think what Professor Morgan is getting at is the boss’s and dominant work cultures race not the employee’s race. His/her race may not matter at all in the decision; however, the dominant culture that was established may subconsciously lead to the belief that this employee is inferior and may actually lead to prejudice unknowingly. She/he may in fact be a fine worker, but the culture established by the dominant group doesn’t support his/her differences. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:08:51 PM David, you are right on the money - that's exactly my point. Even when stated directly, our reflex is to focus on the minority person's race, while the dominant group's race goes unexamined. What's the likelihood that, without any intention, those in the dominant group created a hostile work environment? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Nicole Drenckhahn Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:17:22 PM Modified:10/16/2014 6:11 AM Professor Morgan and class, This reminds me of the lecture we had in week 1 discussing institutionalized discrimination. It was stated that dominant groups will intentionally or non-intentionally shape the society in ways that reflect its interest, values, and beliefs and minimize those of the less dominant group (DeVry, 2014). It is always easier to see the majorities point of view rather then understand why the minority is acting differently. In this example perhaps it was not the employee but rather the co-workers negative attitude towards him or her that is effecting company morale. -Nicole Reference: DeVry University. (2014). Cultural diversity in Professions: Week one lecture. Retrieved from https://my.devry.edu Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace John Curry Email this Author 10/16/2014 5:38:43 PM Nicole, Well said, all too often I see that issues in the workplace are caused by people being afraid of the unknown and the unfamiliar. The boss may not have had a problem with the race but if you bring a minority into a dominant culture problems start to arise. I know I have seen first hand a minority being bullied by the dominant with false reports being filed to try and get the minority in trouble. If I had been the boss in this situation, I would never be able to forget it and anytime a minority applied for a position within the dominant group that situation would come across my mind instantly. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/16/2014 10:35:53 AM That is always a possibility. I know from experience that once someone is labeled as not up to par the group some times does not give this person a chance to change. It is the same with work load, if an RN has this many patients 1 month ago and is asked about staffing they go right back to the day they had that many patients not all the other days! I do understand your point, but all need to be held accountable regardless of race or dominant group. There are always going to be circumstances were things don't go quite as planned in the work force and no one wants to make a mistake that costs someone their job but, if there are enough instances that are documented of poor work performance while taking care of patients and the employee has been offered assistance and spoken to many times regarding this issue then steps need to be taken. Patient safety is a pretty big deal. Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Alan Dean Email this Author 10/16/2014 1:11:46 PM Howard, I agree that patient safety is important, but I think David and Dan's point about whether a hostile environment exists needs to be considered. If that turns out to be the case, it should be corrected. In my job as a nursing assistant in the E.R. on nights, things weren’t going well. The nurses were acting like they didn’t like me and that I wasn’t doing my job. Whenever a child came to the E.R. one of the nurses would weigh them at some point and then give me dirty looks. The thing is that I was trained on the day shift, and the night shift had a totally different set of expectations of what I was supposed to do. No one told me, they just grumbled. I hadn’t had peds yet, so I didn’t know kids’ meds were weight-based, so I didn’t automatically weigh them. Finally they brought in the other night shift N.A.(only one on at a time) to teach me what was expected. I felt very bad about the fact that no one else told me what was wrong. I felt like quitting, but I needed the money, so I stuck it out for the next year and a half, but when I finished nursing school I did not apply for an E.R. position. ~~AD ==================== Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/16/2014 2:42:53 PM Alan, I think it is a shame that you were not given the proper training to move from days to nights. I think people believe that the work flow is probably so similar that training is basically not needed to make a switch like that and they couldn't be more incorrect! While this was happening did your manager speak with you at all? Before I would be taking action on any job performance issues I would have already have had several conversations with the employee in question. Also I would have spoken to the people that are working with said employee to find out exactly what is going wrong. Is it a training issue, is it personality, what exactly is happening. I just feel that given the scenario, if you take it at face value and have gone through all the processes there really isn't much of a choice. I try to have meetings with all my direct reports 2 times monthly to make sure all is well. If I was meeting with this employee and their coworkers I certainly would have known something was wrong and would try to fix the issues. Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Alan Dean Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:30:13 PM Howard, No one spoke to me about the problem other than the other N.A. I had been working at the hospital for about 7 1/2 years, first in Central Supply on days, then In Environmental Services on nights. One of my janitor duties was to clean the floors in the E.R., so I had known these people for a couple of years. After working full time in E.S. for the first six months of nursing school I was exhausted from working all night then class and clinicals all day! I decided that I needed a part time job that would allow me to get some sleep, even if it meant going into debt. The N.A. position popped up, part time, Friday and Saturday midnights, so I applied and got it! We were between semesters when I got my training, which was all on days. I was taught to basically get people on and off bedpans, keep the exam rooms stocked with supplies, and otherwise wait to be told what else to do. So that's the routine I took with me on nights. When I started working my first Friday night, no one told me that I was expected to get patients who were signed in from the waiting room, get them into an available exam room, have them put on a gown, then grab some vitals and do an assessment. So I didn't do it! I was expected to do all of the things that the other N.A., who'd been there for years, did. By the way, none of those things were in the written material I'd been given. Meanwhile, these nurses and doctors I'd known for a couple of years but in a different capacity, weren't telling me I wasn't doing what they wanted me to do, but I knew something was wrong. No, no manager spoke to me about the issue. The charge nurse said nothing. It wasn't until Debbie, the other N.A. came in one night and worked with me, and told me what I was supposed to be doing. That's when I found out that people had been bashing me behind my back since the night I started. I was pretty depressed about it and wanted to quit, but as I said before, I needed the money, and I decided that I would put my anger and hurt behind me and give them what they wanted and then some. Then they loved me and everything was terrific! But when I graduated from school I didn't apply to work the E.R. Supposedly they didn't hire new grads, except when it was the son of the day shift supervisor. So I went to the ICU and loved it. Six months later the E.R. manager tried to recruit me to work for her, but I politely declined. The whole issue was never discussed between myself or the nurses and docs, or with management. But I've never forgotten it. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/17/2014 8:31:55 AM Alan, Like I said before it is a shame you were treated so poorly in the ER. My only other comment would be that feedback is a powerful tool! You have never discussed this with anyone.. It won't change if no one knows about it! Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Alan Dean Email this Author 10/18/2014 2:28:29 PM Howard, you are so right! At the time I didn't feel like I could say anything. When I was able to I just moved on. Now, 28 years later, all of the nurses and docs have either retired or died. Hopefully they didn't repeat the same thing with anyone else. The newer E.R. is much bigger, with many more doctors, nurses, and "techs" than the little group we used to run with. Funny thing, the people who are there now will call me once in a while to help them with invasive lines or equipment they don't know how to use, because they had a five-minute in-service and six months went by before they actually had to use it. If anything positive came out of the experience, it's that I remember being judged on what I didn't know, and make efforts not to do the same thing myself. ~AD ============= Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Paul Tran Email this Author 10/16/2014 3:34:44 PM Modified:10/16/2014 3:35 PM Hey Alan, I appreciate you sharing your experience. I'm in nursing school right now so it kind of gives me a new perspective on things and more exposure. But I agree with Howard and his response to this post. There shouldn't have been expectations but rather better communication and training on the staffs part. It just goes to show that there are other types of dominance other than race that can make work more difficult. In your case, you had a dominant group that have had more experience with the position and almost seemed like they were all against you because you were like the minority. I think experiences like that help us understand prejudice and exclusion. I can relate this to Jane Elliot's experimentation with blue and brown eyed people because you get a feel for what the minorities in our country have to face. As a minority myself I try to embrace it and just keep an open mind and try to understand culture overall. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Alan Dean Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:47:38 PM Hi Paul, Thanks for your post! My wife is Filipino and has had to face discrimination at work- - not only from patients, but also from coworkers. I was seriously upset one time when another RN wouldn't count narcs with her at shift change (yes, some hospitals still have a narc box with one set of keys) because she might not be able to understand her accent. I took it up with management, who did nothing. Time and again when discussing current events, she has disagreed with her coworkers, and has been able to support what she thinks with facts, while they only have their "preaching to the choir" style opinions. She has been told that she has no right to voice an opinion because she wasn't born here, and has even been told to go back where she came from. People can sure get nasty when they can't support their views and their ignorance is placed on display! Well, Emily is a naturalized citizen. In order for someone not born in the U.S. to obtain citizenship they have to pass a pretty hard test, so she actually knows more about the government, history and the constitution than many people who were born and raised here! Of course, she agrees that the best way to get along at work is to avoid talking about politics or religion, so for the most part she lets her coworkers babble on about the Kardashians or what they read in People magazine. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:43:04 AM Professor and class, No, her race or ethnicity would not play a role in my decision to terminate her. Her job performance is poor and the morale of the company is suffering. I would realize that she would be the only worker part of a minority, but after realization I would make a point to hire and involve more minority workers. I would do this because I understand that it is important and beneficial to the company to have diversity. I work in labor and delivery and while learning week by week more about diversity I evaluated the unit I work on. From a nurses perspective there are all nurses "RNs", no male nurses. There is only one black RN out of 45-50 nurses. I thought about this; I can understand having female nurses for labor and delivery because it may be more comforting to the laboring women, but we have male doctors who deliver the baby. I could not come up with a reason why there was only one lady of minority that worked as a nurse. Maybe our managemnet has some prejudice? This actually started to bother me because our patient population is mostly black and you would think that our patients would connect on a deeper level with a nurse of the same race, so therefor be more beneficial to the unit. Does anyone else see this on their unit or where they work? Kristen Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Lori Snyder Email this Author 10/15/2014 3:21:51 PM Kristen, I agree with you I would not judge the employee by her race or ethnicity it would totally be based on their work performance. I also realize that she may be part of the minority but if her job performance and the moral of the other workers are poor, as the supervisor you must do what is correct for the company and the other workers. Also if you have kept a careful record of the incidence or issues that are part of the reason you are looking at terminating the employee than you should have all your bases covered and they cant later say it was due to race if documented properly. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Angela McCoy Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:24:08 PM Professor Morgan, I agree with my classmates on this subject. I just came out of a work environment with a nurse like that but the difference is that whites were dominant in that surgical hospital. If you weren't in the click and you didn't stand behind this certain nurse, she always made you look bad and she would always look good. Her job performance and her teamwork isn't like it is suppose to be. The whole surgical hospital complained about her. They lost a lot of good nurses that did their jobs and didn't have complaints from doctors. Now they are finding out the real problem they should have took care of when they had a chance. I have been blessed to see all the diversity at that surgical hospital because it taught me, "how not be". I learn from experience and I have watched a lot unethical situations. To me patient safety is still number one and making sure the surgeon is taken care of when he has a procedure posted is second. I started a new job Monday. I have learned a lot about diversity. I was at surgical hospital called River Oaks. All the people there were friendly. They made sure I had everything I needed to do my job. Today I went downtown Houston to a surgical center called Memorial Hermann, TMC. I stood at the board waiting for the charge nurse. As people walked by they didn't ask if they could help me or if I needed something. A guy came by and talked to me after I had been there for 15 minutes. This guy helped me find the other nurse I was suppose to help that day. The day was better when I was doing my job and I was feeling like I was actually helping them get the cases done for the day. Sometimes a new kid on the block could be treated as a minority because they don't know you yet. I told my boss about the place not being friendly and she just told me I was there to work not make friends. What I learned out of this situation is that the people, who were the friendliest, appreciated you being there on their busiest days to help them. It was much more gratifying to work with them especially when you had already worked with the doctors that were there that day. Angela Sociology- Week 7 Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/16/2014 12:34:46 AM Lori, You make a great point by covering all bases. Documentation of poor work performance should be available upon request and there should be evidence and examples for the employee or for record keeping. That way if the employee feels that discrimination has been involved the the company had proof. Kristen (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/16/2014 9:26:54 PM Lori, what if I were referring to the race of the dominant group...? After all, the dominant group members also have a racial identity. See how easy it is to overlook that? (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:38:33 PM Kristen, why did you assume that I was referring to her race? All I mentioned was "race" and I did not specify the race of the minority group member. Do you see that you reached a conclusion that represents a dominant group perspective? By the way, minority group members are also likely to make this dominant group assumption, which speaks to the power of assimilation. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Stephenie Gordon Email this Author 10/17/2014 8:23:14 PM If the decision came to terminating the employee I would definitely think of the race of the employee first. Now would thins stop and change my decision, NO. I would think of her race, only because if she was a minority then everyone else would assume it was an ethical issue or some form of injustice. With this one employee being the only employee of this race, it will raise several concerns with other employees, whether I kept her for that reason or fired her for that reason. If her job performance was poor and as a manager I would provide full documentation of job performance and prejudice would not be an issue. So in my answer I will have to agree with Kristen.No, her race or ethnicity would not play a role in my decision to terminate her. Poor job performance regardless of ethnicity needs to be addressed. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:35:26 PM Hello Professor and classmates- There are so any different ways to think and handle this particular situation. I did immediately think of the race of the employee and the issues that could occur due to that one employee being the only employee whose race isn't the same as all the other employees. As the company/department decision maker I would definitely fire that employee because the employee morale is suffering and he/she is not giving 110% at their job/position. I would make sure that I have proof, documentation, witnesses, and hard core facts on file to help support by decision so I would be ready if any issues or events would occur. One thing that I learned from my wife being a daycare director and in charge of human resources is the way she handles situations like this, and she calls it taking corrective action and all the employees know this policy (plus it's in the employee handbook that they sign off and agree too). It says that employees can be written up in a corrective action if needed, and if you receive a write up you will have to meet with management, sign off on it, and come up with a written plan on how you will improve or fix the issue at hand. It also states that after 3 write up corrective actions that you will go under review determining if you remain a employee or get terminated. At first I thought it was a little harsh, but the more I thought about it is the more I understood I supported it. No one should use their ethnic/race in a case such as this one because that didn't give very good work performance. I believe that if we looked at statistics to see how many times the ethnic/race issue was claimed and used as a excuse to being fired, that it would probably be a high number. I think this is a great, interesting, and important topic to discuss. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:26:53 PM Professor and Class, Race nor ethnicity neither crossed my mind. My thought was previously posted, did I do my due diligence to counsel, educate, monitor and support her in her position. Did I discuss, develop and follow up with her plan of action for improvement? Was she working in an area that she knew ? Did I evaluate accurately the need to move her to another area of work. Ursula (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:40:19 PM Ursula, did you fully conduct due diligence, without investigating the possibility of a toxic work environment that this employee had to endure? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/17/2014 10:53:37 PM Professor, I know about toxic environments.When I started nursing there was something called older nurses eating your young. I had an amazing mentor that told me, do not allow anyone to discourage you from being a nurse.Nowadays, the topic is called Bullying in the nursing environment. As a prudent nursing manager, I would need to know my staff. Yes, when I was an assistant manager I knew my nurses. Anytime a new nurse was hired, I would speak to my nurses and would make it very clear that bullying would not be tolerated. I have always reminded them that we were once the young ones. Ursula Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/19/2014 12:05:29 PM Professor and classmates, I remember my first days in nursing and the environment could indeed be called toxic. The saying that nurses eat their young was a known entity and practiced by many of the nurses I worked with. Bullying is the new word for it but it still happens. I feel like it's part of my job to mentor and encourage new nurses and I always talk to them about this subject. I, for one, want nurses that are happy and content in my unit. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Andrea Rankin-Hayden Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:40:32 AM Is termination the only solution to this problem? Has anyone offered to help this person to improve his/her job performance? Well if this person was given an opportunity to improve his/her work performance and still continues to perform poorly then there is no other choice than to terminate whether it is a minority or not. As long as each employee was given a fair chance and the minority was not singled out. Andrea. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:26:36 PM I did not give even an inkling of a thought about the fact that this person is of a different race. If a person is not doing their job correctly and there are many different incidences that are documents of their incompetency's and that employee has been given reorientation to the problems that the employee is having trouble with. Then yes, this person should be terminated. It does not matter what race it they are. It is not always about race or ethnicity. It depends on the person knowledge of the job and if they are competent enough for the job. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 10:45:54 AM Professor and class, Absolutely not I would terminate the employee for poor performance and not think anything about it. Race should never be the used to either hire or terminate someone. Timmy (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/18/2014 9:18:19 AM Timmy... whose race do you mean? The race of the employee, or the race of everyone else...? Collapse Mark as Unread RE: Revisiting Race in the Workplace Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/19/2014 4:55:45 PM Poor work performance is very much a grounds for termination. In fact, it's the main reason many people are fired not because of race or gender. A person can go to work, slack off, make mistakes and cost the company money yet still keep his job. This is absolutely wrong whether the individual is the only minority or not. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our differences Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/15/2014 4:51:09 PM Good evening everyone, Self awareness of our own prejudices can help us be aware of when those prejudices are influencing our decisions. It is important to understand this about our selves. If I have a patient of a particular culture call, it is important for me to put my preconceived thoughts aside and view her as an individual so as to focus on the her concern and not on how she is different. Appreciating other cultural differences helps us to grow as a society. I think music is a great example of this. So much of our music today is influenced by other music and sounds and techniques, and those came about from others and so on. Food is another example. TexMex is big here in Texas. It is a combination of Mexican food with a twist added by Texans (more jalapenos and cheese). We grow when we embrace each other's differences and we can create something unique and different in doing so. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Carolyn Wright Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:18:38 PM Professor and class, To my knowledge I don't believe I have every said anything that would hurt someone based on religious or cultural differences. I certainly am not bragging, I just do not get a lot of exposure to cultural diversity in my area. However, I have a new daughter-in-law and grandson that are teaching me many things about the Laos traditions and beliefs. The past seven weeks has been very interesting to tie together what I have learned and put into place when learning about the Laos culture. I have always believed I am a nonbiased person when it comes to ethnicity or religion until I read Week 3 lecture when it talked about prejudice. It defines prejudice as rigid generalization about entire groups or categories of people. (DeVry, 2014) I have been guilty of this, though not intentional, but more through lack of knowledge. This class has opened my eyes to being more accepting and respecting of values and beliefs that may not be the same as mine. DeVry University. (2014). SOC350 Cultural diversity in professions: Week 3 lesson. Online Publication. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Differences Alex Jorge Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:28:33 PM Professor and Class, Understanding our own attitudes and prejudices’ is important because it helps us when dealing with people from different cultures. Understanding your own prejudice leaves the door open for you to accept and understand those from different cultures. A situation I can remember where I said something I later regretted, was a time I had a young Jehovah witness 19 years old as a patient. Without getting into too much detail, her lab values where very low. Most importantly her Hemoglobin, to the point she needed a blood transfusion. I had just started at the hospital I was working at the time and did not know the staff too well. During break that night myself and a couple of nurses were eating and I brought up the fact how frustrated and annoyed I was that this poor girl with her mother and father at bedside, were refusing to have a blood transfusion could possibly save her life. I went on to say how stupid certain religions could be, especially Jehovah witnesses when it comes to their refusal to receive blood. Unknown to me at the time one of the nurses in the break room was actually a practicing Jehovah witness which I was later informed of by another nurse. Needless to say I was extremely embarrassed and upset with myself and immediately apologized to her. Later that night I did some research as to why exactly the religion does not accept blood. Although I was better educated on the topic I still did not agree, however I now had a better understanding of the situation and regardless of my views my statement was offensive and misunderstood. Alex J. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Kristy Bonner Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:40:45 PM I think it is important to understand our own attitudes and prejudices so that we can find their roots and destroy them before they hurt others or ourselves. I know that in my case, my attitudes and prejudices were heavily influenced by the prevailing opinion in my area. I was "taught" from an early age that this group of people is like this, and that group is like that, etc. It wasn't until I was older and exposed to other cultures that I began to realize that what I knew to be true was based on lies. Then, I was finally able to start appreciating cultural differences and learning from those differences. It is important too so that we can better relate to others in an increasingly diverse population. America truly is a melting pot and we have to understand all the different cultures that make it up to grow and succeed. I have definitely been in situations where I have done something that could have been perceived as offensive or that was misunderstood. These situations typically occur when I make assumptions about a person's cultural background. I am really bad about assuming everyone that is Asian is Chinese, everyone that is Latino is Mexican, and so on. I remember making the assumption that a classmate of mine was from Mexico when she was actually from El Salvador. Apparently, there are some pretty hard feelings between the two countries or she was just really tired of people assuming that she was Mexican, but it really offended her when I made that assumption. That was really a turning point for me. I began to be much more culturally aware after that because I never wanted to offend anyone like that again. Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Our Differences Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:41:59 PM Professor and Classmates, It is important to understand ones own attitudes and prejudices so that we can better appreciate the cultural differences that exist in the world. When we are able to know what we feel about certain practices or beliefs from another cultures, we may not agree with them but we evaluate our own being and learn to develop a respect and acceptance for the difference that make us unique. 20 years ago, I cared for a patient that had HIV. The first night he was my patient I introduced myself and shook his hand. He looked at me and asked you are not afraid to shake my hand. I said no. He looked straight into my eyes and said "Thank You." You are the first nurse that I feel I can trust. The next 3 nights, we talked and I learned that his partner was working out of town and would be arriving in the morning. That morning his partner came in ,saw us talking and laughing he became angry. He told me do you know he is gay. I said" I know that he is sick and spoke very highly about you." He then told me that he did not appreciate my kind.I did not understand what he meant. So, I asked a friend of mine who is gay what he meant by that. My friend told me that some gay men are very jealous and he felt threatened by me. I remember thinking did my act of being friendly cause him to be jealous? I can honestly say that I evaluated how I treated my patients. Did treat him differently? In the end, I realized that I treated and still treat all my patients the same, with a personal but professional manner. Ursula Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating our Differences Ann Langley Email this Author 10/16/2014 9:13:32 AM Professor Morgan and Class, Maria and Nicholas, I agree the race of the employee or employer should not play any role in the decision to fire a non-productive member of staff. Documentation of poor work performance should be adequate for termination, irregardless of race. There may be an issue if all the complaints are made by one or two employees, that may look like discrimination. The obvious question: has the employer noticed the poor performance, can it be related to specific employees, are these employees instigating the problem? Job performance should be evaluated with the employee working with different groups of people, are the performance problems evident with all groups. The employer must speak with the employee, does the employee felt discriminated against, or there personality problems. There has to be honest, reliable documentation available for review prior to firing the employee. There is always the possibility that the employee is the recipient of discriminatory treatment. The employer and human resources will have to review the case, deciding the fate of the employee fairly. Ann Collapse Mark as Read Appreciating Each Other Lynze Eades Email this Author 10/16/2014 2:11:02 PM Appreciating the differences that each one of us brings to the table should be our first priority. Being able to identify our own weaknesses is at least a good starting point for developing empathy towards other individuals and communities Lynze Week 7 What's Good for Business. . . (graded) Japanese business culture is somewhat different from that of the U.S., yet both U.S. and Japanese companies are very successful and dynamic competitors in the global economy. You will find a brief overview of Japanese business practices in Doc Sharing titled "Japanese Business Practices." If you notice, some of the practices and ideas are pretty foreign to our American way of doing things. How is it that with this system of "rules" that seems to govern the Japanese approach to business, their companies have been able to compete so well with the U.S.? Is it possible that they know more about us than we do about them? How about other countries? Do other countries have business cultures that are quite different from ours but also highly successful? Give examples and descriptions. This section lists options that can be used to view responses. Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Sort by Read/Unread Sort by Response Sorted Ascending, click to sort descending Sort by Author Sort by Date/Time* (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read When in Japan... Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/11/2014 12:55:34 PM In this discussion, we have an opportunity to bring together some of the things we've addressed earlier in the course. To begin... what are some of the fundamental differences in the way that business is conducted in Japan, compared to the US? Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... John Curry Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:15:15 PM Prof. Morgan and Class, They way business is conducted in Japan differs greatly when compared to how business is conducted in the U.S. In the U.S., businesses tend to make quick decisions, their roles are individualized, they focus on the return investment and not the steps it takes to reach that point, and they will agree that they can do something even when they aren’t sure, U.S. companies are comprised of members of different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds. Businesses have small, short and frequent meetings when discussing a project, will conduct business via, computer, phone, or webcast, they are relaxed, where a person can work at the business or from home, they will work from offices and cubicles that keep them isolated from others, and in the U.S., work life balance is a priority where family comes before work. In Japan, businesses make decisions very cautiously, with plenty of meetings and documentation to back up their decision. They to have individual roles that contribute to a whole but understand that if the whole doesn’t succeed then the individual’s work was a waste of time. In Japan businesses also focus on the return investment but they will place emphasis on the processes it took to reach the return investment. Businesses in Japan will only take on a job if they are 100% certain that they can achieve the goal, their word is something they honor very much. Japan businesses tend to be comprised of Japanese individuals with the same background which they like because many items that have to be explained in the states is understood within Japanese businesses’ by being left unspoken. Japan business meetings tend to be large, frequent and long so that everything can be discussed and agreed upon. Japanese like to conduct business face to face instead of via electronics. In japan work takes priority over everything else, they do not work from home and instead of cubicles employees sit in a class room like setting that is arranged by level of authority with the leader of the project being at the front. Reference: Hashimoto, R. (2010, December 15). 10 Cultural Contrasts Between U.S. and Japanese Companies. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://blog.btrax.com/en/2010/12/15/10-cultural-contrasts- between-us-and-japanese-companies-a-personal-view/ Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Alan Dean Email this Author 10/14/2014 11:40:34 AM John, Great post! You summed it up very well. I read the article you referenced and found all of the answers. I was struck by the one statement, “Almost everyone has same background to realize the situation so some of the understanding is in unspoken words. This is one of the important communication skills in Japan.” I also found the traditions of Hanami and Nomikai to be an interesting difference from American businesses. I know that coworkers in the U.S. will go out informally for dinner and drinks (and can sometimes get pretty carried away), but imbibing excessively at an official work function can be a big mistake. The comments at the end of the article are pretty interesting. The negative comments seem to come from Americans working in the U.S. for Japanese-owned companies. For example: The Japanese management never stated clearly what they wanted out of a project and often said, ‘Maybe’ when they really meant, ‘no.’… Also, the Japanese management in Japan often sent Japanese employees who weren't doing well (ie dead-weight employees) to the US branch, because Japanese companies refuse to fire anyone. So, of course, then the Americans were forced to deal with terrible Japanese managers. We have Japanese employees and none Japanese and the first thing you notice here is how they discriminate us from them, they go out lunch together, they don’t trust us by locking their offices if they are going to the bathroom for 3 minutes, and many other things. They can’t make any decision without going to the headquarters in Tokyo which takes forever to get an answer and frustrates our customers most of the time. However, not everyone agreed with the statement about “dead-weight employees” from Japan being banished to the U.S.: Although the company I work for is quite "old-school Japanese" I have found that actually the Japanese employees that are sent here are carefully selected for those who have more of an international outlook. Also, it's certainly not a demotion or sign of poor performance to be sent here. It's actually generally a track to upper management upon returning home to Japan. This all rings true to me as well. However, it may depend on the company but I'm rather sure most Japanese dispatched here are often the high-achievers. I know for example one engineer sent to a certain car company's plant specifically due to his high skill level as they needed him to improve their production line. One European commenter stated a preference for working with Japanese companies over Americans: As an european, from my personal experience, working with Americans is way more problematic then Japenese. I mostly agree but indeed, there are some generalizations which don't always apply. All quoted comments are verbatim, errors included. Reference: Hashimoto, R. (2010). 10 cultural contrasts between U.S. & Japanese companies (Blog post). December 15, 2010. Retrieved from: http://blog.btrax.com/en/2010/12/15/10-cultural-contrasts- between-us-and-japanese-companies-a-personal-view/ Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Paul Tran Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:40:38 PM Hello John, Great, informative post! It really introduces us to the compare and contrast of the US and Japanese ways of business conduct. It seems like the Japanese are favored in this article and is it because the author is Japanese himself? But what you've presented seems true. This is evident particularly in the automobile industry. It appears that over the years, studies have shown that Japanese cars have seem to be more reliable than American cars. This may have to do with the Japanese making work a priority over everything else as you've mentioned along with other factors related to business efforts. Reference: Buying a car: are japanese cars more reliable? (2014). Auto trader. Retrieved on October 14, 2014 from http://www.autotrader.com/research/article/car-tips/219031/buying-a-car-are-japanese-cars- more-reliable.jsp Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/13/2014 3:15:07 PM After doing some reading and research, I have realized that Japan's business conduction is based off of relationships from start, style of contract and continuing friendship. The Americans seem much more cut and dry. They get in and out, make a deal and contract that is very detailed because time is money. My personal opinion is the Americans are money hungry and care less about the friendship and relationship aspect of the contract and deal. That is just what I see by what I have read so far about business partnerships in America compared to other countries. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:55:31 PM I tend to agree with you Kristin. In the American business world, it seems it's every man for himself. It's not unusual to find arguments that last for years and bad feelings that are never dealt with. Money is the prime target a lot of times. It's a wonder the US can do business with Japan at all. I think I prefer the Japanese way of doing business personally. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/17/2014 9:29:08 PM Kristen and Rhonda, I agree with both your posts. I feel that Japanese way of conducting business not based on a relationship from the start but they know that respect and trust are important to grow a business. Ursula (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/19/2014 10:00:45 PM Yes, the topic of loyalty is definitely relevant! Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/14/2014 11:55:10 AM Professor Morgan and Class, After reading about how business is conducted in Japan I realize how they do business face to face and will remain in contact even after the business deal is complete. They research and know the consequences of each step made during the tranactioon. Here in America we tend to lets just see what we are getting out of the deal and hurry up and complete the transaction and rarely do we develope a lasting relationship with who we have done business with. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:37:47 PM Hello Professor and Class, After reading the article, some of the differences on the way Japan do their business from the U.S is the gift giving and also as mentioned in a previous lesson, addressing the counterpart with a title "Mr or Mrs" to the last name. Also, the Japanese are very respectful people and reserved like most Asians. I like how it was mentioned that "the Japanese do not talk with their hands" or make big facial expressions because that is very true. Most traditional Asians do not openly engage in conversations or let you know everything that is on their mind, we filter most every word before it even come out. At least that was the way I was raised. Confrontation was almost always avoided as opposed to most Americans who want to just clear things up directly out in the open like the classic Jerry Springer episodes. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... David Smeed Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:51:50 PM Nice post Giselle! When reading through the different business practices listed in the Doc Sharing, I actually found a good amount of practices that would be applicable in our culture. First, “punctuality is essential in Japan; lateness is as sign of disrespect. Arriving 5 minutes prior to an appointment is good practice” (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2004, p. 2). Our culture is all about time and being to the point, therefore, the practice of being not only on-time but early is extremely appealing. Next, “personal space is highly valued in Japan due to the densely populated areas in which they live. Physical contact, other than a handshake, is never displayed in public”(CIA, 2004, p. 2). In previous discussions we talked about the emphasis our culture places on personal space. Additionally, a key component to every interview or meeting is a proper handshake. It is the hallmark to almost every interview. These are some rudimentary examples of some of the similarities between our cultures. I think it is equally important to identify common themes between cultures than it is to identify differences. By identifying similarities there is more of a sense of unity and a sense of togetherness rather than the view of separation and difference. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2004). The World Factbook. Retrieved from www.my.devry.edu Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:34:01 AM Hi David, Thank you for that. One thing I would like to share with the class as well is that despite the fact Japanese and Filipinos are both Asians. We have a lot of similar characteristics but Filipinos compared to Japanese are known to be bad with time. Filipinos tend to be more lax in doing things, we do take things seriously but it is our way of not stressing over so much. Anybody ever heard of "Filipino time" ? It is a bad label. It's a shame but this is an open class I might as well share. We do try to correct this, especially us who have moved out of the country. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 11:38:13 AM Giselle, I have worked with a lot of Filipino nurses and you are so correct about not getting stressed. They was the best not to be over sensitive about issues when other nurses would throw a fit. I enjoyed working with these ladies and men and still keep in touch today. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:59:10 PM I like the Jerry Springer reference Giselle. Too funny! Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:35:27 AM Thank you Rhonda. :) Collapse Mark as Unread RE: When in Japan... Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:05:48 PM After reading the article I conclude that it is important to understand the seniority system. The seniority system is rank by years of experience. However, it does not mean that each person who enters the business on the same day is paid the same wage, or advances in the same manner. There does seem to be though, a close correlation between age and rank especially for senior management. In Japan business it is considered that young but inexperienced people should not be put in authority over older and more mature individuals In one sense, the wisdom of experience is valued in Japan and it is absent from the American system. Collapse Mark as Read RE: When in Japan... Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:35:50 PM Americans chit chat with each other before and after a meeting. We also talk with our hands and have facial expressions that tell what we are thinking. If a contract is signed than the deal is final. On occasion there is follow up calls made to the buyer but it is very rare. Gift giving depends on the deal. There could be some perks to the deal. If you do not already know the person you are going to deal with there usually is a hand shake and they are addressed by Ms. or Mr. and last name. Our ways of doing business is different from those of Japan. Japan is big on seniority and age. The have much respect for their elder. Personal space is also something that is a big concern we as Americans do not have a problem with unlike Japanese, they like there space and are not affectionate in public like Americans are. Their culture is much different compared to ours. I loved learning the do's and don'ts of Japan. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read What is he Saying? Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/11/2014 12:56:05 PM I work closely with many Japanese, Japanese-Hawaiian and Japanese American people. I am often in the position of not knowing what a person is thinking... even after they contact me. Western communication can perceived as direct, linear and in a straight line, whereas Japanese communication patterns are often inclusive, going around and encircling a topic. Neither are right or wrong, but after several years, I often find myself impatient, wanting to 'get to the point' while my colleagues want to cover all bases. Consider the message below, regarding a mentoring program that we've established in Hawaii. The note is from a Japanese attorney: <<Dear Dan: Rather than risk anything "falling through the cracks," please go ahead and "Forward" all details to , especially because the paradigms from prior Sessions cannot be followed each Session due to the fact that Justice 's case load changes each Session (due to the fact that he mentors, as noted in earlier e-mails, TWO groups over THREE sessions each fiscal year) and, also, Justice 's case load might change. If you find that too cumbersome, let's, please, go back to the prior system that we have used successfully up to this point, whereby I communicate the list of cases directly to so that we do not have to burden you with this extra step of your trying to figure out whether anything has changed or not--Sometimes it does change; sometimes it does not. Thank you very much!>> Who can tell me what this attorney is communicating to me? Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/13/2014 12:55:57 PM Well, that was a bit confusing, If I am reading this right, it seems that the attorney is discussing a change in a protocol on communications. However, if this new method does not work for you, then you can go back to the previous method of communication. Is that right? I can appreciate your statement about "going around and encircling a topic". This seemed like a very long way to go about discussing a change in communication methods (if that is what this about) Yes, there is a cultural aspect to this, but I don't think that we in Western Society are not guilty of this same thing. My mother-in-law takes a very long time to get to the point of her conversations too. Now, in all fairness I do not know if this is part of her Mexican culture or a part of who she is. In comparison none of her Mexican American children talk around topics. In fact, they are very direct and get to the point. My mother also has a habit of making a long story out of something as simple as You don't need to stop for milk because I picked some up on my way home. Seriously my mother could make a 30 minute story out of that sentence. I do know that certain cultures though put more thought into what they are saying and want to ensure that they have expressed every possibility of a topic. It is not the first time I have noted this of the Japanese culture. I am curious to know what the actual message above was about though. Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? David Smeed Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:26:05 PM As both Professor Morgan and Kelly noted, this is an excellent circular topic of communication. It is not direct or to the point at all. This person’s goal is to re-establish the prior system of communication. It is almost comical that it takes so much writing to address a point that could be summed up in a sentence. In the beginning he/she seems to start to address the main point “the paradigms from prior Sessions cannot be followed each Session”. However, then the conversation extends on pointing out a variety of different topics including past emails. I think then the person starts to feel bad about trying to make the change and wants to put the choice also in your hands indirectly. He states “If you find that too cumbersome, let's, please, go back to the prior system that we have used successfully up to this point, whereby I communicate the list of cases directly to so that we do not have to burden you with this extra step of your trying to figure out whether anything has changed or not”. The whole conversation is confusing. It could easily be summed up by saying, “Hello , I feel that we should resort back to the previous means of communication, because ”. That is simple and to the point rather than circular and confusing. However, this is an excellent example of a difference between our cultures. Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Lori Snyder Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:32:13 PM Kelly, I agree with your interpretation of the message, I personally had to read it a few times before I really understood what they where trying to say, It certainly is a encircling of a topic, so confusing to follow what they were trying to say. I have worked with people who can do this when it could made so much easier. It is so difficult to work with someone when they explain thing in circles instead of being direct and to the point because it can be so difficult to follow what they are saying. I do understand that this can be cultural. Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/17/2014 9:23:52 AM I agree with you Kelly. I did read this post a few different times and it seem as if they are saying if this does not work then lets go back to the old way. Everyone has a way about communicating. Some are direct and to the point and want just the facts. Some take a stroll about their point. Some just try to avoid it. We all have a different ways to communicate things differently. That is what makes life interesting we are all different. If we weren't wouldn't life be boring? Melinda Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:19:49 AM Professor, My interpretation of this email is that this Lawyer may be trying to coordinate and communicate a seminar schedule, and is requesting you to forward details to a certain person. He is unable to confirm the scheduling time slots due to “Justice ’s case load and his mentoring schedule. If your communication to “ ” does not work, he is willing to go back to the original method of communication where he communicates directly with , so that you are not inconvenienced with an extra step in the process. The communication is complex and confusing and I had to read it several times to try and grasp the main point. It appears that the two of you have an established and friendly relationship which is important to those of the Japanese culture in any meeting or communication. The manner in which this is written is not surprising, as we have learned that Japanese businessman are detail oriented and during meetings ask lots of questions repeated in different ways, so it is no surprise that he is all over the map with his communication. The Japanese people are known for their business etiquette, sincerity and respect in all communications and business (Venture Japan LLC, 2009). In my opinion, this gentleman could have summed his point up in 1-2 sentences, which is my preferred manner of business communications. Donna Reference Venture Japan LLC. (2009).Doing business in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-business-etiquette.htm Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Alan Dean Email this Author 10/14/2014 4:02:06 PM Modified:10/14/2014 4:05 PM It seems to me that he or she is taking the scenic route to arrive at his/her destination, which is to simply state a preference for staying with the status quo. Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? John Curry Email this Author 10/15/2014 5:46:24 PM Prof. Morgan and Class, I had to read this numerous times to try and figure out what exactly he is talking about. I think I figured it out finally, it seems to me that this attorney is saying that due to the Justice's changing caseload that he feels more comfortable if you would just stay with the current system that yall had in place rather than changing it. I feel that this message could have been stated in two sentences rather than a whole paragraph. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/19/2014 10:03:39 PM John, as indicated in your post, and those of many others, that's exactly it: he was telling me, in several paragraphs (there was more) to keep things the way that they were, and to not change anything! Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:07:50 PM Professor, he seems to be telling you that the Justice is very busy and specifying why that is so and referring to past sessions as proof. He also seems to think you cant handle the job of figuring out the proper way to do whatever it is that needs done. What a jumbled communication! Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:54:19 PM Professor, I think he was trying to communicate a process of getting information to a certain person but then feels that it might cause you extra work so he says you can go back to the previous practice which had been working successfully. It does seem that he went in circles. Ursula Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 10:56:06 AM Professor Morgan, I feel that he is saying that try to accept the changes but if the changes are not beneficial you may can go back to the way things were before hand but don't be burden down yourself down with the extra work but try the changes and see how the outcome is going to be. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/18/2014 7:38:23 AM That is a very wordy email. I think he's trying to institute a new way of monitoring the mentoring program, but is also saying if everyone wants they can stay with the old system if that's what everyone feels works better. I think he was trying to be fair so that people don't think he's just changing everything, he is trying to give another option so people do not get upset. No one likes change. A better way would be, "lets try this (insert new idea) and if its doesn't seem to work we can go with the old method". Collapse Mark as Read RE: What is he Saying? Stephenie Gordon Email this Author 10/18/2014 8:07:50 AM Very confusing letter! The letter is not direct or to the point to say the least. The attorney is saying that he rather not have something overlook or left undone he rather send an email of all the details to a certain person. He would like these email sent because what happen in the last court session cannot happened again. He is also discussing a change in a protocol of communications and he wishes to use the old system. If this new method is troublesome for you, then you can go back to the previous method of communication. Collapse Mark as Unread RE: What is he Saying? Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/19/2014 5:30:02 PM I believe that all that the Japanese attorney was trying to say wss that the old way of doing things is working and he doesn't want stress anyone out. "you find that too cumbersome, let's, please, go back to the prior system that we have used successfully up to this point, whereby I communicate the list of cases directly to so that we do not have to burden you" Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Ann Langley Email this Author 10/13/2014 6:02:53 AM Professor Morgan and Class, Japanese business practices involve minimal contact with business partners, a polite bow is acceptable, handshakes are also acceptable if initiated by the Japanese business man. Handshakes in the US are common forms of greeting and considered to be polite. Hand gestures are not part of the Japanese culture, avoiding hand gestures is recommended for business meetings. Traditional Japanese business meetings were drawn out and often skirted the real reason for the meeting, current business practices are much more direct. Younger business men are often quick to make decisions, although they may not be the final decision, older members of the business will have the final say. The oldest member of the management team will be the first person to enter a meeting, with executives following behind in order of rank. The oldest member of the management tea is usually the head of the business and he will take his seat at the table first, picking where he wishes to sit. Northern European business practices are mostly negotiated in English, although in some of the countries Swedish is the secondary language. Most of the countries appreciate open, direct, to the point communication. British people do not like to offend when dealing in areas of business, they will avoid confrontation, holding in their concerns. Business persons from Denmark appreciate computer skills, do not tolerate discrimination, and are very informal in their business practices. In Denmark only formal business meetings require suits, for every day meetings informal clothing is acceptable. Sweden's business meeting begin on time," beginning and ending with handshakes", handshakes between men and woman accepted forms of greeting. Men in Sweden do not stand when a woman enters the room. Sending an agenda for the meeting prior to the formal meet is a good idea, Swedish people like to take time to analyze the proposal prior to any agreement. Professor Morgan that communication you provided is one of the most convoluted statements I have read. I am assuming the suggestion is that you try a new idea for mentoring students this year. The other Mentor may not be available to assist as much as you may need, and I if that is the case go back to the way you have always mentored before. Am I even close? I need a translator for the communication you received. Ann Similarities in Northern European Business Cultures. ( 2014). retrieved from: businessculture.org/northern-Europe/ October 13,2014 (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's Good for Business Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/13/2014 9:43:55 AM Ann, I'm glad that you identified respect as a key component to business relationships in Japan. Seniority is also a priority, as we are going to see from our task below very soon. Stay tuned - Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's Good for Business Jennifer Schmieder Email this Author 10/13/2014 10:31:20 AM Modified:10/13/2014 10:40 AM Professor Morgan, Ann and class, I completely agree. I would require translation. Honestly, I am not entirely sure of what this attorney is trying to communicate other than passive and indecisive suggestions. I had no way to determine how many people were referred to in this communication (for privacy reasons, of course.) Was this a referral to one Judge? Or was this a back and forth between who may better be able handle the mentorship at this time, due to changing case loads? In any case, I missed the point and would be no clearer in the course of action than before reading this. “In the United States, being direct, efficient, and succinct are highly valued traits. In Japan this style is often frowned upon” (Fodor’s, 2010). The Japanese culture “places strong emphasis on maintaining harmony and avoiding direct confrontation” (Helping U.S Companies Export, 2011), which may account for the style of the Japanese attorney’s communication to Professor Morgan. In no way did he or she appear to communicate that anyone would need to be inconvenienced, no matter the plan or lack thereof. The Japanese business culture seems to value work as a group effort, operating within hierarchy, from the bottom to the top, whom are ultimately making the decisions. Respect is highly valued within the Japanese culture. As a result, although the Japanese may appreciate a slight bow during a greeting by an American, a handshake may be extended by a Japanese business partner as a sign of awareness and respect of another culture. Fodor’s Editions. (2010). Customs and etiquette in Japan: 15 things every visitor should know. Retrieved from http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3990.html Helping U.S. Companies Export. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.export.gov/japan/doingbusinessinjapan/eg_jp_024492.asp Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's Good for Business Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/13/2014 9:26:36 AM Modified:10/13/2014 9:28 AM Professor and Class, Over the last several weeks, we have learned that being able to effectively and respectfully communicate with people of diverse cultures will provide organizations a competitive advantage in the international marketplace (Harvey & Allard, 2012). Both U.S. and Japanese businesses are both very successful in the global market. Much of this successful competition is due to the respect each culture provides to one another in business dealings and the research and education both cultures pursue to familiarize themselves with each other’s beliefs, traditions and cultures prior to business ventures. The U.S., Japan and European companies are similar in the sense that they value politeness, sensitivity, good manners and trustworthiness as the priorities for productive business dealings (Venture Japan, 2009). Japanese business dealings require punctuality. This culture has a more formal approach to interactions. Team work is an essential component of business dealings here. Ones individual identity is defined by the group in this culture. When attending meetings with Japanese clients, it is essential Americans have business cards translated in both Japanese and English. As a sign of respect and good will, business cards are presented with two hands with the Japanese interpretation facing forward. Business cards are never played with or written on, they are treated with respect and purposefully picked up and placed in a case after the completion of the meeting. If these are mishandled it is seen as a blatant sign of disrespect towards the other person. When greeting one another it is important to use your full name with your title to establish the position of you and the other person. Attire is professional, usually dark suits, black or navy are worn during the fall and winter months and gray during the summer months. It is recommended women, wear their hair pulled back and a suit with slacks when dealing with Japanese business men. Japanese businessmen do not find it easy to deal with female executives as their business executives are predominantly male. It is a sign of disrespect to grab a host’s hand to shake it or pat a Japanese businessman on the back. Meetings in the U.S. are much less formal both in attire and communication. Businessmen greet one another with a handshake and usually present a business card to their peer. During meetings, it is expected that many notes are taken as a sign of interest in the discussion and respect for the work completed by the group. When it comes to decision making, the American company’s decisions are usually made quickly by subordinates who have been given the authority to do so. Japanese companies are conservative and known to make decisions cautiously, usually much slower than U.S. companies. These decisions are made in stages and depend upon approval through their hierarchy, which is determined by age, employment and background of the family and company. The process of decision making is completed by individuals in the U.S. companies while Japanese companies recognize contributions of the individuals, but depend on group discussions and decision making (Btrax Staff, n.d.) . Their objective is to succeed as a group not individually. Japanese business men prefer face to face communication while U.S. business men rely on emails and phone conversations. The American work force is structured so that workers are independent in their responsibilities and have a flexible schedule, often being able to work from home. The Japanese business environment is structured like a classroom where the most senior person is in the first set of rows. They do not believe in working at home, they value working as a group toward specific goals of the company. While U.S. workers value work life balance, Japanese workers believe work is the priority and is the main focus of their life (Btrax Staff, n.d.). Because old traditional rules of business and engagement still rule Japanese business dealings, there is question whether or not this globally recognized country will continue to be a superpower to contend with over the next decade (World Business Culture, n.d.).China and India continue to demonstrate success in the global market while South Korea has been influencing culture in these regions. Forbes magazine shares the growth of U.S. companies over the last year which has targeted diverse areas such as Brazil, India, South America and East Asia (Rapoza, K., 2013). Business culture in these areas demonstrate commonalities as well as differences when compared to the U.S.The Brazilian culture conducts business dealings in an informal relaxed pace. Like the Japanese culture, Brazilians prefer face to face meetings and negotiations. It is important to establish a strong personal relationship for successful business dealings in this culture (Murray-Bosrock, 2014). In the Indian culture, decisions are made from the senior leaders and, as in the Japanese culture, business cards are expected to be exchanged when meeting. English is the appropriate language for business cards. Business dealings are slow and challenging in the Indian culture and it is important to have casual conversations prior to business discussions (Murray-Bosrock, 2014). The South American culture conducts meetings, often in Spanish, so it is advisable to have an interpreter in attendance. It is expected that suits and ties are worn by men in meetings and business suits and dresses worn by women. Shaking hands is acceptable in this culture, but know, representatives of this culture may not maintain eye contact when greeting you. The concept of time in South American countries is relaxed and often representatives may be up to 30 minutes late for a meeting. People from this country are warm and friendly and prefer casual conversation before starting business. Business cards are expected and should be written in Spanish and English (Business etiquette in Latin America, n.d.). These mergers and acquisitions of the U.S. have surpassed those of Europe Canada and Japan as of this time. One may question what the success of these business dealings are related to. It may be due to the U.S. businesses’ ability to deal respectfully and professionally with the cultures of other countries as well as their ability to be accepting of other cultures traditions, values and beliefs. Donna References: Btrax Staff. (n.d.). 10 Cultural contrasts between US & Japanese companies. Freshtrax. Retrieved from http://blog.btrax.com/en/2010/12/15/10-cultural-contrasts-between-us-and-japanese- companies-a-personal-view/ Harvey, C.P. & Allard, M.J.(2012). Understanding and managing diversity (5th ed.).Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Murray-Bosrock, M. (2014). Brazil. India. Ediplomat. Retrieved from http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_br.htm Rapoza, K. (2013). U.S. companies buying up foreign competition. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/09/15/u-s-companies-buying-up-foreign- competition/ Venture Japan LLC. (2009).Doing business in Japan. Retrieved from http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-business-etiquette.htm Doing business in Japan.(2013). World Business Culture. Retrieved from http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-Japan.html Collapse Mark as Read What's he saying Jennifer Haas Email this Author 10/13/2014 2:57:52 PM Dear Professor Morgan, I believe the Japanese attorney would prefer to the prior system of communication with you (Professor Morgan) continue to be used rather than initiating a new communication system but the attorney does not want to write this. Japanese business people are not rude and do not tolerate or like confrontation. In Japanese business etiquette politeness, sensitivity, honor and good manner are aspects which are highly valued ( Venture Japan 2009). Without these characteristics many American business people doing business with Japanese companies would not be able to forge a business relationship. Japanese society values harmony, pride, empathy, and loyalty above all else. Minor transgressions in Japanese business etiquette could damage any hope of a future business relationship. Venture Japan (2009). Never forget your business card , Retrieved from: http://www.venturejapan.com/japanese-business-etiquette.htm (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's he saying Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:13:03 AM Jennifer, you are so right, especially about being polite. There's also a way that 'Americans' speak that can be interpreted as blunt, which is also disrespectful and rude. Can you imagine the machinations of communication that it would take for a person who is Japanese by ethnicity, raised in Hawaii and considered to be American? What are some of the things that a person would have learned to do, and to be aware of, in the context of communicating in business? Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's he saying Jennifer Haas Email this Author 10/14/2014 5:36:05 PM A Japanese American business person raised in U.S.A. would definitely have a difficult time learning the etiquette of the Japanese business person. I maybe off the mark but I believe because the person was Japanese heritage, they would be more severely judged in the Japanese etiquette by the born Japanese business people. The Japanese born business people would expect perfection from a Japanese descendant and would judge them more harshly because they were raised in America. The American Japanese Business person should be early for the meeting (tardiness is consider rude). Business card should be exchanged with both hands and should be examined carefully as a show of respect. The Japanese business card should not be put in a wallet or pocket because this is considered defacing the card ( JBE,2012). Gratitude is frequently considered polite in Japan. Politeness and manners matter in Japan. Japan Communications The customary greeting is the bow. However, some Japanese may greet you with a handshake, albeit a weak one. Do not misinterpret a weak handshake as an indication of character. If you are greeted with a bow, return with a bow as low as the one you received. How low you bow determines the status of the relationship between you and the other individual. When you bow keep your eyes low and your palms flat next to your thighs. The business card should be given after the bow. This is very important to remember. Understand that the Japanese prefer not to use the word no. If you ask a question they may simply respond with a yes but clearly mean no. Understanding this is critical in the negotiation process. In Asia the number 4 is bad luck, because in Japanese it sounds like the word ‘shuh-shuh’, which sounds like the word f Japan Business Etiquetee, culture, & manners ( 2009-2012) .Japan Communication Retrieved from: http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/japan.htm Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/13/2014 3:11:23 PM After reading the Doc Sharing file I thought the U.S and Japanese have some similarities and differences. Americans do not bow for formal or casual meetings. I thought about the hierarchy the Japanese have, where the memebers sit in order of senority, but the leader may also choose where to sit and that was a difference in comparison with Americans. I think it is very important to understand and do research of the cultural for a business meeting. Both parties should do this out of respect and want to make a good impression. Japanese seem to be a bit more formal than the Americans, "For an American, calling someone by the first name is an act of friendship and therefore a good thing. For a Japanese, the use of the first name at a first meeting is an act of disrespect and therefore bad." (Salacuse, 2005). I think it is a good idea to call everyone by their formal or last name first when meeting someone. I think it is a sign of respect and the Japanese happen to be more strict with that proper manner. When negioating a deal, sense of time is an important factor. Americans tend to want to rush things along because time is money, so they want to make a deal fast. On the contrary, "Japanese and other Asians, whose goal is to create a relationship rather than simply sign a contract, need to invest time in the negotiating process so that the parties can get to know one another well and determine whether they wish to embark on a long-term relationship" (Salacuse, 2005). Americans have a different approach when building the contract in comparison to the French. For example: "For Americans, negotiating a deal is basically making a series of compromises and trade- offs on a long list of particulars. For the French, the essence is to agree on basic principles that will guide and indeed determine the negotiation process afterward. A survey of negotiating styles found that along with the French, the Argentineans, and the Indians tended to view deal making as a top down (deductive process); while the Japanese, the Mexicans and the Brazilians tended to see it as a bottom up (inductive) process." (Salacuse, 2005) Because cultures influence the way people think, act and make decisions, business negotiators need to be educated and aware on cultural differences. It is important to know what attitudes and behaviors are acceptable and formal when making a business deal. Making a deal is about a contract, a relationship and if respect is given than an understanding of the actual business as hand can be focused on. Salacuse, J. (2005). Ivey Business Journal. The Top 10 Ways Cultural Can Affect International Negotiations. Retrieved from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/global-business/the-top-ten-ways-that-culture-can- affect-international- Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business... Nicole Drenckhahn Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:13:17 AM Professor Morgan and class, Business culture in Japan appears to be traditional and well organized. Some of the differences I found between the ways they do business compared to the U.S. is within the detail’s of their practices. In Japan, it’s not common to avoid shaking hands related to an increased cultural value on personal space (DeVry, 2014). In our culture I’ve heard numerous times that it shows good character to greet someone with a strong handshake; as discussed in one of our first threads, when traveling internationally these differences are important to be aware of to avoid any disrespect. I feel as though the Japanese value their elders with more respect. Business is based off a hierarchical structure with a strong connection between age and rank dating back to Confucianism (DeVry, 2014). This also reminds me of a past conversation we had regarding the different generations and what their roles are in the workplace. Business decisions are made quickly and efficiently and common courtesies such as punctuality and politeness are strongly regarded. I think business partners in the U.S. tend to forget that gestures as simple as this go a long way in effective communication. Japan’s business practices are a good model to observe, after research I also found that New Zealand was a good country to conduct business in as well. Out of 145 countries graded world wide it was ranked #2 in a survey for best countries to do business with (Badenhausen, 2013). New Zealand promotes entrepreneurship, they are known for quickly finding solutions to problems and work well both independently and collaboratively (Coady, n.d.). The size of businesses tend to be composed of a smaller amount of people then other countries; this allows for greater opportunity for growth within the company and greater chances to utilize skill sets for the job (Coady, n.d.). Worldwide so many businesses are composed of a large number of employees who face multiple challenges in the workplace. I can understand how in New Zealand having a reduced number of employees per business must allow for a more personal work experience, better job satisfaction, retention and performance. -Nicole References: Badenhausen, K. (2013). Ireland Heads Forbes List of Best Countries for Buisness. Retrieved on October 13, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2013/12/04/ireland-heads- forbes-list-of-the-best-countries-for-business/ Coady, C. (n.d.). Our New Zealand Way of Working. Retrieved from http://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/work-in-nz/nz-way-of-working DeVry University. (2014). Cultural diversity in Professions: Week seven lecture. Retrieved from https://my.devry.edu Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Andrea Rankin-Hayden Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:29:20 AM Latin Americans rely primarily on personal trust in business relationships, whereas North American businessmen tend to be more impersonal and base such relationships primarily on the quality of the product or service and trust in the firm or government. Latinos do not put much trust in impersonal institutions. They want to trust you on a personal level in the expectation that you will understand and protect their interests in the business relationship. North American and Latin American negotiating strategies and styles also differ, and successful negotiations require substantial preparation on both sides to ensure successful win-win arrangements. As already indicated, Latin Americans emphasize enduring trusting business relationships built on personal friendship with reciprocal responsibilities and commitments. Detailed contracts are increasingly recognized as essential, but they are still seen as general guidelines with changes being made as conditions change and with any differences in implementation being resolved informally and amicably between trusting friends. Such a view often conflicts with the more legalistic U.S. approach to contracts which are usually written with great legal precision to be enforced by litigation, if necessary. Experienced North Americans know that successful negotiations begin with personal trust and emphasis on mutual interests and benefits. Important differences between the North American Anglo-Saxon-based common law traditions and practices and the Napoleonic-based civil law practices found in Latin American countries often create serious differences in legal interpretation and procedures. Both sides need expert legal counsel on local practices to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts regarding differing legal approaches and practices. Content of typical contracts also reflect local legal traditions. Efforts are underway within the Organization of American States to promote an "inter-American law" to standardize legal terminology, commercial documentation and general principles and agreement on inter-American law practices. But in the meantime, both sides need to have a clear understanding of the differences in legal norms and procedures they are dealing with to avoid possible later surprise and conflict. The North American obsession with punctuality, tight schedules and deadlines often leaves little time for the very personal aspects of the relationship which Latin Americans most value. And time- conscious North Americans often feel insulted if they arrive "on time" for a meeting or social event, only to find themselves kept waiting--sometimes up to an hour--until their Latin American associates are ready. In turn, Latin Americans working in the United States learn very quickly the negative consequences of failing to adjust to local punctuality. Both sides need to understand and accommodate the customs of their counterparts. But be careful that your Latin American associates are not adjusting their own schedule to show respect for North American "punctuality" at the very time you are relaxing your punctuality to fit in with the more leisurely Latin American scheduling. There is clearly need for open discussion and agreement on which customs or combination of customs to follow, depending on the circumstances. Both customs have merit and are complementary: there are times when firm schedules are needed but also many times when schedules should be relaxed and more priority given to personal relationships. Like the Japanese, Americans like punctuality and respect when doing business. Reference: http://interamerican-understanding.freewebspace.com/busprac.htm Collapse Mark as Read Whats Good for Buisness... Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/14/2014 8:36:11 AM After reading about Japanese business practices, I felt that the US could use some of their ways of doing things. It seems as though the Japanese might have a better handle on how to treat their co- workers, and possibly even people in general. A lot of what they do reminds me of how previous generations treated each other. The use of "meishi" represents having respect for a persons accomplishments in work, not just acknowledging that someone handed you a business card. In the US, we use business cards as a way to break the ice, to introduce ourselves, but most times they are unread or discarded. I think the US could also use the idea of being less confrontational. We tend to want to fight and show people what we are made of, we want to be individuals and a lot of recognition comes from being able to show assertion. By using the Japanese idea of "wa", I think that working more as a team would be beneficial, instead of rewarding people for being focused on themselves all the time. We have become a county known for being aggressive, being disrespectful and for emphasizing individualism. I think that taking some lead from the Japanese in regards to interpersonal communication and basic manners, would probably benefit our county. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Whats Good for Buisness... Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/16/2014 9:32:03 AM Corrinne, I enjoyed and agreed with your post. I believe the United States can learn quite a bit about successful business interactions by observing and understanding the wisdom and protocol related to Japanese business interactions. Business in Japan is conducted with respect and honor. All members of the team are valued and work collectively for the common goal of the company’s success. This harmony or “wa” is a valued principle in business negotiations and ensures working collectively as a group and not towards individual goals (DeVry, 2014). Japanese businessmen are committed to being punctual and polite in all business dealings. They value and respect the wisdom and experience of those who have tenure within the company which is demonstrated by their commitment to the hierarchy structure within Japanese companies. Although business decisions are now quick and decisive, the final agreement is not the end of the partnership. Japanese businessmen like to maintain a relationship with their business associates long after the closure of the business deals (DeVry, 2014). I have observed this quality in the Japanese culture through my brother who, in the past, had often traveled to Japan for business prior to his retirement. The associates whom he worked with throughout his career still contact him whenever they are in town to meet with them for dinner. They often share small tokens/gifts when they meet. I feel American business interactions do not have the personalized qualities that the Japanese culture demonstrates. I believe that it would be beneficial for American businessman to adopt some of these qualities to enhance their interactions with the international market. Donna Reference: DeVry University. (2014). Cultural diversity in Professions: Week seven lecture. Retrieved from https://my.devry.edu Collapse Mark as Read RE: Whats Good for Buisness... Virginia Smith Email this Author 10/19/2014 6:20:07 PM Corinne, I do agree with you. I also think the country could learn from other country's business practices. America could learn to be humble and less materialistic. America tends to be greedy in all areas. Even children, wanting the newest and latest gadget or clothing item before their friends obtain it. Virginia Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Marie Gilbert Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:02:06 AM US Companies focus on Return On Investment (ROI) or the end result. They don’t concern themselves on how it is achieved. US companies spend less time establishing their process. Japanese also focus on ROI, however, they emphasize the process on how to get there. For example, they evaluate how to create the process for the project so that they regard the cost including the value of establishing the process in total. U.S. is multicultural, the company is consisted of a plenty of nationalities, which means there are so many different way to think. Almost the all situations, they don’t progress without say anything. Basically a Japanese company is organized by Japanese. Almost everyone has same background to realize the situation so some of the understanding is in unspoken words. This is one of the important communication skills in Japan. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read Working Overtime Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/14/2014 9:14:11 AM While we're on the subject of Japanese business ethic, let's consider the amount of time that one is expected to work. Have you ever seen these devices used so that men don't have do go home, but can be more productive at work? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/14/2014 2:23:18 PM Professor, No I have not seen a bed like this for overtime use. But working in a hospital you do see a lot of physician rooms for providers to sleep when they are on call. Overtime is an interesting subject. I think this is especially true for nurses. Overtime is frowned upon by my employer. We get a lecture if we even have 1 minute over 40 hours (which I think is completely unreasonable, truly they can keep the 50 cents if it is that big of a deal), but as a nurse I feel personally obligated to ensure that I do not leave until I know that every patient has been taken care of to the best of my ability before I leave each day. When I worked in a hospital it was not uncommon for many of us to still be charting long after change of shift. It was not that we were not good at time management to ensure that charting was completed early during the shift, but when you work in nursing things can change at a moments notice. And they will usually always change right at 30minutes to an hour before change of shift. Nurses have to ensure that patients are cared for first and then complete the charting later, but we can not go home until charting is complete. It is a no win situation. What is interesting to me about this is seeing a culture actually embrace overtime work by their employees. To go out of their way to create sleep facilities to help increase productivity. I am not saying that I agree with overtime, but I don't agree with being penalized for it either. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:35:40 PM Hello Professor & Kelly- I have never seen those kind of sleeping devices before, and they really do not look very comfortable to sleep in. I think it's a little crazy that a company or business would have those for employees. The only career fields that I could see having those is medical employees in hospitals, law enforcement, fire-fighters, etc.. I know the U.S. government states that 32 hours a week is considered to be full- time, and any time over 40 hours is considered overtime. According to Wikipedia, Japanese Labor Law is very similar to ours in the U.S., and it states that they are expected to work 40 hours a week. (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_labour_law) Reading their laws was interesting and surprising to me. As a carpenter I was never allowed more than 40 hours of working hours a week. My employer/boss always told us (total of us 3 employees) that we were to keep track of our working hours and if we were to never go over 40, and if we did that we weren't going to get paid for them which means it was wasted time. But what used to make us the most upset is we never finished jobs on time, and always had tons to do and we were always behind. Then that made our clients/customers upset, which I don't blame because they paid a lot of money for their what they ordered. I think all individuals can be productive if they are treated with respect, kindness, and not be overworked. Employers need to make sure that all employees know what there job it as well what is expected of them. If you don't overwork employees and give them breaks then they wouldn't have to have sleeping devices present. For instance, if I felt worn out I would eat lunch then take a short 15-20 minute power nap on my lunch break and that would really help me. Kelly, I really enjoyed reading your post. Like I stated before, I'm not allowed or used overtime as a carpenter but I was shocked by your employer really frowning on overtime; especially a minute or two. I know I'm not a nurse yet, but I completely agree with you on that all patients should be taken care of before they leave. That should include things like caring for patients, make sure charts are filled out, update patients information on computers, update on nurse who is taking over, and much more. Peoples life's are in your hands and there is nothing more important than that. Well said and I completely support and agree with you. All nurses should follow your lead and live their everyday at work by that great work ethic. References: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_labour_law (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:23:50 AM Kelly, the issue of overtime is interesting, and timely for me; I'm reviewing an article right now, about the relationship between charting and identifying patient co-morbidity. The populations studied are nurses working in assisted living facilities, and patients who are being cared primarily for Alzheimer's. Charting seems to play a key role, and speaks to your question of overtime. On the other hand, what's the likelihood that overtime would get out of hand, once employees realized that it was available. Would there all of a sudden be more unexpected emergencies thirty minutes before clocking out? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:43:52 AM In the hospital where I work we are adopting a new system that to be effective requires real time charting. In the past it seems that many nurses did most of their charting at or near the end of their shift. Now you have to be caught up on your charting at certain intervals throughout the day/night. As to the invention of emergencies that would be far less likely if charting is done. There will always be problems at the end of the shift but nursing is a 24 hour a day job. Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Kelly Pena Email this Author 10/15/2014 5:01:22 PM Professor, Charting is essential in nursing. It is the documentation of everything we do with our patients. Without it there is no proof of what we do. So I am sure that the article you are reading is interesting. As for overtime getting out of hand. This is obviously the concern employers have. I can appreciate this. However, as a nurse who has been working for eleven years I can tell you that the last thing I want to do is be at work any longer than necessary. I don't like working through lunch or not getting to go to the bathroom. I don't like missing out on family time because I am still at the office. I don't like sacrificing my gym time and workouts to be somewhere charting. When you work on the floor in 12 hour shifts the last thing you want to do is be there any longer. You already are made to do On Call days which is essentially mandatory overtime days. Even when you are not on call, you still get called and asked to come in. It is exhausting. In an office setting it is mentally draining. On the phones all day, paperwork all day. Staring a computer all day. In rooms with providers and patients all day. It is just as demanding as a hospital and giving up family/personal time is not something any of us wants to do. I think that employers underestimate their employees by assuming that they are all going to just hang around for the money. I can't say that this would not happen, but I have a hard time believing that it would happen to the extent that having disciplinary action for 1 minute of overtime is warranted. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime John Curry Email this Author 10/16/2014 5:54:43 PM Kelly, I agree with you, most nurses are not about spending anymore time than they have to at work. The job is exhausting mentally and physically and if you have had a decent night you are stuck past the end of your shift charting anyways. Where I work there is a limit set on how much OT a person is allowed to work to prevent exhaustion and fatigue which results in accidents and errors. An employee that works full time is only allowed 30 hours of OT in two weeks. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Nicole Drenckhahn Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:47:17 PM Modified:10/16/2014 6:16 AM Professor Morgan and class, I work 12hr night shifts 3 nights a week. My nights on are always changing weekly and it's exhausting just trying to remember when I'm supposed to be working. At 7am when the next shift comes in we have to give report, depending on the census this could take 20 minutes to an hour. By the end of report rarely will someone still have some extra charting to wrap up on. Throughout the night after providing patient care we try to immediately complete all our charting piece by piece so it doesn't pile up at the end of the shift. Although the concept of overtime is intriguing it is overcome with the desire to go home to our families. Yes, occasionally an emergency will arise that requires you to stay some additional time but it's not an every day occurrence and shouldn't be frowned upon as one, after all you were staying to help a patient, not have a cup of coffee. -Nicole Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:49:52 AM Professor, Your question about overtime getting out of hand and more "emergencies" happening 30 minutes before clocking out, really hit home. 4 years ago, my OR instituted a policy that was supposed to be short term, mainly to cover summer time vacation periods. Every nurse was required to take a mandatory call, which was technically overtime, 2-3 times a month in addition to their regularly scheduled 24-30 hours of call per month. So you would work either your 8 or 10 hour shift, and then be on call for 2-4 addition hours. It was surprising how many "emergency" cases came up. Many times we were used as break/dinner people, or the charge nurse would add the "emergency" case on so that the call team wouldn't have to be called at 11pm. There was also the other side of that, people who would purposely stay late or offer to do a case so they could get the overtime. That mandatory overtime continued for an entire year. In reality, it was a way for management to avoid hiring addition people. I also think it was dangerous, nurses were exhausted and that is when mistakes are made. Thankfully, during that time period, nothing serious ever happened, but who's fault would it be if something did? Not management, it would be placed directly on the nurse. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime David Smeed Email this Author 10/15/2014 8:03:37 PM I remember working in high-school in a restaurant. The idea of working over 40 hours was not EVER an option for anyone. I remember people having to clock-out in the middle of their shift (leaving the restaurant short-staffed) because that person was at or near the 40 hour mark. While this didn’t happen a lot, occasionally managerial mistakes occurred and such an action had to be made. Could you imagine half-way through your dinner having a new server? Crazy! Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Lori Snyder Email this Author 10/15/2014 3:40:22 PM Kelly, I also worked in a hospital that wanted to clock out on time they didn't want you there longer than what your shift was and they also didn't want to pay you for a minute over. You are total right when you said it doesn't matter how good of a nurse your are your shift is totally dependent on how your patients are doing at the time, If you have a patient that goes bad than you could almost guarantee that I was going to be done late just because there was an issue that would through you off. My supervisor would always tell us that the floor was a team and the next shift could help out with things that you couldn't get done but we all knew that you would hear it from the oncoming shift and they would not be happy about that and then you had documentation that you can only do as the primary nurse. I also agree that it is strange to see a culture who is so happy to see overtime and don't penalize for it. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/15/2014 9:18:45 PM You hit the nail on the head Lori. In our world there is no such thing as clocking out on time. You stay until everything is charted and every task is finished or you hear it from the next shift. Recently at my hospital, supervision instituted yet another piece of paper to track us. We are required to fill out this paper anytime we go over our clock out time to 'explain" ourselves. I have to say I find it ridiculous as do a lot of my coworkers. What are the options? Leave your work undone? Don't finish your charting? Skip report? Seriously, someone needs to get a clue. There are no options except to ignore that little piece of paper which seems to be the preferred option for staff. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Andrea Rankin-Hayden Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:58:01 AM Kelly, I am a nurse and I can identify with what you are saying about taking care of our patients first and chart later. I think people in management does not understand this and think you want to stay after your shift has ended. I don't know who wants to but I certainly don't but you have to finish your charting because if you ever get taken to court, your charting is your only defense. Patient satisfaction is a big thing in the hospitals these days so you have to make sure the patients are first. If one patient needs your attention they don't care about how many other patients you have to care for it is about him or her at that time. Like you said things can change in nursing in a split second and it usually occurs at change of shift. As you said we should not be penalized for overtime because this is not something we want to do but in order for us to finish our job it has to happen. We cannot leave something undone and pick up where we left off the net day. We are dealing with people's lives. I have never seen one of those bed before. Overtime is not something I embrace because I think your brain can just take so much for a day and you need to rest for certain amount of hours so you can function again. great post. Andrea Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 7:09:38 PM Andrea, I agree. When working 8 or 12 hour shifts, it's mentally exhausting. I have nothing left at the end of the day and overtime is the least appealing thing I can think of. (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/19/2014 10:01:39 PM Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some sort of beds like that in the hospital? Or, would that be another way of condoning the long shifts? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/14/2014 7:53:25 PM Professor and Class Wow, this is really cool. I have never seen or heard about this before. I think it really shows that the Japanese have a hard work ethic and put working number one priority. I think these pods are actually a really good idea to have in the hospital. It would be nice for "oncall" situations. I do not think it would be nice if it were mandatory to work more than 40 hours a week on average. If a company had these pods I would be apprehensive to work for them because that may show me that their employees may be overworked. Kristen Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Donna Tizzano Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:46:38 AM Professor, At the hospital I work at, there are “on call” rooms for the PGY1 and PGY2 residents to sleep when they are on call and required to stay overnight. This is part of their curriculum and not considered overtime. The nurses who work here are in a union. In fact, the union was established decades ago when Administration instituted mandatory overtime to ensure patient safety when staffing was not optimal. Now, mandatory overtime is prohibited anywhere in the hospital. Their contract also ensures that nurses cannot be cancelled or sent home in times of low census. This makes productivity extremely difficult to manage. Administration monitors incremental overtime and does not want it to exceed 2.5%. Most of the nurses here work 12 hour shifts and by the time their shift is over, they are more than ready to leave and are not looking to “milk the system”. When census warrants needing another nurse, someone will usually always volunteer to stay an extra 4 hours, especially when they can maintain the assignment they had from the previous shift. Nursing is extremely challenging mentally and physically, and it is very important to maintain a healthy balance of work and home life to stay healthy. I have seen pictures of this sleeping device in magazines discussing the Japanese workforce and their work ethic. In the Japanese work environment, the goal is not work-life balance; it appears that it is “live to work”. There is actually a word in the Japanese culture which means “death from too much work-karoshi” (Harden, 2008). The workforce in Japan believes it is necessary to work as many hours as needed for the good of the company. The government in Japan has been attempting to put limits on the amount of overtime a person can work but has not been successful as of yet. Due to the problem of karoshi in Japan, there is an actual hotline for those working too much, and laws which provide money to widows and families of those who work themselves into an early death (Harden, 2008). Even though I strive to maintain work-life balance, I know it is an expectation of administration that all salaried caregivers work a 40+ work week. Therefore, my workweek often ends at 45-50 hrs/week which I do not feel is healthy for anyone on a consistent basis. Donna Reference: Harden, B. (July 13, 2008). Japan’s killer work ethic. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201630.html Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Paul Tran Email this Author 10/15/2014 1:09:35 PM Hello Professor, I've heard of concepts such as this but have never really seen one. That's quite interesting. I've heard of people sleeping in their cars, in the work lounge, or renting a hotel nearby though. Overtime I think varies between different jobs and businesses. Some people are used to working overtime and don't mind it because working overtime usually means extra money. As a server at a restaurant, our management tries to avoid giving us overtime because that would cost more for them which they try to prevent. Each company has it's own regulations regarding overtime. According to the US Department of Labor and Fair Labor Standards Act (2014), unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay. There is no limit in the Act on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek. The Act does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, unless overtime is worked on such days. Reference: Overtime pay (2014). United States Department of Labor. Retrieved on October 15, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime_pay.htm Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Angela McCoy Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:42:08 PM Professor Morgan, I haven't seen anything like this before. But I couldn't imagine staying at a job and sleeping in that. When I use to take call for surgery, if I was called in about 1 am and our case was finished about 230 am, I would get a clean stretcher and take it into the ESWL room and sleep until about 0530. As soon as I got up and drank some coffee, I went to work. Call and overtime puts a lot of mileage on the body. You feel it after a while and you get to where you don't want the overtime or the call time. That is why I changed jobs, so I could get rid of the call by taking 12 hour shifts and working 1 weekend a month sometimes it fell 1 weekend every 6 weeks. I hadn't did call in over 3 years and I'm loving it. Angela Sociology-Week 7 Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/17/2014 6:00:35 AM Angela, When we take call for the OR, if it is a weekday the call is 11p-7a. If you get called anytime after 1am, you automatically receive 3 hours paid sleep time plus another hour for each additional hour you are there on call. So, for example, if you came in at 2am-5am, you would get 6 hours of sleep time. Which means if your shift started at 7am, you were not required to return until 1pm. But even with that sleep time, you were still exhausted and it took a toll on your body and mind. My previous position was three twelve hours shifts plus 24-30 hours a call per month. My current position I work two twelve hour shifts at night on Friday/Saturday and get paid for 36 hours, no call. I can completely agree that not having call is wonderful!! Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 7:13:54 PM That's a sweet deal Angela! 36 for 24 is unheard of here in Cincy. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Maria Martinez Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:37:02 PM Professor and Classmates, I am not sure but this looks like it could be sleeping accommodations for someone that works in a ship or a bed for persons traveling on a train. Personally, I have never been on a ship or train but I think this accommodations would be great for persons who travel. Overtime as a nurse is uncontrollable. Hospitals may not want the nurses to stay late but changes in patient's condition are unpredictable. As patient advocates, nurses must do the right thing. I always remember one of my instructors saying "we know what time we go into work but never know what time we are going home." In 1990, the shift were 8 hours long and could turn into 10-12 hours. I actually would work 16 hours every Friday and Saturday from 06:45 to 11:45 pm. and get paid the 40. Now our 12 hours shifts become 14-16 hours. As a patient advocate, the nurse must always remember patient safety is our priority and if it not documented it wasn't done. Ursula Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Carolyn Wright Email this Author 10/16/2014 8:45:40 AM Overtime! I wonder if these are common in Japan due to the high population and possible commute time to and from work. These cozy little corners seem a step below a motel room that we tend to use in the US, but do seem convenient for some shut eye. The Japanese are known for there loyalty so this is probably one more way of showing that to their employer. As far as overtime in hospitals I think most would like to pay none. Is this a realistic goal? No. Being in healthcare you know that things change by the minute. We are there for the patients so it is highly unlikely we would put charting before their needs. This then creates piled up charting that must be completed. Carolyn Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Jennifer Schmieder Email this Author 10/16/2014 7:51:22 PM Professor Morgan and classmates, No, I haven't seen any accommodations such as this, but much more spacious "on call" rooms for residents, physicians, the anesthesia and surgical teams are common. I suppose it depends on the need, whether overtime is either encouraged or frowned upon. My previous employer was so desperate for nurses that some worked six twelve-hour shifts per week and utilized the “on call” rooms as well. Amending a punch to reflect "no lunch" so that the employee is not docked thirty minutes for a break/meal that did not occur was also not uncommon. Currently, I am not supposed to clock in before 6:53 am or out any later than 7:30 pm and I have been questioned for clocking out late. As many of my classmates have stated, charting is a common reason for leaving late and almost always the culprit. We attend to the patients’ situation first and document it later. I am awake at 5:00 am and do not return home until 8:30 pm, on a good day. I may be speaking only for myself, but I do not want to spend one minute extra away from my family, so I am not spending my time idling. Unfortunately, often the late nights are necessary. Thanks, Jennifer Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Melinda Mercado Email this Author 10/17/2014 9:18:41 AM I have not seen these sleeping quarters before but, I have heard that there at places in NYC that people can rent for a few hours to get some needed sleep. These places are to be very quiet and they are not able to here the outside hustle and bustle. My work does not frown upon overtime. There is overtime always offered. I am in nursing and They always need someone to help due to not having enough staffing or too many patients. They are trying to set a float pool so we do not have this situation. This will also help on the nursing staff from getting burned out due to having to take a bigger work load which could be very unsafe. One of the problems with Americans is we do not get enough sleep. We know the other countries have nap time and or they close for a few hours to rest and come back to work for a few more hours. Now, I do not know how productive they are. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 7:15:50 PM Classmates, I'm afraid that if I took a nap I wouldn't be able to get up and go back to work. Any thoughts on that? Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 11:31:34 AM Professor Morgan and Class, I myself have not seen these devices personally but it seems like years ago there was a documentary on dateline or one of the news station about how Japan provided these for employee's because of the long trips home and it was beneficial for the employee as well as the company. As a nurse I have worked a lot of overtime getting off at midnight and having to be back at six the next morning. I would either go to the on call doctor's lounge or just stay in one of the vacant rooms. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: Working Overtime Giselle Laigo Email this Author 10/18/2014 2:08:10 PM Hello Class and Professor, I have never actually seen this before but I could relate to wanting to be more productive. When I used to work in the hospital and took my hour breaks, I would eat for 10 minutes then look for an empty stretcher, clean it then take it to a room not used, spend the next 45mins napping with an alarm on. It doesn't work for other people but it was my way of invigorating myself to be more productive for the next few hours that I am working. Now that I am a homecare nurse, I use my car to get around Manhattan as opposed to public transportation which is what vast majority of New Yorkers use to see my patients. Reason being is that I take naps in the car whenever I get tired so I can keep going and see more patients until I can handle. Typing this, I do realize that I somehow push myself too hard. I actually had a patient tell me before that Asians are over-achievers. Collapse Mark as Unread RE: Working Overtime Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/19/2014 5:55:18 PM It's really a good idea for certain people like doctors and those who likes to work overtime. I prefer to spend quality time at home with my family. Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Ann Langley Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:12:16 AM Professor Morgan and Class, Nicholas, I don't know if you are on the road to becoming a nurse or not, I assume you are by your post. May I make one suggestion, from a nurse who has been a nurse a long time. Nursing is a 24 hour job, there are times when you will not be able to accomplish all you want for your patient, the oncoming shift can complete what you have not. I always try to complete all the care intended for my patients, I do not like leaving work undone, I have learned you can not be there 24/7 for your patients, you will burn yourself out too quickly. There is always tomorrow! Professor Morgan and Kelly, That sleep area looks like the Doctor's room at the hospital I work in, for their time away from the ED. Does this sleep area apply to those employees that are married and have families? The firefighters and paramedics I know have much better sleep areas than that, they also each have their own recliner for watching TV when they are not busy. Overtime is common where I am, I usually work at least one 12 hour shift extra every week. Now the hospital is a "money crunch," they have mandated no overtime, in fact they are sending nurses home early, even for an hour to save money. This happens every year at this time, once the hospital gets busy again administration eases up on overtime. I have not heard of many facilities that continue with the mandate of "no overtime" at least not in this area. There is always something a nurse must complete before they go home, whether charting or a patient that requires a little extra attention. Kelly can I ask where you work? This is the first I have heard of no overtime, I love my overtime, using it for extras like trips. Ann (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's Good for Business Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:27:40 AM Ann, that's interesting that certain areas are more comfy than others. In Japan that would not be the case; the photo represents the sleeping area for business men (not women, as far as I know), regardless of their rank. Why do you think there would be no distinction? Collapse Mark as Unread RE: What's Good for Business Arthel Tamakloe Email this Author 10/19/2014 6:14:03 PM I thought as much that this was created for just men. Men usually work more overtime, while women often have to hurry home, where other duties related to child care and household duties await them. Collapse Mark as Read RE: What's Good for Business Savannah Baxter Email this Author 10/15/2014 4:21:03 PM Ann, I'm guessing you work up north, because here in Florida the overtime is in the winter. In the summer time there is no overtime and nurses are sent home. At the hospital I started at after graduated had a policy that you could not work overtime for your 6 months of employment. I looked into this policy and found that the hospital discovered that new graduates were working a lot of overtime because they were excited and energetic and had a lot of debt to pay. These nurses were then getting burned out way too early or budgeting to where they could only live with working an overtime shift a week. I remember at the time I was disappointed in the policy because I had those very reasons to need to work overtime. I can definitely see now that I would have been burned out fast. I agree with your statement about nursing being a 24 hour job. Whenever I come home and are stressed about how I couldn't get EVERYTHING done for my patient, my boyfriend (a nurse) always reminds me that nursing is a 24 hour job. Savannah (an instructor response) Collapse Mark as Read U.S. versus Japanese companies Professor Morgan Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:21:02 AM Here is more, to give you an idea of just what one person learned from Japanese workers... http://www2.fiu.edu/~revellk/pad3003/Neave.pdf Number 10: "Eliminate Exhortations" helps me put into place why, for so long, we heard no advertising for Japanese products in the U.S. For many years after WWII, Japanese products were considered inferior - I'm trying to remember when they began to be perceived as superior, and how they did it without exhortation... something tells me that it was in the 1970's, though I can't be sure. Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Kristen Roberts Email this Author 10/15/2014 10:59:18 AM Number 10, Eliminate Exhortations... This makes me think of going the extra mile and putting in the extra time will make the end result worth it and better quality. Eliminating the exhortations is having the product speak for its self. The news will spread that this product or end result is made with quality and "zero defects". That is why it may have taken a bit longer for advertising products in the U.S to come about. Personally I look at advertising in two different aspects. One it may be beneficial to spread the word because something is new and upcoming, but over advertisement can make me question how desperate that company is for business and therefor would make me question the products. Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Paul Tran Email this Author 10/16/2014 3:46:11 PM Modified:10/16/2014 4:16 PM Hello Kristen, I really like your first statement about going the extra mile and putting in the extra time to make the end result worth it and better quality. And by going the extra mile and time, I don't think it means overworking your employees but be reasonable. Neave states in his article that you should make reasonable requests, and provide what is necessary for them to be met, and you may well get better than you ask for. Make unreasonable requests, and you will get even less than you would have got otherwise from an increasingly-demoralised worker (Neave, 1987). The way you look at advertising is interesting as well. Some people would think that over advertising shows desperation but others might actually just fall for it and be reeled in. I feel like it's all about results. It's sometimes tough to know how things will turn out without trial and error. John Maxwell, author of the book Failing Forward, states that you should recognize that you will spend much of your life making mistakes. If you can take action and keep making mistakes, you gain experience; and that will lead to your success (Maxwell, 2000). References: Neave, Henry R. (1987). Deming's 14 points for management. The Statistician pg. 567. Maxwell, J. C. (2000). Get moving, build momentum, make mistakes, move on. Failing Forward. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Timmy McCoy Email this Author 10/17/2014 11:42:29 AM Kristen, I myself have often wondered about the advertising of products and company's it really is surprising the distance some of the company's go to sale a product. Timmy Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies David Smeed Email this Author 10/16/2014 4:35:06 PM One of the interesting ones that I read was number 11: Eliminating Targets. Because I have never been a manager, I viewed setting goals within the workplace as something beneficial. My belief was that by providing a goal, everyone will be united and work together in order to achieve it. However, this article explained that rarely are goals ever actually accurate. They explain that “if a target is lower than what turns out to be reasonably achievable, the automatic reaction is for workers to take a rest once that target has been reached-and why shouldn't they?”(Neave, 1987, p. 567-8). This makes total sense! By setting a goal, the chances of that goal being reached perfectly is extremely rare. Therefore, if the target is too easy, these workers will not reach their full potential and benefit the company. “If the target is unreasonable, then either it will not be attained (resulting in criticism, loss of bonus, demoralisation-all at no fault of the workforce), or it will be attained through cutting corners, lowering standards, ignoring safety requirements, etc.”(Neave, 1987, p. 568). Either way, such goal setting is not effective practice. Only in an extremely rare occasion will a goal be met perfectly. I do the same thing with homework. When I see the load is light, I could take all day to do it adding in long breaks and getting distracted easier. If the workload is too overwhelming, my morale goes down, and I eventually will have to cut corners in order to try and meet the requirements. If I was not to have read this (and was to become a manager), I would most likely think goal setting was effective in the workplace – I was wrong! Thanks Professor for the article! References Neave, H. R. (1987). Deming’s 14 Points for Management: Framework for Success. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 36, 561-570. Retrieved from http://www2.fiu.edu/~revellk/pad3003/Neave.pdf Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Alex Jorge Email this Author 10/16/2014 6:49:52 PM Professor and Class, Interesting article. What I got from it especially Number 10 "Eliminate Exhortations" is that if you make reasonable request to your workforce and give them the tools needed to make it possible, you will get a better product than if you just demand perfection without the proper steps to achieve it. I guess when you make a superior product through hard work and reasonable request eventually a time will come when you will not need to advertise. Just by name recognition the consumer will know what kind of product they are getting. I never have to see another SONY commercial in my life and I will already know what kind of product I am buying. The problem in the U.S. is that people can be sold on advertising alone and settle for a lower cost rather than a better product. Alex J. Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Rhonda Alexander Email this Author 10/17/2014 7:44:40 PM Hi Alex. I don't respond well to demands of perfection. I bought my Honda CRV without doing any research just because it has such a great reputation for being a dependable vehicle. No advertising needed. Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Nicholas Matzenbacher Email this Author 10/16/2014 7:49:22 PM Modified:10/16/2014 7:50 PM Hello Professor & classmates- From what I gathered reading section 10 "Eliminate Exhortations" is all about how you treat your employees will result in the overall productivity and quality of the products as well as employee performance. So if you overwork the staff/employees, give them more work with shorter time, demanding zero defects, and/or mistreat employees then the overall product will increase sales, cost, and/or performance. I also think it means that employees could been given to many request and/or responsibilities. Maybe I'm misunderstanding it, but that is what I'm gathering from it. (http://www2.fiu.edu/~revellk/pad3003/Neave.pdf) I was also reading others post on this topic, and I would have to agree with both Paul and Kristen on a few of their statements. I completely agree with Kristen's views on advertisement. I think it's either to introduce new events and products, but to announce that some sales or advertise products/companies that aren't doing so well. My wife is one of those people that get reeled in like Paul mentioned, but I view advertisement a lot like Kristen most of the time. Also, I really agreed and enjoyed Paul's comment on that products need trial and error time. I say that because how else can companies improve and create new updated, nicer, and more advanced product if their first product is flawless. For companies/businesses to keep their business open and to keep continuing to make money then they have to come up with new products that keep up with society, economy, technology, and customers. Trail and error is a vital things to all companies/businesses in my opinion. References: http://www2.fiu.edu/~revellk/pad3003/Neave.pdf Collapse Mark as Read RE: U.S. versus Japanese companies Kristy Bonner Email this Author 10/17/2014 11:22:09 PM Number 12 on the list really stands out to me, "Permit Pride of Workmanship." I think that taking pride in one's work is a major factor in creating a successful business and is something that is definitely lacking in the American workplace. When I think of pride in one's work, I always think of a story my friend told me once about a man he knew that owned a Rolls Royce. The owner of the Rolls Royce was out driving when he noticed an odd sound coming form the car. After inspection, he found that the transmission was faulty on his car. The car was an older model that was no longer under any kind of warranty, but the only way to have it fixed was to ship it back to the plant that it was manufactured in - this meant flying the car to another country and paying to have it fixed and shipped back. After a while, the car was fixed and returned to the owner. However, there was no invoice ever mailed to the owner. Curious as to why he hadn't received a request for payment, he called customer service and tried to find out what had happened as he didn't want to be late on the payment. The customer service representative told him that there was no record of there ever being any charges made to his account - they didn't even have a record of the car ever being sent to their facility. After calling back and hearing the same thing from several different representatives, the owner realized that the company was never going to charge him because it was a mistake on their part and they didn't want any negativity associated with their product. This just shows how much pride they take in their product. Not only were they willing to cover the cost of shipment and repair, they didn't even want the idea of a bad product coming from their facility crossing the mind of the owner. Collapse Mark as Read Whats good for Business. Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/15/2014 11:39:44 AM Hey All, The rules that the Japanese people have are more along the lines of their etiquette. I think it would be refreshing for Americans to take some of these "rules" and try to get rid of the ugly american label. The business culture of India is slightly different then that of the Japanese people. When meeting they have what is called namaste as a greeting it is a slight bow with both hands on the chest area. They also exchange business cards but do so with the right hand only because the left hand is considered unclean. As in Japan, the Indian culture is respectful of the hierarchy of rank. The meetings are more personal and friendly with small talk expected and small gifts exchanged but not opened in front of the giver. It is not unusual for meeting participants to be 5 to 10 minutes late as family is considered to be more important then business. Not like the american people who from my experience feel it is their right to come to a meeting when they can get there. In the Indian culture it is considered impolite to say no so they may say "I will try" meaning a polite no! All cultures have their differences when it comes to business but it seems that in the end it is very similar. Howard Collapse Mark as Read RE: Whats good for Business. Kristy Bonner Email this Author 10/19/2014 6:34:07 AM Howard, I researched Indian business culture for my post as well. Indian and Japanese practices are remarkably similar. This makes me wonder, why aren't Indian businesses as prevalent in the American market as Japanese businesses are? I think part of it is that because Japan is such a small country, they have to expand to other countries to increase revenue. India doesn't really have this problem since they are so large. But, the amount of money in India is still much lower than the amount in America, so it would make sense for them to expand to the USA. Another reason may be the interests of the countries. Japan and America both share huge interests in technology, especially robotics, mobile devices, and gaming systems. Perhaps it has more to do with the shared interests than it does with business practices themselves. Collapse Mark as Read RE: Whats good for Business. Howard Arnott Email this Author 10/19/2014 10:55:18 AM I agree! But there are a huge amount of Indian doctors in the U.S. So many Patel's and Singh's. It is difficult to keep them straight! Howard Collapse Mark as Read Whats Good for Business.... Corinne Lacapria Email this Author 10/15/2014 12:59:35 PM After reading about Japanese culture and business, I looked up other countries. One that I came across was Arabian. Each Arab country has its own way of dressing and rules to follow. The dress code for women also changes. Arab people are good listeners, but they do not like bragging or excessive talking about business. Handshakes are ok, but some may prefer just a verbal greeting. Person space is much less, They expect business to be conducted in a more informal setting and do not appreciate people from outside their county emulating how they dress. Meals are included when conducting business, and you are expected to sit on the floor like everyone else. No mention of pork or alcohol, no smoking, no chewing gum. Business deals usually take some time. I found all of this surprising. We expect our business deals in the US to move quickly, and we also prefer personal space. While we do have a lot of business dinners, they do include alcohol, most times. And I don't think that anyone would smoke or chew gum in a meeting, but its a good thing to keep in mind that Arabian countries don't want to see it at all. It is also good to understand that pork is prohibited by Muslin Arabs as being both a cultural and religious taboo and prohibited under Islamic Law. www.arabianbusinessinfo.com Collapse Mark as Read Good For Business Alex Jorge Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:19:52 PM Professor and Class, While Japanese business culture is different from that of the U.S. it does not mean that it is any more or less effective. The Japanese do not have as diverse a workforce as the U.S. They have thousands of years of tradition on how to behave and how to conduct business. While they can certainly engage and compete in our culture they are most effective when following their traditions. Which include a great many practices that are good for any business such as; being a team player, respect, strong bonds, loyalty, determination, hard work etc. I am not certain that in our own diverse workforce some of the Japanese traditions would be as effective. I do not feel the Japanese know more about us than we do. In my estimation they know more about themselves and are comfortable with their traditions and way of life. They are effective because of hard work and innovation. If you build a better mouse trap people will buy it. There are other cultures with successful business practices, which are different from the Japanese and ours. In many European and South American countries it is customary to kiss a business associate on both cheeks in greeting instead of shaking hands. In these cultures using your hands while you speak would not be considered bad form. I do not believe there is only one formula for success but rather many approaches. Cultural and ethnic differences play an important role in the approach successful business’ take. Alex J. Collapse Mark as Read What's Good for Business Carolyn Wright Email this Author 10/15/2014 7:39:30 PM Instructor and class, When I first read the question I thought of how easy this answer would be. The first thing I think of when I hear of Japanese corporations is the honor, loyalty, and respect that the Japanese are known for. After reading the article, I was correct. I think the US should adopt some of the Japanese cultures do's and don'ts. This article made the Japanese business ways appear very strict, yet professional. Is it possible that they know more about us than we do about them? My answer would be no. I would expand on that to say that perhaps they know more about human relations in the business world. Honor, loyalty, and respect seem to be advancing the Japanese in business, traits perhaps the US has been losing over the past few decades. I believe the Chinese also do quite well in the business world. When comparing their cultures with the Japanese you will see why, the mirror each other in a lot of aspects. I came across this web site while looking for similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese cultures and found it very interesting, thought I'd share. http://www.lifepaths360.com/index.php/comparing-the-chinese-and-japanese-cultures-2-14332/ [Show More]

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