Today's CultureQuiz: DOING BUSINESS WITH AUSTRALIA
Working with "Cultures of Similarity" is not as Easy as it May Seem.
Here’s your CultureQuiz on Working with Australia! And, if you are US-American, British, Canadian, or New Zealander, you’re also working with a culture of similarity when you work with Australia, which means differences may be harder to identify…but they are still there! Can you identify the FIVE cultural differences between your culture and Australian culture in the scenario below? For the answers, with cultural explanations, and access to my article on working with cultures of similarity, “Yanks, Brits, Canadians and Aussies: All the Same, Right?”, upgrade to a paid subscription, and enjoy! Here you go…
Your meeting in Sydney ran later than expected, and now you’re rushed getting to the airport for your flight to a meeting in Melbourne. You jump in the back seat of a taxi, apparently annoying the driver who asks, “Too good to sit up front with me, mate?”, and settle in for the ride, mentally reviewing some unexpected problem moments from the meeting. Like when you suggested “Can we table this for a while?” and your Australian colleague kept right on discussing it, or when, despite how hard you tried to impress your Australian colleagues with your need to come up with a decision quickly, they seemed to take their time and kept coming up with more questions. As it becomes clear to you that you may miss your flight to Melbourne, you text them to ask if they can reschedule for a later time. They respond with a few available dates and times, the soonest being several days later, forcing you to stay in Melbourne well beyond your original schedule.
The FIVE cultural differences in the scenario above are:
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