Indecisiveness is bad. Indecisive politicians are a bunch of wishy-washy flip-floppers. Decisive entrepreneurs grow great businesses (or at least fail spectacularly while trying). If a decision is a commitment to a course of action, then “indecision” is a failure to commit. Indecisiveness … [Read more...] about Do You Struggle with Indecisiveness? Maybe it’s in Your Culture
Can an Image of the Brain Reveal Your Cultural Adaptability?
Some people can adjust to new cultures far more easily than others. Understanding why some find cultural adaptability to be relatively painless, whereas others struggle to adapt is a problem of longstanding concern. Many are interested in the results, including businesses with multinational … [Read more...] about Can an Image of the Brain Reveal Your Cultural Adaptability?
Language of Stereotypes
Hearing generic language to describe a category of people, such as “boys have short hair,” can lead children to endorse a range of other stereotypes about the category, a study by researchers at New York University and Princeton University has found. Their research, which appears in … [Read more...] about Language of Stereotypes
Seasoned Globetrotters Know What They Need to Know About New Cultures
Seasoned globetrotters are able to adapt to new cultures efficiently. It's not easy to do so. Learning to function within a new culture can be hard. Given the mass of potentially relevant information to try to digest, you might be tempted to give up before getting started. Yet, you can build your … [Read more...] about Seasoned Globetrotters Know What They Need to Know About New Cultures
Afghan Values of Honor and Respect
Honor and respect are fundamental Afghan values. Yet, a recent study found subtle differences in how Afghans in different groups and situations interpret honor. Also, the conceptions of honor and respect as held among Afghans do not necessarily correspond with neighboring American concepts. The … [Read more...] about Afghan Values of Honor and Respect
Cross-Cultural Perspective Taking
Can we really ‘put ourselves in the shoes’ of someone who has a different cultural background? Can we truly take a cultural perspective? The success of so many of our daily interactions depends on our ability to make sense of other people’s point of view—figuring out why they do the things they do … [Read more...] about Cross-Cultural Perspective Taking