As someone who has had many years in corporate America, I think it’s time for a change of scenery. I was just presented with the opportunity to take on a new role in the wonderful country, Australia. Australia is a place that has been on my bucket list for years, and the opportunity to work there would be amazing. Using a country comparison tool, I have made the following discoveries on the similarities and differences between the two locations.
Even though this country is halfway around the world, the United States and Australia have many similarities. One of them being their Power Distance scores. The US has a score of 40 and Australia has a score of 36, which means both countries are very similar in terms of a push for a egalitarian society. This is a type of society that envisions that all members have equal rights and employees are encouraged to have open communication with their superiors. This would make the transition to working in this country smoother and feel more familiar.
As for individualism, Australia scored a 73 while America only stands at a 60. Australia is known to be a highly individualist culture, which in the workplace can be seen as an employee needing to be self reliant. This may also translate into promotions, where the basis of decisions are based on what an employee has actually done in the past or what they can do.
With these similarities and differences, I think I would thrive in an Australian work environment, more so than I do in America do to the individualism. I am a good team member when it comes to group collaboration, but I savor the moments where I am able to complete work on my own. In addition to the work culture, I think the weather and surrounding landscape would help create a fulfilling work life balance.
Sources used:
https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool?countries=australia%2Cunited+states