Somewhere I have always wanted to work and a place I think would align with advancing my career is in London, England. There are a lot of similarities between the two cultures that I’ve witnessed through knowing some people from there on my rowing team and from what the lectures this week described.
Both the US and UK are individualistic cultures. (Lecture 3) This means that people work for their own individual gain rather than primarily for the success of the greater whole group. Another similarity is that they both rank on the lower side of the power distance index. They overall believe that inequalities should be minimized. (Hofstede 2021) I appreciate this in a society because it means they are progressive in the way they establish governmental legislation to ensure movement toward a more equal society. The largest gap in scores between both societies is for long-term orientation. (Hofstede 2021) The US is a normative society because it scored lower on this dimension. This means the past and present are more considered in decision-making because changes are brought with a lot of suspicions. The UK on the other hand has a more pragmatic approach, encouraging change and increasing education in an effort to prepare for the future. Honestly, I like the idea of a long-term orientation better because I think it can lead to more growth when people are willing to change everything that has been one way for a long time. Progress happens through innovation and I want to be a part of a working environment that encourages forward outside-the-box thinking.
Expatriation is a risk and is especially difficult for employees with families. (Lecture 5) If the opportunity to work abroad happened while I had a family (i.e. a partner and children), I think the decision would be a lot harder because of the increase in factors I’d need to consider. With kids, I’d need to find them childcare, schools, and they’d have to readjust to new friends and social dynamics. Or, if they didn’t move with me, it would put a lot of pressure on my partner but would make it so only I would need to adjust to a new setting. Although, I would want to travel back to them often. Another factor is how long the assignment is and what the role would be. Overall I am not sure I can speak accurately to if I would take an opportunity like this because of the wide variety of factors that all impact each other. Pay is another important factor. I would want to ensure I was not only making enough for a comfortable living arrangement in a company that has higher costs of living but also to be able to continue contributing to a savings and retirement plan. I am never going to be one to turn down an experience without thinking it would be detrimental to my development because I love experiencing things and taking advantage of opportunities. Although I can’t speak to what I will be like at the stage of life this prompt is describing so it is leaving me with an inability to say what decision I would really make.
Swift, Michelle (2021) Week 10 Lecture 3
Swift, Michelle (2021) Week 10 Lecture 5
Hofstede Insights (2021) https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-uk,the-usa/
