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Option 2: International HRM
The country I would choose to move to for international work would be Italy. In terms of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this is a country that is much more relaxed in all aspects and less focused on professional achievement and more focused on family. This is in sharp contrast with what is generally considered to be important in American culture, where there is a lot of emphasis and importance placed on what one manages to accomplish in their career. In terms of the power distance index, Italy scores right in the middle meaning that they do believe that the power distance index is real and justified and that there should be a few key differences between managers and subordinates. This power distance has been said to not just be present but also visible (Business and Management, 2022). In terms of individualism versus collectivism, Italy has ranked on the higher end of individualism on Hofstede’s scale, but they do believe strongly in the importance of family and that family is to be prioritized above all else which would seem to hint at a more collectivist mindset. In the dimension of masculinity versus femininity, Italy is strongly more masculine than feminine in that there is strong motivation to succeed and to be competitive. Contrary to my assumptions, Italy also rates fairly high on the uncertainty avoidance scale, meaning that they like to have a sense of direction and certainty in most aspects of their lives. They have more of a short-term orientation and don’t put much thought or effort into investing for the future, and I see this as a way to enjoy the life that one is living in the moment without worrying too much about the future. In the aspect of indulgence versus restraint Italy is a more restrained society in that they prefer to put off immediate gratification and instead focus on what their sacrifices in the present moment will lead to in terms of success that can be achieved later on.
Ultimately it appears that Italy and the United States are more similar than I expected, which makes me believe in part that the transition to living there would be easier than I originally anticipated. I expected them to be more relaxed in general as a culture, and from what I have heard from family and friends that have traveled there for leisure, the information I have found in my research for this assignment is quite contradictory to what they felt and observed while in Italy. I do suspect that this is because the people I know were in Italy on vacation and that actually living there and trying to maintain a career are completely different things. I would only be convinced to take the opportunity to work there knowing that I could come home whenever I wanted and to be repatriated. I don’t think I would do well if I knew I didn’t have the option to come home because my entire immediate family is here in the United States. I would also need to know that my husband would be able to find work there and be happy. If he is not happy, I generally am also not happy and I would not be willing to work there if he couldn’t come with me.
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