Russian Culture Vs American Culture Essay

It is no secret that the Russian government is very different from the United States, which may be a bit intimidating for an American journalist entering into the unfamiliar political world of Bloomberg. Relocating from a completely individualistic society to a collectivist society will require major adjustments when collaborating in an intercultural environment. Since Russia is mainly collectivist, the power distance between power holders and society is very approachable. When compared to the United States, this may not always be the case; this is very different from the American way of life because power distance is obvious, while it may not always be in the Russian culture. “Power distance is defined as the extent to which less powerful members of society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally” (Jandt, p.168). Geert Hofstede explains this power distance and how it is measured in his cultural dimensions theory.
Hofsetede’s theory explains the influence of a culture on
This is because in America, this differentiation is very clear and typically set by a contract. The Russian workplace would be more so based upon moral ground, which creates a trusting and family feel because the power distance is assumed to be unequal upon hiring. This impression of a collectivist environment while at work, leads to how everyone communicates. “Individualistic and collectivism have been associated with direct an indirect styles of communication, that is, the extent to which speakers reveal intentions through explicit verbal communication” (Jandt, p. 163). As from an individualistic culture, the new journalist would need to acclimate him or herself with the indirect communication style to eliminate the demonstration of needs, wants, or desires while speaking. In a collectivist culture, these needs, wants and desires are not clearly spoken in any