A better understanding of cultural diferences just became one my learning goals for my participation in the #cope14 MOOC.
Rupert Beinhauer, facilitator of the #cope14, introduced the group to the 7 dimensions of culture by Fons Topenaars and initiated a group activity about cultural differences in perception using advertisements.
As part of the activity I posted a US car advertisement on Google+, that I remembered seeing in the past, because it was one that I realy found iritating and very annoying. Why was that? And what will be the reaction of the group?
Further reading about the different cultural dimensions brought me to the 5th dimension of Achievement Versus Ascription, relating on how people view status. The culture I come from (Greece) and live in (Austria) would fall in the category of ascription:
People believe that you should be valued for who you are. Power, title, and position matter in these cultures, and these roles define behavior.
The US falls in the category of achievement:
People believe that you are what you do, and they base your worth accordingly. These cultures value performance, no matter who you are.
What do you think? Could there be another of the 7 dimensions, that also plays a role in this case? Do other participants find the ad iritating? If yes, why do you think it is so?