Lebanon and the United States differences and similarities
Introduction
- The similarities and differences between the United States and Lebanon largely depend on the cultural characteristic of the two countries
- Numerous studies have been conducted on the cultural differences between American and Lebanon because of their culture’s diversified nature.
- This paper will discuss the research article by Morris Kalliny, Michael Minor, and Kevin Cruthirds on the differences between Lebanese humor styles and the American humor style (Kalliny et al., 2006)
Considering the enormous economic potential and possible trade union between the two counties, it is essential to consider their cultural differences and summaries. Having background cultural information about the countries give one a better opportunity to trade in both countries. This paper will discuss the research article by Morris et al. to determine the difference between Lebanon and America based on humor styles.
Research summary
This study aims to investigate the difference and similarities in Lebanese and American humor
The study hypothesizes the differences in Lebanese humor style and American humor style
The research was conducted based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
The result indicated that the United States had a higher self-defeating and self-enhancing humor style than Lebanon.
Men in both countries seemed to have higher aggressive humor.
The research highlighted cultural differences between America and Lebanon to promote the interaction and relationship between the two countries. Having adequate information about various cultures gives one a better chance to understand communities to trade efficiently. The American and Lebanon cultural characteristics were considered in the study. Different humor styles, such as self-enhancing humor, affiliative humor, aggressive humor, and self-defeating humor, were captured in the survey. Based on the resulting outcome, it is clear that there is a distinctive difference between the American culture and Lebanese culture based on humor style.
Compare the United stated and Lebanon.
The graph presented above was extracted from Hofstede’s Compare Countries web page. Based on the chart, Lebanon has a higher power distance as compared to the United. Lebanon is leading in uncertainty avoidance and masculinity, while the United States leads in indulgence, individualism, and long term orientation. Individualism is the cultural dimension with the widest gap. The level of individuals and indulgence is way higher in the United States as compared to Lebanon.
Graph analysis
Power distance explains the fact that all the people in society are unequal.
Individualism addresses the extent to which a country maintains interdependence among its members (Benaida, 2018).
Masculinity is based on the majority of people wanting to be the best.
Uncertainty avoidance is how society responds to a new situation.
Indulgence is the degree to which individuals can control their impulses and desires.
Lebanon scores high power distance (75) because the country’s individuals believe in hierarchical order compared to the United States. The United States has a significantly high individualism score of 91 because most people are interdependent compared to Lebanon, which only has a score of 40. The masculinity score between the two countries is nearly the same; individuals in these societies are masculine. However, Lebanese are slightly more masculine as compared to Americans. Lebanese are responsive to unknown situations as compared to Americans. Lebanon has a significantly lower score indulgence than the United States; it implies that Lebanese culture is one of restrain.
Evaluation
Cross-culture research is a study involving people with different cultural background
Considering the expansive nature of cross-cultural research, it is essential to consider various factors, such as language barriers, behavior patterns, and ethnocentrism (Swoboda and Batton, 2019).
Primary cross-culture research considerations were considered in the study.
Key cultural dimensions were considered making the study more realistic.
Potential study challenges include language barriers, varying behavior patterns, and time factors.
Research evaluation is critical in determining the effectiveness of the research outcome. Through evaluation, one can choose what works best in the study and things that need improvement in the subsequent analyses. Given the nature of the course, several cultural factors needed to be considered to enhance the study’s accuracy. The study was elaborate because several artistic research dimension was taken into consideration. The survey’s purpose was fulfilled; some differences and similarities between American culture and Lebanese culture were examined. Some of the potential challenges noted in the study include its time-consuming nature, language barrier, and changing behavior patterns
Kalliny, M., Cruthirds, K. W., & Minor, M. S. (2006). Differences between American, Egyptian and Lebanese humor styles: Implications for international management. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 6(1), 121-134.
Benaida, M. (2018). Cross-cultural web design and education: a comparison between arab universities and us universities based on hofstede cultural dimensions. IJCSNS, 18(10).
Swoboda, B., & Batton, N. (2019). National cultural value models and reputation of MNCs. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management.