Reynsla frá Mexíkó

Á seinni hluta síðustu aldar bjó ég í tæp tvö ár í Mexíkó þar sem ég gegndi stöðu

Production Manager fyrir S.A. Nautico í Guyamas, Sonora. Fyrirtækið var að hálfu leiti í eigu Íslenskra aðila og var ég ráðin til að sjá um byggingu verksmiðju, uppsetningu á vélum og tækjum, uppsetningu framleiðslu- og gæðakerfa og ráðningu starfsmanna. Þetta var mikil lífsreynsla en það sem mér þykir vænst um var að eignast innlenda vini sem hjálpuðu til við að aðlagast ólíkri menningu. Ég skrifaði langa ritgerð um þessa reynslu í B.Sc námi á Akureyri, á ensku, en hér að neðan er útdráttur úr henni tekin út úr Power Point. 

Experience from Mexico
International Project

 

 

 

 

Be Roman in Rome

• Dont tray to change the Mexicans
• Change your self

The difference
between the nations

Individualistic vs. Collectivistic

Mexicans

• Scores high in Collectivistic
• Teamwork and group responsibility
• Member of the organization
• Member of the family
• Good working conditions
• Member of the GROUP

 

  Icelanders

• Scores high in Individualistic
• Freedome in the job
• Personal sense of accomplishment
• Independant from the organization
• Work goal, stess employees
• Individual decision making

Large Power distance vs. Low Power distance

Mexicans scores high in Power distance.

• Expect and accept power is distributed unequally
• Highly vertical hierarchical pyramid
• Person higher in hierarchy, more difficult to approach
• Secretaries serve as gatekeepers

• Icelanders score low in Power distance
• Flatter hierachical pyramid. 
• Subordinates and superiors are in more collaborative relationship
• Hierarchy tends to be perceived as a distinction of task rather than of persons

Masculinity vs. Feminity

Mexicans and Icelanders similar in Masculinity!

Uncertainty Avoidance

• Mexicans low in Uncertainty Avoidance

• Lower stress
• Punctuality is relative and not important
• Rules are not important
• Icelanders higher in Uncertainty Avoidance
• More stress
• Punctuality is resonable important
• Rules are more important

Uncertainty Avoidance - The Mexican

A habit to misdirect - but why?

• They dont want to admit they don´t know something
• In there culture it is considered impolite to tell the trhuth, if it was expected to be an insult.
• Saying "no" to a request is considered rude, but yes does not necessary be a conformation
• Telling a lie is much better than telling someone something he does not want to hear
• Better to tell a lie then to disturbe someone or hurt his feelings

The Mexicans and the Icelanders

• The people are extremely methodic and easygoing but companionable
• Never hear a Mexican raise his voice and seldom wave his hands around him
• Wanting to get people´s attention, we raise our voices and put some power in it
• The Mexicans are not used to such a fanaticism, only used there before killing someone
• It is absolutely necessary for us to change this habit and slow down our blusterer

 

• The habit of the Mexicans unpunctuality
• If a Mexican invites you for a dinner at eight a clock, you should not show up before nine or even ten.  It is even considered impolite to show up at the "right" time
• Late is normal, but no mistake, it has nothing to do with laziness or recklessness
• It is simply a habit of relaxed people

 

Collectivistic

The Mexicans

• Getting acquainted in Mexico and making friends
• Getting to know the inhabitants, socialize with in the  "in-groups"
• Everything is so quiet and methodic
• There is no need of arguing or have much communication, but just to meet and stay together makes them feel good
• In the collective culture, the in-group has taken decisions beforehand

 

Individualistic

The Icelanders

• We were used to argue about politic, singing or loudly disagree on soccer
• In an individualist culture when people meet they feel a need to communicate

The Culture

• Mexico, as a society has a strong group orientation
• The typical Mexican is believed to value cooperation and harmony over competition between individuals.
• The Mexican culture is characterized as preferring loyalty over efficiency as well valuing the personal more so than the professional
• Keeping their face is important and it is important to show the Mexican executive respect in front of theirs subordinates 

• Respect is strongly important and it is widely used to keep up discipline among the workers
• Respect

• Mexican colleague is extremely important to respect this placement 
• Respect is vital to have a productive cooperation with Mexicans
• If these matters are respected and intruders at least try to learn their language, Spanish, things will go much better
• For a matter of success, these important issues should be taken seriously 
• Cost of training a person beforehand is only a small amount of money compare with the expenses of someone's wrong doing in these matters 
• Spoiling a good cooperation and a good working relationship because of stupidity and lack of acquaintance of native's cultural matters