Case Study
Amy is employed in the Admissions office at
a health sciences institution in Iowa. While the institution does not
accept International students for clinical programs, international applicants
are welcome to apply for an online Master’s of Public Health program. Amy
is responsible for providing information to applicants, assisting them through
the application process, and processing their applications. The program
has specific deadlines for when all materials must be submitted.
International applicants must provide a foreign transcript evaluation, a TOEFL
score, and a GRE score.
Amy is contacted by Zhang Wei both via e-mail and over the phone. He is an international applicant from China who is considering apply to the MPH program. Amy is fairly new to the University and has only worked with applicants from the United States. While talking to Zhang Wei on the phone, Amy has grown frustrated because when he called, he asked for her title. Amy is offended because it makes her feel incompetent. She is also growing frustrated with Zhang’s lack of communication. While he speaks and writes English well, he is indirect with Amy and she cannot tell if he is understanding her direction. Amy does not want to offend Zhang Wei but she is unsure how to communicate with him successfully.
Amy is contacted by Zhang Wei both via e-mail and over the phone. He is an international applicant from China who is considering apply to the MPH program. Amy is fairly new to the University and has only worked with applicants from the United States. While talking to Zhang Wei on the phone, Amy has grown frustrated because when he called, he asked for her title. Amy is offended because it makes her feel incompetent. She is also growing frustrated with Zhang’s lack of communication. While he speaks and writes English well, he is indirect with Amy and she cannot tell if he is understanding her direction. Amy does not want to offend Zhang Wei but she is unsure how to communicate with him successfully.
- Using the information provided to you on this website, what advice would you offer Amy when working with Zhang Wei?
- Based on what you researched about China in “The Cultural Onion”, why do you think it was important for Zhang Wei to know Amy’s job title?
- Using Bennett's DMIS as a guide, what kind of development activities may benefit the intercultural development of Amy?
Simulation
Implement this simulation to assist in intercultural development.
- 1 facilitator
- 4 groups of at least 3 in each group
- Give each group the characteristics of one BRIC country, but do not share this information with other groups. Based on these characteristics, the groups have have 10 minutes to establish and understand the rules of group, as well as decide on a leader, all while following the characteristics of the group. For example, China is high in Power Distance so a rule would be that the leader makes all the decisions and no questions that.
- After those initial 10 minutes, the person with closest birthday must go the group to
their right.
- That new person is the new leader of the group! The facilitator will put a task to the groups and give them three minutes to reach a solution. The new leader
cannot be told any of the rules of their new group and should behave in a way that follows the rules of their original group.
- We need to establish roles in our group. Who should be second in command?
- We need to come up with a mission statement. Work together to establish your group's purpose.
- In order to create more tension, give the new leaders specific instructions on behavior when entering a new group.
- How did it feel to get a new leader?
- What was the difference between the decision-making process both times?
- Leaders- how did it feel going into the new group? How did it feel not knowing the rules?
- How does this apply to real life?