Back at it again with cultural codes! We are continuing our series with cross cultural expert Andy Molinsky.  This time we are doing the Americas. Andy’s series is highlighting the cultural codes of 10 countries. The country of choice today is United States.

The United States of America (USA), commonly referred to as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. The 48 contiguous states and federal district are in central North America between Canada and Mexico, with the state of Alaska in the northwestern part of North America and the state of Hawaii comprising an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the world’s third-largest country by total area (and fourth-largest by land area) and the third-most populous. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. The country’s capital is Washington, D.C. and its largest city is New York City; other major metropolitan areas include Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami. The geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse.

Andy uses the following six-dimensional framework to capture the differences across cultures.

  1. Directness: How straightforwardly do people typically communicate in this culture?
  2. Enthusiasm: How much positive emotion and energy do they typically show?
  3. Formality: How much deference and respect do people typically demonstrate?
  4. Assertiveness: How strongly do people typically express voice their opinions?
  5. Self-Promotion: How acceptable is it for people to speak about their accomplishments?
  6. Personal Disclosure: How much do people typically reveal about themselves?

Be sure to grab Andy’s free E-book for mastering 10 cultural codes from around the world: http://www.andymolinsky.com/download-cheat-sheet-to-10-cultural-codes-from-around-the-world/

If you missed last week’s episode on Germany, check it out here.

Without further ado, check it out below:

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