Cross-cultural differences

By contrast, in Europe we find that the symptoms of mushroom intoxication have always been compared to symptoms of mental illness. Such cross-cultural differences in value judgments can be explained in terms of two concepts introduced by R.G. Wasson and his wife mycophilia and mycophobia. This distinction subdivides cultures with different traditional attitudes towards mushrooms into two groups. For instance, an entrenched dislike for mushrooms (mycophobia) in Britain indicates traditional beliefs vastly different from those found in Slavic countries, where mushrooms are generally cherished (mycophilia). The origins and evolution of such diverging attitudes remain lost in the shadows of history. 

Suppositories are probably the clearest illustration of cross-cultural differences in pharmaceuticals. A surgeon on a famous ocean liner has commented that Part of the problem stocking one s pharmacy is that one needs three times as many products as when working on land Tablets for the Brits, shots (injectables) for the Yanks, and suppositories for the French ... 

Even insurance practices exhibit cross-cultural differences. The EU guidelines for patient protection lay down that there should be sufficient insurance provision. However, some countries have taken this requirement a step further by laying down the actual sums for which individual patients, or, in the case of Germany, the total number of patients, must be covered. In the United States, patients and volunteers are in general insured by the institution in which the study is conducted the fees for this are not directly reimbursed by the sponsor but form part of the overall study cost. 

Within the framework of general perceptual similarity, however, lies evidence that cross-cultural differences are present in more subtle measures of chemosensory experience. Thus, it appears that Chinese and Black American subjects perceive several tastants as more pleasant and, in some cases, more intense than do their White American counterparts. Likewise, several lines of evidence suggest that Black Americans have a stronger preference for sweet foods and beverages than White Americans,... 

Overall, it is clear from the present review that much more research is needed to explore cross-cultural differences in smell and taste function. Furthermore, it is apparent that the reasons for cultural differences, when present, can be quite complex. In addition to the factors mentioned above, it should be noted, in closing, that variations in the general health and nutrition of subjects may also account for some cross-cultural differences in smell and taste function. Thus, persons on sodium restricted diets come to prefer low concentrations of salt (Bertino et al., 1982), and taste preferences for sucrose can be altered by the actions of insulin (Jacobs, 1958 Mayer-Gross and Walker, 1956). As dramatically pointed out by Lepkovsky (1977), American soldiers in a World War II prison camp, who were subsisting on a ration which was 200 calories short of their basal needs, developed food preferences which differed considerably from those exhibited under normal conditions. Thus, powdered milk became the most preferred item, followed by meat. Cheese, jam, sugar and chocolate bars were not strongly preferred. 

S. D., 1975, Cross-cultural differences in simple taste preferences. Science, 19 1217. 

This paper attempts to assess these cross-cultural differences in attitudes by asking engineers working in... 

Table 4. Cross-cultural differences in the five factors 1 -way ANOVAs.

These findings shed some hght on cross-cultural differences in how people perceive quahty and its importance, how they respond to and deal with quahty and deadlines issues and requests for rephes within time frames, how far they wUl persevere with a problem or a project and how they feel about working longer hours. Culture is important here, so is age gender is not. 

This research imphes strongly that the softer areas of cross-cultural differences can make or break a design project the differences found in interviews and tested here in questionnaire form demonstrate the potential for errors due to different perceptions in quality, perseverance and trust and differing approaches to management in terms of respect and hierarchy. 

To understand inter-individual differences in perception (genetic, cross-cultural differences, etc.). 

People in different countries may hold different values within their lifestyles for behavior or work. Cumulative evidence reveals that there are snbstantial differences in the way pilots of different nationalities conduct their tasks in the cockpit. These differences are mainly derived from their cultures and the cultural differences certainly have clear implications for safety (Hehnreich and Merritt, 1998). As shown in their study, strong cross-cultural differences in the areas of communications and tolerance for rules, routines and set procedures were observed. These differences of pilots conduct in the cockpit can, in turn, contribute to an increase of uncertainty and hesitation and therefore become a serious threat to safety (Helmreich and Merritt, 1998). 

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