“American Factory” background
§ Documentary about the revitalization of a long-shuttered, midwestern factory
– 2008: During the recession, General Motors closed their factory, leaving approx.
2000 people without jobs, and left Dayton, Ohio
– 2014: Fuyao – a glass-making company — bought part of the closed GM assembly plant, creating thousands of jobs and revitalizing local industrial sector that had fallen on very hard times.
§ Film chronicles initial wave of excitement when Fuyao arrived, followed by culture clashes and growing pains, then various forms of pushback that Fuyao had never experienced before.
§ Not a political film, but provides a candid glimpse of the economic dynamics that have led the US to its current state of political polarization.
Power Distance |
American staff, protagonists |
Fuyao China staff |
Example scene(s) from the film |
To what extent do the subordinates in a group/society accept that power is distributed unequally? |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
American staff and
protagonists:
Fuyao China staff:
|
Uncertainty Avoidance |
American staff, protagonists |
Fuyao China staff |
Example scene(s) from the film |
(a) To what extent are people in a group/society uncomfortable with uncertainty and feel threatened by ambiguous situations? |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
American staff and
protagonists:
Fuyao China staff:
|
(b) To what extent do people in a group/society rely on rules and regulations to accomplish their goals and avoid ambiguity and uncertainty? |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
American staff and
protagonists:
Fuyao China staff:
|
Individualism / Collectivism |
American staff, protagonists |
Fuyao China staff |
Example scene(s) from the film |
To what extent do people in a group/society demonstrate collectivistic (vs. individualistic) behavior or values? |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
12345
1 = low
5 = high |
American staff and
protagonists:
Fuyao China staff:
|
“American Factory” assignment, Part I
§ Complete the cultural value orientation scales and compare the two primary cultures represented in the film: China and the US.
§ For each cultural value orientation,
– Identify the appropriate response to a question using the 5-point scale, and
– Provide at least 1 example scene from the documentary that clearly portrays your rankings for (a) Chinese Fuyao staff and (b) American staff & protagonists (please clearly explain how a scene(s) from the film portrays your ranking).
“American Factory” assignment, Part II
Please answer the following two questions in a 1-page report. In your answers, please make sure to
– Include in-text references and end-of-text references for the material from Chapter 4 on differences in cultural values, Chapter 7 on cross-cultural communication, and Chapter 13 on leadership across cultures.
– Provide examples from specific scenes in the film.
§ Question 1: Identify and describe one scene that illustrates differences in verbal communication styles across the two cultures. Describe how some of the cultural differences in value orientations (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance) you identified in Part 1 may contribute to these differences in verbal communication styles.
§ Question 2: Identify one scene that illustrates a communication barrier. What could both parties do to achieve greater communication effectiveness?
“American Factory” assignment, Format
§ Single space § 12-point font § 1-inch margins.
§ Part 1 does not have a page limit. Part 2 report has a one (1) page limit. Please include appropriate in-text and end-of-text references on a separate page.
example on how to complete the assisgnment is attached