Gung Ho - Cross-Cultural Communications

Japanese Board Meeting
Gung Ho at MOVIECLIPS.com

Topic - Cross-cultural Communications
Movie - Gung Ho


Movie summary - The movie shows the themes of cross-cultural communications, values, norms, work attitudes, motivations between a Japanese firm who takes over an American car factory. Foreman Hunt Stevenson (Michael Keaton) works at a Pennsylvania auto plant that has been closed for months. He goes to Japan to convince a Japanese car company, Assan Motors, to come to America and take over the plant. After some deliberation, the Japanese executives agree, but they will bring with them their Japanese work culture and attitude to run the plant.


Concepts - In this scene Hunt is trying to convince the Japanese automakers, Assan Motors Company, to come and invest in the American plant. However, Hunt completely misses the mark on a presentation to his Japanese counterparts. He asks if they speak English. He also includes pictures and makes inappropriate jokes during the presentation. His humor is lost on the Japanese executives. For the Japanese, it creates an informal atmosphere where Hunt should have been more respectful. Hunt exhibits a lack of cultural awareness in regards to Japanese culture and Japanese work environment. He brings with him his causal presenting style that does not mesh with more formal board room.

The world is now more globally connected than ever before. Even an American company will conduct businesses across cultural borders. Or companies may employ a diverse workforce that include employees from different countries who have to work together. When communicating between cultures, we encounter problems between culture that includes differences in perception, attitudes, and values. Therefore, cross-cultural communications is an important to establish common ground and reducing personal conflicts.