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The Story “An American executive in London” is about cultural differences in relation to management and standard procedures in companies in relation to American and British ideals. The American executive in the story moved to London and has his own beliefs of being an executive and his own leading style. Therefore he has a standpoint because of his previous experience. He couldn’t understand the beliefs and procedures of the British company and wants to change the structure of the reception for visitors. The problem between the American executive and the British employees defines the beliefs of both related to the existing procedure of the reception for visitors. The American executive becomes annoyed by the long hierarchical procedure, which robs time because the visitors have to pass by a view positions in the companies hierarchy and were never sent directly to his office. That is why the American executive wants more flexible and uncomplicated procedure. He does not want such a strict hierarchical procedure for the reception of visitors. In contrast to the American executive the British employees are used to have hierarchical procedures in that content and it defines a standard in the British companies and in the beliefs of British employees. Therefore the British employees were very upset when the American executive talked to the British employees with the idea to change this practice of the reception of visitors.
The difference between the both parties could be found in the difference of the cultures and the habit of the management structures and procedures in the company.
This problem could be reflected with one of Geert Hofstedes dimensions of national culture. Hofstede defines as third point in his cultural dimensions the point, which is called uncertainty avoidance and is separated in high and low. This dimension deals with a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of unstructured situations by strict laws and rules. The opposite types, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of situations different from what they are used to. They try to have as few rules as possible and not those strict procedures.
The American executive is not accustomed to such a long hierarchic practice and wanted to change that practice according to his beliefs and experience without knowing that this hierarchic procedure defines a standard in Britain. Equally the British employees are used to that strict hierarchical practice and want to save it.
The story “An American executive in London” shows the different cultural beliefs and beliefs and how a little practice can create significant problems in business culture.