The document analyzes cultural differences between India and the U.S. as seen in the movie "Outsourced". It discusses the movie's portrayal of high power distance and collectivism in India compared to lower power distance and individualism in the U.S. It also examines scenes highlighting India's higher uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and restraints compared to American culture. Key differences discussed include respect for authority, family and social influence, risk-taking, and social norms around food, relationships, and eye contact.

1. Outsourced movie
cultural analysis
MARWA BAWAZIR, H00269915

2. Outsourced movie is very good example of culture clash. Todd went to India because his
boss told him so, and when he went out there he faced a lot of difficulties and cultural
clashes that he couldn’t understand it. India is much different than the U.S., because U.S
considered to be low context culture whereas India is Low context culture.
Introduction:

3. Power distance:
This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society
accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is
how a society handles inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large
degree of Power Distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and
which needs no further justification. In societies with low Power Distance, people strive
to equalise the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power.

4. Power distance in India is very high when compared to the U.S. and to prove that we see a
lot of low power distance in the movie between Todd and his manager David. In the first
scene of the movie when David told Todd about outsourcing and that he should go to India,
Todd said his opinion clearly and opposed his boss, because in their society they rejects
status differentiation. also he didn’t respect his manager by saying immoral words. On the
other hand in high power distance cultures like India, people accept that they are unequal
and most of them call their managers Sir or Mr., because their manner of respect. Like we
see in the movie how Peru was very respectful to his boss Todd

5. Individualism versus Collectivism
The high side of this dimension, called individualism, can be defined as a preference for a
loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves
and their immediate families. Its opposite, collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit
framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular
in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society's position on this
dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we.”

6. United states has very high rate in individualism, when India have very low rate.
For example, in the scene where Asha and Todd were setting beside the water she told Todd that she is
engaged since she were a child, and Todd couldn't understands why she is accepting this when she is a
free women which have a right to choose the one that she will complete her life with. In the same scene,
Asha told Todd that she is scared from what people says when they sees them in public together, then
she shakes his hand like it was a business meeting. And in this scene we see Asha is worried about what
people thinks and that is because she is in collective culture.
Another very good scene, is when Todd told Puro that he will live in a hotel, but Pero insisted that the he
will be very lonely at the hotel and he should live at Auntie Ji’s guest home because he wont be lonely in
there.

7. Another very good scene, is when Todd told Puro that he will live in a hotel, but Pero insisted
that the he will be very lonely at the hotel and he should live at Auntie Ji’s guest home because
he wont be lonely in there.

8. Short term Orientation vs long term
Orientation:
Every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of
the present and the future. Societies prioritize these two existential goals differently.
Societies who score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honored
traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which
scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and
efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
In the business context this dimension is related to as "(short term) normative versus (long
term) pragmatic" (PRA). In the academic environment the terminology Monumentalism versus
Flexhumility is sometimes also used.

9. America has very low term orientation, and wee see that in the movie when David said to Todd
that he will be outscored to India, and told him that when he come back David will find
something for him to work. Another scene were between Asha and Todd, when Asha said “A girl
like me has her whole life mapped for her” because Indian’s have such a high level in time
orientation.

10. Uncertainty Avoidance Index:
The Uncertainty Avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which the members of a society
feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society
deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or
just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior
and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more
relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles.

11. Asha in the movie said: “A girl in my position has her whole life mapped out in front of her.” but she was
fighting to change that. her family told her that she cant go to university or you cant work in work center,
but she did all of this, and Todd say “Asha can do everything” and she was very happy to hear that and
answered him “you are the first person to tell me this” . And in this scene we see low uncertainly avoidance
from Asha.

12. Indulgence versus Restraint:
Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural
human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that
suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.

13. In the scene where Todd was in Auntie Ji’s guests home he ate with his left hand, and in India they eat with the
right hand because left hand consider to be not clean. Also when Todd went to the bathroom and there were
no toilet. Another good example, is when Todd wanted a beef burger and he couldn’t find it because Indians
don’t eat beefs, while in America we can find Beef burgers everywhere. And these scenes indicates that India
have such a high rate in restraint.

14. Low context cultures “U.S.A”:
Short term relationships.
Intermarriage common
What you know is important
Outgoing
Specific information
“Have a go at it” philosophy
Focus in result
Direct eye contact

15. high context cultures "India”:
•Close personal relationships
•Very rare marriage with outsiders
•Who you know is important
•Reserved
•General information
•Risks not taken easily
•Focus in process
•Elder people in control

16. References:
Cultural Dimensions. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2015, from http://geert-
hofstede.com/cultural-dimensions.html