RR04

This Reading Reflection is regarding chapters 7-8 of Haskett, with an emphasis on chapter 7. I personally found chapter 7 more interesting because of its focus on identity, and what that means from a design perspective. I liked the excerpt from chapter 7 that noted how technology allows migrants to stay in communication with their families, which also slows their rate of assimilation into the culture that they are currently surrounded in. This statement illustrated how technology isn't only allowing an individual living outside of their home country to stay in touch with his friends and family back home, but that it is having a large impact on his/her experience abroad because it affects the rate at which the individual comes to identify with the society in which they are living.

My favorite section from chapter 7 was the part on page 89 that noted how, "Gillette has been highly successful on the basis of a belief that cultural differences have little effect on shaving." With global trade and interactions among countries increasing each day all that is ever talked about regarding international business is how individuals/companies need to focus on the culture of the new country/region they are going into, and make sure they adapt their business/product accordingly, because there are fundamental differences among cultures that you must understand if you wish to succeed in a foreign economy. I liked this excerpt because it challenges that idea. It was not suggesting that this is not still somewhat true, but that it is not universal to every situation, essentially stating, "General global patterns may be applicable to some products, particularly the simpler functions, but others may require detailed adaptation." This excerpt in essence says that you do not have to design a unique identity for a product in every different culture it goes into, but you do have to consider the current identity against each culture to see if it aligns.