Cross-Cultural Film Analysis – Gattaca Essay Example

addiction. Vincent prepares to resort to dishonesty in order to achieve success, which is a pattern commonly observed in organizations. Management must address such behaviors effectively, particularly when the motivation is financial gain. Over time, Vincent adapts to the expectations of Gattaca Corporation.

Overcoming a cross-cultural obstacle was crucial for Vincent to succeed in Gattaca without having his cover blown. However, the challenge of accepting himself as Jerome was difficult. This was resolved when the real Jerome addressed Vincent as Jerome during their conversations. The film also raises the question of whether a person can completely assimilate into a new culture or if their childhood culture remains ingrained within them for life. While this framework does not address this issue, the movie demonstrates that people resist fully embracing a new culture when it is forced upon them. Vincent's aggressive reaction towards one of the murder detectives out of fear of being identified as the murderer is a prime example of this resistance.

The effects of cultural shock on organizations can be observed when an employee is sent on a sojourn, usually abroad, and has to adapt to an unfamiliar culture. Management can mitigate some of these challenges by providing the employee with education about the foreign culture and certain expectations before the trip. According to Hofstede's Software of the Mind (2005), culture constitutes mental programming in which one's patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving are established during childhood. In the movie, Vincent struggles to shed his mental programming that he is inferior to his genetically perfect brother Anton when he assumes a new identity (Jerome) in pursuit of his dreams.

Despite Hofstede's assertion that one's behaviour is only

partially predetermined by their mental programming (2005, p.3), Vincent's deviation from his culture to embody Jerome's identity indicates that cultural influence comes from exposure to the world, rather than genetic predisposition. Ethnicity, according to Hofstede, is an inconclusive factor when it comes to intelligence being attributed to genetics. The acceptance of gene-determined intelligence is evident in Gattaca, where entry into the company relies solely on a genetic test. This is exemplified in Vincent's interview process.

The film portrays a manifestation of cultural differences between two powerful groups: the genetically advantaged and the "degenerates." According to Hofstede's idea of "skins of an onion" (2005, p. 6), the division between these cultures is well-explained.

The film portrays the genetically gifted individuals as heroes who are highly esteemed and exhibit ideal conduct towards inferior or naturally conceived people. These heroes, regarded as the more competent members of society, demonstrate specific meanings through symbols such as formal hair styles and impeccably clean clothing. Additionally, the heroes exhibit routines, for example, the day on the treadmill, where they prove their redundancy to attain a desired outcome as evaluators are solely concerned with genetic makeup rather than fitness. In contrast to Hofstede's belief that values are ingrained early in life, Vincent's values undergo significant transformation throughout the movie.

According to Hofstede (2005), culture strongly influences values, and Vincent's adoption of Jerome's identity elevates him to a hero status in society. Through this transition from abnormal to normal, Vincent embodies the way culture reproduces itself. His role models become Gattaca Corporation members and he seizes an opportunity to achieve his life goal. The trend towards gene selection by parents suggests a growing hero

culture. The culture within the Gattaca Corporation highlights the pervasive human tendency to stereotype.

The assessors are guilty of discrimination against new applicants based on their genetics, rather than evaluating each individual's abilities. The use of genetics creates a preconceived notion of how a person will perform and this affects their acceptance or rejection. A clear example of stereotyping is evident in the film where the actual murderer of the mission director is not considered a suspect due to their genetics. This highlights the potential for stereotyping to occur due to selection criteria based on desirable genetics, and not just as a consequence of it. In managing organizations, it is crucial for managers to be conscious of their own prejudices and avoid unjustified discrimination when dealing with people. Source: Bochner, S.

The discovery of culture shock caused by encountering unfamiliar cultures was made in 2003 and can be found in W. J. Lonner's works.

L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, and D. N. Sattler are the editors.

The resource titled "Online Readings in Psychology and Culture" can be accessed through the Center for Cross-Cultural Research at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. This resource is specifically Unit 8, Chapter 7. The website link is http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~culture/Bochner and it was accessed on September 1st, 2008. The information is presented within .The book "International Organizational Behaviour: Text, Cases, and Exercises," 2nd edition by Francesco, A. M. and Gold, B. A. was published by Pearson Prentice Hall and has a page count of pp.The book "Culture and Organizations: Software of the Mind" by G. Hofstede and G. J. Hofstede was published in 2005 by McGraw-Hill P. L. Its contents relate to culture in organizations.The

source of the information, regarding Gattaca and accessible on 31st August 2008 from http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/subjects/english/media/gattaca.htm, is the Duffy Resource Centre in Trinity College WA. The information is contained within with a paragraph format.