Major elements and cultural dimensions in Taiwan Elements of culture According to Huang and Mutjaba (2009), culture influences one’s behavior, and thus it is an essential aspect in the global workplace. Cultural awareness influences the success of firms in the international market; hence, it is imperative for the firms’ management teams to be conscious of cross-cultural variations in the international market. According to Cheng and Seeger (2012), culture is comprised of a number of elements, which include values and attitudes, religion, language, communication, transparency, ethics, and social organization. This report evaluates the cultural variation between Taiwan and the US. Values and attitude Based on the Hofstede’s dimension, Taiwanese culture can be characterized as collectivist (Kelly, MacNab, & Worthley, 2006). The Taiwanese have a strong attitude towards the family unit as one of the most important elements in the society. The Taiwanese value the extended family more than the nuclear family. B y living in unity, the Taiwanese society has been in a position to nurture a sense of belonging, collaboration, and working in groups. The collective nature of the society is also evident in the workplace as evidenced by the fact that employees value working in groups compared to working individually. Additionally, the significance of the family unit in Taiwan is also evidenced by the fact that most businesses are family owned. Consequently, business leadership is achieved through family succession. Relationships amongst the Taiwanese are based on Confucianism ethics, which stresses the values of loyalty, honor, respect for age and seniority, and sincerity. Their relationship with one another is also guided by principles of Buddhism and Taoism (Morrison & Conaway 2006). Language Tao (2006) asserts, “The official language in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese” (p.5). Min-nan or Holo also constitutes a major language in Taiwan. The prominence of the language emanates from the large number of the Taiwanese of Southern Fujianese descent. Additionally, most elderly people in the country can speak Japanese due to being subjected to the Japanese education before being ruled by China. Despite this aspect, English constitutes the main foreign language in the country. Ethics and transparency The Taiwanese society is characterized by high ethical standards. For example, the Taiwanese treat all people with a high degree of respect and dignity irrespective of one’s cultural background. Additionally, they are conscious of the importance of harmony in interacting with other people, and thus they treat other individuals with decorum. Religion The Taiwanese society is comprised of individuals from diverse religious beliefs. However, most Taiwanese are Taoists and Buddhists (93%), Christians (4.5%), and other religions account for 2.5% of all religious groups in the country. Social organization Huang and Mutjaba (2009) are of the opinion that the “group is the primary unit of social organization in Taiwan” (p. 3). This assertion highlights why the Taiwanese are very effective working as a group. Huang and Mutjaba (2009) further assert that the Taiwanese culture is made up of the Taiwanese aboriginal culture, the Japanese culture, and the Chinese culture. Moreover, processes of colonization and imperialism have also influenced the country’s soci