Every culture places importance on differing parts of life. Each sees the role of work differently. There are some that emphasize the journey and some that emphasize the destination. This can be defined as being-orientated or doing-orientated. This difference is important to note because people from various cultures will have different attitudes towards the intermingling of work-life and social life. These preferences do change for every person but using being-doing orientation to describe cultures as a whole can be useful when meeting or conducting business with someone new.
The differences in being-orientated cultures and doing-orientated cultures show how people do not always see the same goals in life. While this is because personalities vary from person to person, their goals may be influenced by their culture. Although these classifications can be used to describe cultures, they should not be used as a blind standard. When meeting someone new, being aware of their culture can help communication immensely. If their culture stresses the importance of hard work and dedication to be successful, then that person is going to be doing-orientated. If their culture emphasizes having strong interpersonal relationships, then that person is going to be being-orientated. These differing approaches to life fulfill the needs of all cultures in many ways.
