Читать книгу Intercultural Interactions for Health Professions / Interkulturelle Begegnungen in Gesundheitsberufen (E-Book) - Samuel van den Bergh - Страница 15

Mr Sidi Abdel Assar is a wealthy Sheikh from Saudi Arabia. He has suffered from a congenital pes equinovarus (foot deformation) since his childhood. He has limited abilities to walk and play golf as the deformity has never been properly treated. As Switzerland is well-known for its prestigious healthcare institutions which offer high quality service, he comes to a well-known hospital specialised in orthopaedics in Zurich. After diagnosis, the doctors advise him not to have a foot operation at this stage, but to improve his walking ability by attending physiotherapy.

Chris, the physiotherapist, arranges an appointment for Mr Assar at 09:00 for the first treatment, but Mr Assar does not show up for the appointment. At 10:30, Mr Assar finally turns up for his therapy. Instead of apologising for being late, he demands that Chris treat him immediately, reasoning that he is an important private patient who should be given priority. However, Chris has three pre-arranged appointments, one after another, to attend. Therefore, he cannot attend to Mr Assar at that moment.

Could you please help Chris to solve this problem?

Please select the alternative(s) which could help solve the problem

1.Chris should cancel the treatment of the other patients in order to offer an appointment to Mr Assar as he is deemed an important private patient.

2.Chris asks the head-physiotherapist to talk to Mr Assar. The head-physiotherapist explains to Mr Assar that Chris is fully booked and cannot attend to him at the moment. The head physiotherapist tells Mr Assar that he will do his very best to change his next appointment so that he can treat Mr Assar personally.

3.Chris should say, «Mr Assar, I am sorry to inform you that your missed appointment cannot be replaced today. Please make an appointment for another day. We will not charge you for the missed appointment.»

4.Chris should tell Mr Assar, «Mr Assar, I am sorry to inform you that you will be charged for the missed appointment and an alternative cannot be found for today.»

Analysis

1.This is not a good solution. It is unlikely for Chris to act this way, especially in Switzerland, where the rule is the rule (universalism) and exceptions are not easily made (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 2012). Chris could be considered from the other patients’ point of view as someone who is easily intimidated. From the perspective of Mr Assar, this act could be considered from a relational and hierarchical viewpoint, where special treatment is the norm for special people and flexibility is honoured by generous tips (particularism). Universalists consider that it is the patient’s responsibility to be on time for the appointment. Please choose again.

2.This is the best possible solution for Chris.

The following theoretical frameworks may explain the situation:

a.rules and relationships (see above)

b.power distance

Hofstede (2017) defines power distance as «the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally». Hofstede describes that cultures with higher power distance such as Saudi Arabia tend to respect positions of power and people in authority. Arab leaders are expected to have privileges that others may not have. Being aware of hierarchies and social stratification, Chris is very wise to involve the head physiotherapist, who has a higher position than Chris because of his rank and age. The head physiotherapist explains to Mr Assar the importance of adhering to a schedule in Switzerland, but that he will do his very best to serve an important patient personally by rearranging his schedule if possible.

c.achievement versus ascription

Referring to Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s (2012) dimension of achievement versus ascription, it is more likely that people ascribe a status to someone because of who they are in a Middle Eastern society. Conversely, in a western culture, people are more likely to give status to someone based on what they do. In Saudi Arabia, social class and age are honoured as elements of ascribed status instead of achievement. Sheikh is an Arabic word meaning the elder of a tribe, a revered old man, or an Islamic scholar. Mr Assar is not aware of the more achievement-oriented culture in Switzerland. He thinks that he can demand to have his own way even though he is late for his appointment just because he is a wealthy Sheikh.

d.time orientation.

Hall (1976) describes how cultures structure their time by organising work activities. People with a monochronic time-orientation are more likely to perform their tasks «one at a time and on time». Conversely, people with a polychronic time-orientation, like Mr Assar, tend to handle several tasks at one time. For them, time is more flexible and secondary to interpersonal relations. Western Europeans are inclined to be more monochronic compared to Middle Easterners. For Chris, Mr Assar is late for his appointment. Chris expects his patients to be on time. For Mr Assar, it is acceptable to arrive an hour late, especially as a Sheikh.

3.Although this is possible, this is not an ideal solution. Mr Assar cannot get treated today. In this situation, Chris emphasises that everyone abides by the same rules. So, there is no special treatment for Mr Assar. Everyone is equal, even a Sheikh. Chris attempts to please the Sheikh by not charging him for the missed treatment. This might not work, as for the Sheikh, paying may not be an issue. He might even feel offended for being told off and then granted a minor favour. Please make another selection.

4.This is the least preferred answer. This option does not benefit any party. Mr Assar misses his treatment, which will cause a delay in his rehabilitation. In addition, he loses money for a therapy session that does not take place. Being dissatisfied with the hospital service, Mr Assar may not want to continue to seek treatment from this hospital. As such, the hospital will possibly lose a rich customer. Please select again.