Sunday, January 3, 2010

Global Mobile-Phone Culture

The Economist writes about the different mobile phone cultures across the world. It covers everything from the cultural name of the phone (cell, mobile, handy...) to how long people talk for, what types of phones, what cultures text, which ones can answer calls in board rooms, even to who can't talk on the trains. Here is one of my favorite excerpts:
In some countries it is a common habit to carry around more than one phone. Japanese workers often have two: a private one and a work one (which they often turn off so bosses cannot get them at any hour). “I have one phone for work, one for family, one for pleasure and one for the car,” says a Middle Eastern salesman quoted in a study for Motorola, a handset-maker. Having several phones is often meant to signal importance. Latin American managers, for instance, like to show how well connected they are: some even have a dedicated one for the boss.
For any world travelers out there, you'll want to check out the article here.

Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were

"It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers." Read more in the NYT .