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[NOTE 6, WHAT HAPPENED: In the days immediately before the interview I was travelling and found my self in a place with no internet connection, which limited my ability to prepare to the job interview. I travelled back--earlier than established--and passed the interview. For obvious reasons, I did not perform well at the interview, but I have been honest, and I said that I have travelled back to Europe only for that job interview. Guess what? My honesty and dedication have been those characteristics that helped me stand over all the other applicants and I got the job. As I said many times in this post: not everywhere works as one may judge based on information limited to a fraction of the world labour market.]

[NOTE 5: Let me provide other examples of how not-so-straightforward social interactions are, where they are carried out in different countries. I was speaking with a German colleague who worked in Italy for a few years, she studies management and was totally captured by the radically different ways to start a meeting in these two countries. In Germany, it is considered professional to start the meeting exactly on time and jump to the point, because this is considered professional to respect the established and clear rules of the game. In Italy, it is considered professional to start the meeting a few minutes late, with a coffee and talks unrelated to work, because this is thought to decrease tension and develop bonding that will ultimately easy the conversation at the meeting. What surprised me the most, is that later on I have discovered that in Sweden (which is not a Mediterranean country) they do the same as in Italy! Another example, this time from my own experience. I have never read that within the context of an academic interview, Americans ask about sport activities, perhaps this is considered too personal and unrelated to the job; on the other hand, in my last interview, I was asked by a Luxembourgian about my sport activities, my understanding was that he wanted to know whether I am a team player or rather an individualistic person.]

[NOTE 4: A comment made me realize that some details in my question might sound like anti-American, I apologize for that. You have to know that it is not the case. As a matter of fact, I have been several times in the US, and I have relatives from there. The claimed reduced interest for answers from Americans is simply related to the non-American situation I am picturing.]