GLOBAL CULTUREGLOBAL CULTURE

Chapter 7

Lecture 1

ALFRED NORTH ALFRED NORTH WHITEHEADWHITEHEAD

THE MAJOR ADVANCES IN CIVILIZATION ARE PROCESSES THAT ALL BUT WRECK THE SOCIETIES IN WHICH THEY OCCUR.

CULTURE DEFINEDCULTURE DEFINED

• The learned, shared, interrelated set of symbols and patterns of basic assumptions

• That are invented, discovered, or developed by a given group (nation, affiliative group, business or other organization)

• To help the group cope with problems it faces– external adaptation– internal integration

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDSNEEDS

• People face needs in their lives

• According to Maslow, lower level needs generally must be satisfied before higher ones

Self- actualization

Physical

Safety

Social

Esteem

HOW DOES CULTURE HOW DOES CULTURE EMERGE?EMERGE?

• People have common needs and face similar challenges, and form societies to address these challengesorganizing as families and extended families then as

communities and extended communities then as

rural and urban groups

national societies or nation-states

global society?

NATIONAL CULTURE NATIONAL CULTURE ANSWERS IINTERNAL ANSWERS IINTERNAL

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES• Division of labor• Social controls• Motivate group

members• Legitimize and

distribute power• Create sense of

belonging

Us

Them

NATIONAL CULTURE NATIONAL CULTURE ANSWERS IINTERNAL ANSWERS IINTERNAL

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES• Protect the group

from outsiders and natural forces

• Protect resources • Present an image to

others• Attract (or repel)

new members

Us

Them

NATIONAL CULTURENATIONAL CULTURE

• Forms a boundary to define the group– geographic and psychological

• Makes “us” different from everyone else– all other people; all other nations

• Defines “us” as different from “them”– “they” tend to be those least like us

• Survival value (for the nation and person)

When describing national culture, When describing national culture, most people are talking about most people are talking about

dominant culturedominant culture

• But bear in mind:– there will be variations– there are subcultures within every nation– almost everyone knows the norms of the

dominant culture– typically only members of subcultures

know the norms of their own group

THE NINE NATIONS OF THE NINE NATIONS OF NORTH AMERICANORTH AMERICA

• Ecotopia—Northwest Corridor

• MexAmerica, Texas, Southern Calif., Arizona

• Dixie—southern states• The Islands, S. Florida

and the Caribbean

NATIONS TRADITIONALLY NATIONS TRADITIONALLY SHAPE ORGANIZATIONSSHAPE ORGANIZATIONS

HOW DOES CULTURE AFFECT FIRMS?

Traditionally: national culture shapes business

INDIVIDUALSINDIVIDUALSFAMILIESFAMILIES

NATIONAL CULTURENATIONAL CULTURE

BUSINESS ACTIVITIESBUSINESS ACTIVITIES

BUT INFLUENCES COME BUT INFLUENCES COME FROM MULTIPLE SOURCESFROM MULTIPLE SOURCES

• Professional training/groups

• Family

• Subgroups, e.g., R&D or accounting

• Individuals

INCREASINGLY WE ALSO INCREASINGLY WE ALSO SEESEE

• Business influences come not from domestic influences alone but also from international and global business activities, e.g.,– subsidiaries– joint ventures and other strategic alliances

OFTEN CREATING CULTURE OFTEN CREATING CULTURE CLASHCLASH

• between parent and subsidiary

• among managers

• in practices considered “unnatural” to the subsidiary

CULTURAL QUESTIONS YOU CULTURAL QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT CONSIDER MIGHT CONSIDER

ANSWERINGANSWERING1. What cultural norms do you see in yourself? In the

people who surround you on a daily basis? 2. Give an example of when you have experienced a

different culture. What was it like? 3. What is it that other cultures have to offer to the global

environment?4. What is the public opinion about foreign cultures and

international business operations? How might these opinions be skewed?

5.  Is it possible to see different cultures close to home (i.e. in the same city, state, country)?

6. What are the benefits and/or consequences of integrating/not integrating global cultures?

HOW IS CULTUE EMBEDDED HOW IS CULTUE EMBEDDED IN PEOPLE AND IN PEOPLE AND

ORGANIZATIONS? ORGANIZATIONS? THINK OF CULTURE AS AN ICEBERG:

you see it, but perhaps not the important parts

Symbols; language

Behaviors

Practices

Customs

Normsbeliefs, traditions, priorities, assumptions, values

CULTURECULTURE

• Values– Deep seated, lasting, don’t change much– Stable over time

• Norms– Social rules and guidelines– Mores—things central to the smooth

operation of society– Folkways—routine patterns

NATIONAL CULTURE NATIONAL CULTURE SHAPES VALUESSHAPES VALUES

• Cultural contrasts:– Tradition versus change– Past versus future– Purpose of life

• Nurture the human spirit versus create wealth

– Modesty versus boasting– Doing versus being

NATIONAL CULTURE HAS NATIONAL CULTURE HAS DIMENSIONSDIMENSIONS

• Hofstede’s view of national culture reflected in organizations

– POWER DISTANCE—extent to which society accepts that power is distributed unequally in institutions and organizations

– UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE—likes formal rules; absolute truths– MASCULINITY/FEMININITY—masculine is assertive, acquisitive, values

money and things and not caring for others, quality of life or people; whereas, femininity is nurturing and valuing quality of life

– INDIVIDUALISM/COLLECTIVISM—individual takes care of self and family and is low on organizational loyalty; collectivism is in-group or clan responsibility loyalty is “owed” to the group

– LONG TERM vs SHORT TERM ORIENTATION

FONS TROMPENAARS FONS TROMPENAARS (1994)(1994)

• Universalism—belief that ideas and concepts can be applied anywhere versus particularism—belief that circumstances dictate rules and relationships

• Individualism (self) or collectivism (group) • Achievement (made) or ascription (born)• Neutral—mask feelings or affective—feelings

are a normal part of communication• Sequential approach to time or synchronous

AND NATIONAL CULTURE AND NATIONAL CULTURE SHAPES BEHAVIORSSHAPES BEHAVIORS

• how people look

• how people act

• how people speak

• the symbols that surround them

• how people interact

CULTURE CREATES CULTURE CREATES EXPECTATIONSEXPECTATIONS

• What happens when people do not behave as you expect?

BUT HOW PEOPLE ACT BUT HOW PEOPLE ACT DOESN’T EXPLAIN WHYDOESN’T EXPLAIN WHY

• Because specific actions, behaviors, symbols, and meanings are intended to resolve problems for a specific society

• And societies – face different challenges – respond to the same challenges with

different solutions

THIS EXERCISE THIS EXERCISE DEMONSTRATES HOWDEMONSTRATES HOW

• Each person in the group should describe their views on attitudes listed on the left hand side according to their own country/culture. How are those attitudes reflected in behaviors at work? For example, in the U.S., how is an emphasis on wealth/materialism reflected in work rewards? You are encouraged to distinguish between what we have called the “dominant” culture and any subcultures in which you live so that people in your group develop a better understanding of the wide range of culture found within nations as well as between nations.  

NATIONAL CULTURE SHAPES NATIONAL CULTURE SHAPES VALUESVALUES

• ROLE OF WEALTH IN LIFE

• IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL SPACE

• ATTITUDE TOWARD TIME

• ROLE OF FAMILY

• ROLE OF WORK

• ROLE OF FRIENDS IN LIFE

• WHAT ARE LIFE’S PRIORITIES?

NATIONAL CULTURES NATIONAL CULTURES COMPAREDCOMPARED

• Describe what you learned about another culture that you did not know before talking with others

• What can we learn from the exercise?

• What are the things you value and find important in terms of work?

10 TEN 10 TEN FIRSTFIRST LANGUAGES LANGUAGES

• 1 in 6 people speak Mandarin (1 billion)– English: 380 million– Spanish: 266 million – Bengali: 189 million – Hindi: 182 million– Portuguese: 170– Russian: 170– Japanese: 125– German 98– Chinese (Wu): 77