understanding the role of culture ch03

8/11/2019 Understanding the Role of Culture ch03

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Prentice Hall 2003 Chapter 3 2

Chapter 3 - Overview

Culture and its effects on organizations

Cultural variables

Cultural value dimensions

The Internet and culture

Developing cultural profiles

Culture and management styles around the world


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Environmental Variables Affecting

Management Functions

(Exhibit 3-1)National Variables

Economic system Physical situation

Legal system Technological

Political system know-how

Sociocultural Variables

Religion

Education

Language

Cultural Variables

Values

Norms

Beliefs

AttitudesWork

Time

Materialism

Individualism

Change

Individual and Group Employee Job Behavior

Motivation Commitment

Productivity Ethics


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Common Cultural Terms

Cultural savvyis a working knowledge of the

cultural variables affecting management

decisions. Cultural sensitivityor cultural empathyis an

awareness and an honest caring about another

individuals culture.


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What is Culture?

The culture of a societycomprises the shared

values, understandings, assumptions, and goals

that are learned from earlier generations, imposedby present members of a society, and passed on

to succeeding generations.


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Definitions of Cultural Terms

Self-reference criterionrefers to the unconscious

reference point of ones own cultural values.

Parochialismoccurs when a Frenchman, for example,

expects those from or in another country to automatically

fall into patterns of behavior common in France.

Ethnocentrismdescribes the attitude of those who

operate from the assumptionthat their ways of doingthings are bestno matter where or under what

conditions they are applied.


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Cultural Variables(Identified by Harris and Moran)

Kinship: A kinship system is the system adopted by a given society

to guide family relationships.

Education: The formal or informal education of workers in a foreign

firm, received from whatever source, greatly affects the expectationsplaced on those workers in the workplace.

Economy: Whatever the economic system, the means of production

and distribution (and the resulting effects on individuals and groups)

has a powerful influence on such organizational processes as

sourcing, distribution, incentives, and repatriation of capital. Politics: The system of government in a society, whether democratic,

Communist, or dictatorial, imposes varying constraints on an

organization and its freedom to do business.


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Cultural Variables(contd.)

Religion: The spiritual beliefs of a society are often so powerful that

they transcend other cultural aspects.

Associations: many and various types of associations arise out of the

formal and informal groups that make up a society. Health: The system of health care in a country affects employee

productivity, expectations, and attitudes toward physical fitness and

its role in the workplace.

Recreation: Closely related with other cultural factors, recreation

includes the way in which people use their leisure time, as well astheir attitudes toward leisure and their choice of whom to socialize

with.


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What are Values?

Values are a societys ideas about what is

good or bad, right or wrongsuch as the

widespread belief that stealing is immoraland unfair. Values determine how

individuals will probably respond in any

given circumstance.


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GLOBE Research Project

Selected Findings(Example of countries for each factor)

Factor Least Medium Most

Assertiveness Sweden Egypt Spain

Performance

Orientation Russia Sweden USA

Future

Orientation Russia Slovenia Denmark

Humane

Orientation Germany (West) Hong Kong Indonesia


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Hofstedes Value Dimensions

Power distanceis the level of acceptance by a society of

the unequal distribution of power in institutions.

Uncertainty avoidancerefers to the extent to which

people in a society feel threatened by ambiguous

situations.

Individualismrefers to the tendency of people to look

after themselves and their immediate family only and

neglect the needs of society.

Masculinityrefers to the degree of traditionally

masculine values that prevail in a society.


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Uncertainty Avoidance(Selected Countries)

High Desire for Stability Low

GRE FRA GER US SIN


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Individualism(Selected Countries)

High Low

Individualism Collectivism

AUL US FRA MEX SIN


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Masculinity(Selected Countries)

HighLow

Assertive/Materialistic Relational

JPN US FRA CHC SWE


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Country Clusters

Ronen and Shenkar (synthesizing Hofstedes

research and other cluster studies) developed

eight country clusters based on the followingfactors:

the importance of work goals

need fulfillment and job satisfaction

managerial and organizational variables

work role and interpersonal orientation


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Trompenaars Value Dimensions

The Universalisticapproach applies rules and

systems objectively, without consideration for

individual circumstances; whereas theParticularisticapproach puts the obligation

toward relationships first and is more subjective.

In the Neutral versus Affectivedimension, the

focus is on the emotional orientation ofrelationships.


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Trompenaars Value Dimensions(contd.)

Managers in Specific-oriented cultures separate

work and personal issues and relationships. In

Diffuse-oriented cultures there is spill-over fromthe work into the personal relationship and vice-

versa.

In an Achievementsociety the source of status

and influence is based on individual achievement.In an Ascription-oriented society, people ascribe

status on the basis of class, age, gender, etc.


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Critical Operational Value Differences

Time: differences in temporal values

the clock is always running vs. maana which

means tomorrow in Latin America or bukra whichmeans tomorrow or some time in the future in

Arabic.

Change: based largely on long-standing religious

beliefs, values regarding the acceptance ofchange and the pace of change can vary

immensely among cultures.


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Critical Operational Value Differences(contd.)

Material factors: Americans attitude toward

naturethat it is there to be used for their benefit

differs from the attitudes of Indians or Koreans,for example, whose worship of nature is part of

their religious belief.

Individualism: Americans tend to value

individual achievement over group goals; forothers, conformity and cooperation takes

precedence over individual achievement.


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The American-Japanese Cultural Divide(Exhibit 3-10)

Japanese American

Patience

Man within nature Man controlling nature

Caution Risk-taking

Incremental improvement Bold initiativeDeliberation Spontaneity

Adherence to form Improvisation

Silence Outspokenness

Memorization Critical thinking

Emotional sensitivity Logical reasoning

Indirectness Clarity and franknessAssuaging Confronting

Avoiding Threatening

Consensus building Decisiveness

Action


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The American-Japanese Cultural Divide(contd.)

Japanese American

Harmony

Conformity Individuality

Group convention Personal principle

Trusted relationships Legal safeguards

Collective strength Individual independence

Maintain the group Protect the individual

Modest resignation Righteous indignation

Saving face Being heard

Oppressive unanimity Chaotic anarchy

Humble cooperation Proving oneself

Freedom


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The American-Japanese Cultural Divide(contd.)

Japanese American

Hierarchy

Rewarding seniority Rewarding performance

Loyalty Track record

Generalists Specialists

Obligations OpportunitiesUntiring effort Fair effort

Shame Guilt

Dependency Autonomy

Dutiful relationships Level playing field

Industrial groups Industrial competition

Strict ranking Ambiguous/informal rankingRacial differentiation Racial equality

Gender differentiation Gender equality

Equality

understanding the role of culture ch03

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