Chapter 3: The cultural environment of international business Flashcards
- the values, beliefs, customs, arts, and other products of human thought and work that characterize a people of a given society
- emerges thorugh the integration of our values and attitudes; manners and customs; time and space perceptions; symbolic, material, and creative expressions; educationl; societal structure; language; and religion
culture
a situation or event in which a cultural misunderstanding puts some human value at stake
cross cultural risk
- not about right or wrong, it is relative, and people perceive the world differently
- not about individual behavior, is about groups
- not inherited, comes from people’s social environment. no one is born with a shared set of values and attitudes
what culture is not
the process of learning the rules and behavioral patterns appropriate for living in one’s own society
socialization
the process of adjusting and adapting to a culture other than ones own
acculturation
- more than any other feature of human civilization, culture illustrates the differences among societies based on language, habits, customs, and modes of thought
- yet most of us are not completely aware of how culutre affacts out behavior until we encounter people from other cultures
- anthropologists use the iceberg metaphor to call attention to the many dimensions of culture, soem obvious and some not so obvious
dimensions of culture
above the surface, certain characteristics are visible, but below, invisible to the observer, is a massive base of assumptions, attitudes, and values
iceberg metaphor
- fine arts
- literature
- drama
- classical music
high culture on the iceberg metaphor (culutre makeup that is visible
- humor
- religion
- etiquette
- cooking
- popular music
- diet
- dress
folk culture on the iceberg metaphor (cultural makeup we are aware of)
- gender rules
- greeting rituals
- family relationships
- conversational patterns
- nonverbal communication
- concpets of beauty
- beliefs on right vs wrong
- decision making patterns
deep culture on the iceberg metaphor (cultural makeup we are unaware of)
represent a persons judgements about what is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, and normal or abnormal. they are the basis for our motivation and behavior
values
are similar to opinions but are often unconsciusly held and may not be based on logical facts. prejudices are rigidly held attitudes, and usually unfavorable
attitudes
are ways of behaving and conducting oneself in public and business situations
- appropriate behavior at social gatherings, work hours, personal greetings are some examples
manners and customs
has a strong influence on business. it affects peoples expectations about planning, scheduling, profit flows, and promptness in arriving for work and meetings
perceptions of time
cultures differ in their perceptions of physical space. for examples, people in the US keep a greater distance than say, those in Brazil
perceptions of space
countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States are relatively focused on the present. they tend to have this orientation to time– a rigid orientation in which people are focused on schedules, punctuality, and time as a resource
monochronic
some cultures have this perspective on time. in such societies, instead of performing single tasks serially, people are inclined to do many things at once. in this way, members of this culture are easily distracted
polychronic
-a symbol can be letters, figures, colors, or other characters that communicate a meaning
- symbols can represent nations, religions, or corporations.
- color meanings in each ocuntry are based on spiritual, societal, cultural, historic and political influences
- colors are importat and powerful communication tools that express emotions and feelings
symbolic productions
are artifacts, objects and include technology-based, social, and financial infrastructure
material productions
of culture include arts, folklore, music, dance, theatre, and cuisine
creative expressions
- cultural values, ideas, beliefs, traditions, and attitudes are passed from one generation to the next through this
- this takes place through lessons and behavior acquired from parents, family, peers; participation in groups and schooling
education
- refers to the pattern of social arrangements and organized relationshops that characterize a society
- it is how a society is organized in terms of individuals, families, groups, and socioeconomic strata
- as a manager, understanding this of intnernational employees, clients, and suppliers is vital
social structure
described as the expression or mirror of culture, verbal language is essential to cimmunications, and provides insights into culture
- its a major differentiator between cultural groups and provides a means for business leaders to communicate effectively with employees, suppliers, and customers
language
- is unspoken, and nonverbal messages accompany most verbal ones
- includes facial expression, body movements, eye contact, physical distance, posture, and other signals
nonverbal communication
- ways of talking
- sounds
- closeness
- body contact
- posture and stance
- head movements
- eye movements
- facial expressions
- hand movements
- appearances
non verbal communication
- almost every culture is underpinned by this
- is a system of common beliefs or attitudes concerning a being or a system of thought that people ocnsider sacred =, divine, or the highest truth and includes the moral codes, values, institutions, traditions, and rituals associated with this system
- this concepts or right and wrong have played a key role in the development of ethical values and social responsibility
- influences culture and, therefore, managerial and customer behavior in many ways
religion
- a disctinctive tradition or institution strongly associated with a particular society
- it is a guide to deciphering peoples attitudes, values, and behavior
cultural metaphor
a culture that relies on elaborate verbal explanations, putting much emphasis on spoken words
low context culture
a culture that emphasized nonverbal messages and views communication as a measn to promote smooth, harmonious relationships
high context culture
- power distance
- individualism vs collectivism
- masculinity versus feminitity
- uncertainty avoidance
- long term vs short term orientation
- indulgence versis restraint
Hofstede 6 independent dimensions of national culture
- this dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal–it expresses the attitude of the cultrue towards these inequalities amongs us
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
power distance
- the fundamnetal issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members
- it has to do with whether peoples self image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. in collectivist societies people belong to “in groups” that take care of them in exchange for loyalty
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
individualism versus collectivism
- a high score (masculine) indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success
- a low score (feminine) means that the dominaant values in society are caring for others and quality of life
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
masculinity versus femininity
- the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoide these
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
uncertainty avoidance
people in societies with _________ create institutions that minimize risk and ensure financial security
high uncertainty avoidance
societies that score __________ socialize thier members to accept and become accustomed ot uncertainty
lower on uncertainty avoidance
- refers to the degree to whcih people and organizations defer pleasure and gratification to achieve long term success
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
long term versus short term orientation
- the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses
which of Hofsteds 6 is this ?
indulgence versus restraint
cultures focus on individual happiness, having fun, and enjoying life
indulgent
societies try to suppress needs gratification, often controlled by strict social norms
restraining
managers focus on the task at hand and prefer gettiing down to business. leading examples of deal oriented cultures include those of australia, Northern Europe, and north america
deal oriented cultures
managers put more values on relationships with people. it is important to build trust and understanding and get to know the other party in business interactions
relationship oriented cultures
- national culture
- professional culture
- and corporate culture
company employees are socialized by three cultures
- nationality
- ethnicity
- gender
- religoin
- social institutions
- social class
- educational systems
national culture
is using our own culture as the standard for judging other cultures. it is also known as home country orientation
ethnocentric orientation
refers to a host country mind set in which the manager develops a strong attachment to the country in which she or he conducts business
polycentric orientation
refers to a global mind set thorugh which the manager can understand a business or market without regard to country boundaries
geocentric boundaries
the tendency to view other cultures thorugh the lens of your own culture
self reference criterion
- a method for analyzing awkward situations in cross cultural encounters
- involves becoming more objective and developing empathy for other points of view
critical incident analysis
is found in a leader who recognizes “the need for global integration and local responsiveness and works to optimize this duality,… and includes an appreciation for diversity as well as homogeneity and openness to learning from everywhere
a global mindset
