Chapter 3: The Role of Culture Flashcards
Culture
An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are distinguishing characteristics of the members of any given society.
Culture is learned, shared, and transmitted from one generation to the next.
In the definition of culture, what are “integrated systems”?
In a culture, there are multiple elements.
The culture definition mentions “distinguishing characteristics,” what is another way other definitions call it?
Other definitions use the term personality. The distinguishing personality.
Acculturation
Adjusting and adapting to a specific culture other than one’s own.
One of the keys to success in international operations.
What is mainstream identity and ethnic identity?
- Mainstream identity: refers to an individual’s identification with the dominant or majority culture or society in which they live. This identity is often associated with the values, norms, and behaviors that are considered typical or conventional within that culture.
- Ethnic identity: the identification with a specific ethnic or cultural group that is distinct from the mainstream culture. It is often rooted in shared cultural, historical, linguistic, or ancestral ties that differentiate this group from others.
What are the components of the acculturation model?
- Separation
- Integration
- Assimilation
- Marginalization
What is assimilation?
Occurs when individuals adopt the cultural norms of a dominant or host culture, over their original culture.
What is separation?
Occurs when individuals reject the dominant or host culture in favor of preserving their culture of origin. Separation is often facilitated by immigration to ethnic enclaves.
What is integration?
Occurs when individuals are able to adopt the cultural norms of the dominant or host culture while maintaining their culture of origin. Integration leads to, and is often synonymous with biculturalism.
What is marginalization?
Occurs when individuals reject both their culture of origin and the dominant host culture.
What is high-context culture?
Context is as important as what is actually said:
Speaker and the listener rely on a common understanding of the context
What is low-context culture?
Most of the information is contained explicitly in the words
Roles of an international manager
- Identifying cross-cultural and intra-cultural differences
- Isolating potential opportunities and problems
Elements of culture
- Language (verbal, nonverbal)
- Religion
- Values and attitudes
- Manners and customs
- Material elements
- Aesthetics
- Education
- Social institutions
Language
is described as the mirror of culture and is multidimensional by nature:
Includes both verbal and nonverbal communication
Language capability serves four roles in international marketing:
- Aids in information gathering and evaluation efforts
- Provides access to local society
- Is important in company communications
- Provides more than the ability to communicate.
Back-translation
Translating a foreign language version back to the original language by a different person from the one who made the first translation
Nonverbal language: Five key topics that managers need to understand
- Time
- Space
- Material possessions
- Friendship patterns
- Business agreements
Religion
Defines the ideals for life, which are reflected in the values and attitudes of societies and individuals.
Religion provides the basis for transcultural similarities under shared beliefs and behavior.
The major religions include:
- Christianity
- Islam
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Confucianism
Christianity
It consists of two significant groups: Catholic and Protestant
Lays stress on frugality and accumulation of wealth from hard work
Islam
Plays a pervasive role in the life of its followers
It supports entrepreneurship and discourages exploitation
Hinduism
Family is an important element in Hindu society
The extended family structure has an impact on the purchasing power and consumption of Hindu families
Buddhism
Views life as an existence of suffering
Emphasizes on spiritual achievement rather than worldly goods
Confucianism
Is characterized by a code of conduct.
Stresses on loyalty and relationships
Values and attitudes
- Values are shared beliefs or group norms that have been internalized by individuals
- Attitudes are evaluations of alternatives based on these values
Manners and customs
Understanding manners and customs is important in negotiations
Cultural convergence
Significant uniformity generated by globalization.
Globalization cannot be rejected because it represents a transformation that we ourselves have brought about—and which has already transformed us.
Potential problem areas for marketers arise from insufficient:
- Understanding of different ways of thinking
- Attention to the necessity of saving face
- Knowledge and appreciation of the host country
- Recognition of the decision-making process and the role of personal relations and personalities
- Allocation of time for negotiations
Material culture results from…
Technology
Material culture is directly related to…
The way a society organizes its economic activity.
Material culture is manifested in the availability and adequacy of the following basic infrastructures:
- Economic
- Social
- Financial
- Marketing
Aesthetics
- Each culture makes a clear statement concerning good taste as expressed in the arts and in the particular symbolism of colors, form and music
- International firms have to take into consideration local tastes and concerns in designing their facilities
Education
- Formal and informal education play a major role in the passing on and sharing of culture
- Educational levels of a culture can be assessed by using literacy rates and enrollment in higher education
- Educational levels have an impact on business functions
Social institutions
Affect the ways in which people relate to each other.
The family unit, which in Western industrialized countries consists of parents and children, in a number of cultures is extended to include grandparents and other relatives. This will have an impact on consumption patterns and must be taken into account, for example, when conducting market research.
Social stratification
Division of a particular population into classes.
Reference groups
Provide the values and attitudes that become influential in shaping behavior.
- Primary or secondary
Divisions of culture are:
- Individualism–collectivism
- Power distance
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Gender-role orientation
- Long-term versus short-term orientation
Self-reference criterion
- Unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values
- You are coming to a different culture and are evaluating everything you see and hear through your own culture.