chapter 4

Question 1

what is culture?

Answer 1

a set of values, beliefs, rules, and institutions held by a specific group of people

Question 2

what is a subculture?

Answer 2

people who share a unique way of life within a larger, dominant culture (language, race, lifestyles, etc.) ex. goth, punk, emo, china’s dialects

Question 3

what are the characteristics of culture?

Answer 3

learned, shared, transgenerational, symbolic, patterned, adaptive

Question 4

what are the components of culture?

Answer 4

aesthetics, values, attitudes, manners, and customs

Question 5

aesthetics:

Answer 5

music, painting, dance, drama, architecture

Question 6

values:

Answer 6

• basic convictions that people have read about right and wrong, good and bad, important and unimportant
• learned from culture in which the individual is reared
• ideas, beliefs, and customs to which people are emotionally attached

Question 7

attitudes:

Answer 7

positive or negative evaluations, feelings, and tendencies people should hold towards objects or concepts: ex. time, work, cultural exchange

Question 8

manners:

Answer 8

appropriate behaviors, speech, and dressing in general

Question 9

customs:

Answer 9

traditional ways or behavior in specific circumstances

Question 10

what are the 3 forms of social structure? list and define

Answer 10

social group: two or more people who identify and interact with each other

social stratification: process of ranking people into social layers

social mobility: ease of moving up or down a culture’s “social ladder”

Question 11

centralized vs. decentralized decision making

Answer 11

centralized: in some societies, top managers make all important decisions
decentralized: in others, these decisions are diffused throughout the enterprise, and middle and lower-level managers actively participate in, and make key decisions

Question 12

safety vs. risk

Answer 12

• safety: in some societies, organizational decision makers are risk-averse and have great difficulty with conditions of uncertainty
• risk: in others, risk taking is encouraged, and decision making under uncertainty is common

Question 13

individual vs. group rewards

Answer 13

• individual: in some societies, personnel who do outstanding work are given individual rewards in the form of bonuses and commissions
• group rewards: in others, cultural norms require group rewards, and individual rewards are frowned upon

Question 14

informal vs. formal procedures

Answer 14

• informal: in some societies, much is accomplished through informal means
• formal: in others, formal procedures are set forth and followed rigidly

Question 15

high vs. low organizational loyalty

Answer 15

• high: in some societies, people identify very strongly with their organization or employer
• low: in others, people identify with their occupational group, such as engineer or mechanic

Question 16

cooperation vs. competition

Answer 16

• cooperation: some societies encourage cooperation between their people
• competition: others encourage competition between their people

Question 17

short-term vs. long term horizons

Answer 17

• short-term: some cultures focus most heavily on short-term horizons, such as short-range goals of profit and efficiency
• long-term: other are more interested in long-range goals, such as market share and technological developments

Question 18

stability vs. innovation

Answer 18

• stability: the culture of some countries encourages stability and resistance to change
• innovation: the culture of others put high values on innovation and change

Question 19

what is the culture model circle?

Answer 19

explicit artifacts -> norms and values that guide the society (formal and informal) -> implicit values/ behaviors that guide people’s behavior

Question 20

universalism vs. particularism

Answer 20

• universalism: belief that ideas/practices can be applied everywhere
• particularism: belief that circumstances dictate how ideas/practices apply

Question 21

individualism vs. communitarianism

Answer 21

• individualism: people regard themselves as individuals

- commutarianism: people regard themselves as a part of a group

Question 22

neutral vs. emotional

Answer 22

• neutral: culture in which emotions are held in check

- emotional: emotions are expressed openly and naturally

Question 23

specific vs. diffuse

Answer 23

• specific: large public space shared with others and small private space guarded closely
• diffuse: public and private spaces have similar size, public space guarded because shared with private space

Question 24

achievement vs. ascription

Answer 24

• achievement: people accorded status based on how well they perform functions
• ascription: status based on age, gender, social connections

Question 25

environment

Answer 25

• inner-directed: people believe in controlling outcomes

- outer-directed: people believe in letting things take their course “go with the flow”