Class 2 (Culture) Flashcards
what is cultural collision?
But, “cultural collision” can occur when a company
implements practices that are less effective or when
employees encounter distress because of difficulty in
accepting or adjusting to foreign behaviors
what are 2 problem areas that can hinder managers’ cultural awareness?
– Subconscious reactions to circumstances
– The assumption that all societal subgroups are similar
why can country-by-country analysis be difficult?
– subcultures exist within nations
– similarities link groups from different countries
why is the nation a useful definition of society?
similarity among people is a cause and an effect of
national boundaries
– laws apply primarily along national lines
– language and values are shared within borders
– rites and symbols are shared along national lines
social ranking is determined by:
– an individual’s achievements and qualifications
– an individual’s affiliation with, or membership in, certain groups
group affiliations can be:
– Ascribed group memberships
• based on gender, family, age, caste, and ethnic, racial, or national origin
– Acquired group memberships
• based on religion, political affiliation, professional association
what kind of relationship preferences could differ by culture?
power distance and individualism vs collectivism
describe power distance
– high power distance implies little superior-subordinate interaction
• autocratic or paternalistic management style
– low power distance implies consultative style
describe individualism vs collectivism
– high individualism – welcome challenges
– high collectivism – prefer safe work environment
what kind of risk-taking behavior could differ across cultures?
- trust
- uncertainty avoidance
- future orientation (delaying gratification)
- fatalism (attitudes of self-determination)
how do cultures handle info in different ways?
– Perception of cues
– Obtaining information
• low context versus high context cultures
– Information processing
– Monochronic versus polychronic cultures
– Idealism versus pragmatism
what are some examples of silent language?
Silent language • Distance • Time and punctuality • Body language • Prestige
what are the three company and management orientations?
- polycentrism
- ethnocentrism
- geocentrism
polycentrism
business units abroad should act like local companies
ethnocentrism
- home culture is considered superior to local culture
* overlook national differences
geocentrism
• integrate home and host practices
what is distance?
degree of difference between 2 or more countries/regions
what are a few common shortcomings when it comes to cross-cultural attitudes and practices?
- comparing countries by what people say can be risky. responses might be coloured bu the very culture you’re trying to understand
- researchers who focus on national differences in terms of averages may overlook specific variations within countires and believe in unrealistic stereotypes
- because cultures evolve, research might be outdated
when international business people compare nations, they must be careful to examine ___ ___
relevant groups (ex. rural vs urban dwellers, young vs old)
change can occur in 2 ways:
- choice: may occur as reaction to social and economic situations that present people with new alternatives (ex rural people accept factory jobs)
- imposition: involves imposing certain elements from an alien culture, such as forced change in laws by an occupying country that over time becomes part of subject culture
what is another term for change by imposition?
cultural imperialism
contact among countries brings change, known as ___ ___
cultural diffusion
when change results in mixing cultural elements, we have ___
creolization
describe colours as silent language
- must be consistent with customer’s frame of reference
- invoke distinct connotations in different countries
describe distance as silent language
- distance people maintain during convos
- how close you stand to each other, how much you touch
describe time and punctuality as silent language
-valuing time as a scarce commodity (English, German, Scandinavian) –> schedules
vs valuing time as an event and choosing to take however long it takes
describe body language as silent language
very few gestures have universal meanings
describe prestige as silent language
-person’s status
