Culture and Communication Flashcards
What is culture?
learned norms based on values, attitudes, beliefs of a group of ppl. culture can be nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, work org, profession, age, pol party membership, income level, … It affects how we view the world, what drives us and which values we emphasise
What is the difference between a low-context culture and a high-context culture?
Low–context culture
- only direct info is considered relevant
- what was said, the words used
- only the subject matter at hand
High context culture
- a wider set of info is considered imp for understanding
- how it was said - tone, emphasis, body language
- broader inputs - relative position/relationships, cultural references, …
Which problem areas can hinder a manager’s cultural awareness?
subconscious reactions to circumstances
assumption that all societal subgroups are similar
What is the main benefit and the main drawback of cultural diversity within a company?
fostering cultural diversity can allow a company to gain a global compet adv by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and experience
BUT ‘cultural collision’ can occur when a comp implements practices that are less effective or when employees encounter distress bc of difficulty in accepting/adjusting to foreign behaviours
What elements of culture are important to consider?
Cultural diffuser and stabiliser (language can facilitate business)
Social Stratification
- social ranking
- group affiliations - ascribed or acquired
- Education, social Connections
Relationship preferenes
Risk taking
Information and task processing
How does power distance affect one’s interactions and management styles?
high pwr distance = autocratic/paternalistic management style
low pwr distance = consultative style
What is the difference between individualism and collectivism?
high individualism - potentially welcomes challenges
high collectivism - potentially prefer safe work env
Upon which factors does an individuals inclination to take risk rely?
- degree of uncertainty avoidance - we avoid this if high avoidance
- trust - degree of trust among ppl
- future orientation - delaying gratification
- fatalism - attitudes of self-determination
What is the difference between monochronic and polychronic cultures?
monochronic = u work w 1 customer at a time before dealing w the next
polychronic = its okay to be doing multiple things at once
What is the difference between idealism and pragmatism?
idealist = there is 1 ay to do it, strive towards ideal on how to implement an action
pragmatism = it is the details that matter even if /not right way/
How does cultural awareness affect entry mode decisions?
if high cultural distance is high:
- increased likelihood of misunderstandings
- increases ‘culture shock’
- supports indirect/collaborative options
if cultural distance is low:
- reduces likelihood of misunderstandings
- reduces ‘culture shock’ of expat employees
- supports direct investment / high control option = we can take higher commitment bc lower chance of misunderstanding
What are three different kinds of management and company orientations?
polycentrism = businesses abroad should act like local companies
ethnocentrism = home culture is considered superior to local culture
geocentrism = integrate home and host practices. take the best of both worlds where it matters the most
What is paraverbal communication?
Message transmitted in the form of tone, emphasis, rhythm, volume of what is said
What are the three main forms of communication
Verbal, paraverbal, nonverbal
Why is it important to consider culture in IB?
Cultural diveristy can be a competitive advantage, but managing it can be difficult. Parallelly, cultural collision (problems created due to cultural diff) can cause ineffective business practices and personal distress.
