Lecture 3: culture Flashcards
T or F: national culture is abosolute
false
• National culture can be useful reference point, but there are limitations, including variations within nation
• One can find a lot of cultural variation within a nation
– Individuals differ in extent & depth of sharing national
cultural values
• Individuals may be bicultural, multicultural
– Subcultures exist within nations
• Groups may share more values with similar groups in other nations than with others in home country – e.g. urban groups sharing “urban culture” across nations than with rural groups in own nation
• Furthermore, cultures within a nation evolve over time
what can fostering cultural diversity allow a company to do?
gain global competitive advantage by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and experience
when can “cultural collision” occur?
when a company
implements practices that are less effective or when
employees encounter distress in accepting or coping with
foreign behaviours.
Example – situation involving contact between firms
representing two different cultural stances towards firm
interactions:
Deal-focus culture (DF)
Relationship-focus culture (RF)
What are the 3 possibilities when cultures mix?
- preservation of (authentic) cultures
- homogenization of cultures
- hybridization of cultures
def. preservation of cultures
cultures remain distinct
def. homogenization of cultures
absorption of local cultures by a dominant one
def. hybridization of cultures
mixing of cultures
What are Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture (5th less important)?
- Individualism vs. Collectivism
- High vs. Low Power Distance
- High vs. Low Uncertainty Avoidance
- Masculinity vs. Femininity (defined gender roles)
- [Long-term vs. Short-term (time orientation)]
What does it mean to be in a low context culture?
Words used by speaker explicitly convey speaker’s message
ex. Germany, Switzerland
What does it mean to be in a high context culture?
Context in which a conversation occurs is just as important as the words spoken; cultural clues are critical to communication
ex. China, Korea
Describe Individualism index
based on relative importance of the interests of the individual versus interests of the group
Individualism
- People taking care of themselves
- -Making decisions based on individual needs
- “I” mentality
Collectivism
- –Primary loyalty to group (nuclear family, extended family, caste, organization)
- –Group takes care of individual
- –Decision-making based on what is best for the group.
- – “We” mentality
describe the power distance index
Appropriateness of
power/authority within
organizations
High power distance Acceptance that power and status are unequally distributed Everyone has a fixed place in society Respect for authority Employees should not disagree with superior
Low power distance Belief in minimal social stratification No set hierarchy in society Respect for equal status of individuals Employees can disagree with superior
describe the uncertainty avoidance index
An emotional response
to uncertainty and change
High uncertainty avoidance Low tolerance for ambiguity Strict rules, laws Belief in absolute truth Intolerant of deviance Prefer detailed specific plans Minimize risk
Low uncertainty avoidance High tolerance for ambiguity Belief in minimal rules Moral relativism Tolerate deviance Prefer general or no set direction Approve of risk-taking
describe the masculinity index
What motivates people
to achieve different goals
Masculinity (high in Japan) Large gap between goal orientation of males and females Strong belief in distinct gender roles Competitive Assertive Analytical Rewards: power & money
Femininity (high in Sweden) Little gap between goal orientation of males and females Strong belief in gender equality Nurturing Modest Intuitive Rewards: Quality of life and of social relations
in short, describe the long-term orientation index
The extent to which members of a culture adopt a long-term or a short-term outlook on work and life
