S5: cultural and Value orientation

Question 1

Values

Answer 1

Values as inner core elements of culture

Values are communicated explicitly and implicitly through symbolic behaviours

Values influence how and what we communicate

Question 2

6 Basic questions

1.What is the character of human nature?

Answer 2

Two aspects determine character in innate human nature

1. Fundamental attitude
   - positive –people are born good
   - negative – people are born evil
   - mixed – people are born both good and evil
2. Can human nature change?
   Aspects in 1 are reversed

Question 3

6 Basic questions

2. What is the relationship of the individual to others?

Answer 3

1. Identity: self or group
Collectivism (Hofstede)  
- Identity defined by group 
- Take care of in-group  
- Reward for entire group (department of the month)  

Individualism

• Identity defined by what you do yourself
• Take care of yourself
• Challenges and personal satisfaction

2. Power 
Larger power distance  
- Inequalities accepted and desired  
- Few people have power over many  
- Correlations with collectivism  
Smaller power distance  
- Minimize inequalities  
- Interdependence between people  
- Correlations with individualism

Question 4

6 Basic questions 3. What is the mobility of human activity?

Answer 4

1. What motivates human beings? 
Masculinity   
- Achievement central (well-paid job, car house) 
- Assertiveness, making yourself heard  
- Gender roles fixed (and traditional)  
Femininity  
- Quality of life  
- Relationships important, consultative  
- Gender roles are fluid  

2. how do people deal with ambiguous/uncertainty situations? 
Low uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede)  
- Curious about unknown  
- Less high demands for precision  
High uncertainty avoidance  
- Fear of the unknown  
- Insurance policies and binding contracts  
- Job for life  

3. How free do people feel to do what they wish to do? 
Indulgence  
- Enjoyment, exuberance  
- Spend money  
- Optimists and extroverts  
- Relatively lose morals  
Restraint  
- modestly  
- save money  
- pessimistic and introverts  
- relatively strict morals

Question 5

6 questions

4. What is the relationship with humans to space?

Answer 5

personal space - non-verbal communication

Question 6

6 questions

5. what is the temporal focus of human life?

Answer 6

1. Values attached to Past, present, future

2. long-term – short-term orientation (Hofstede)  
Long term orientation  
- Adjusting traditions  
- Thriftiness 
- Perseverance – long-term results  
Short term orientation  
- Stick to traditions  
- Spend money  
- Quick results 

3. Polchronic – Monochromic time (Hall, chapter 8)
   Monochronic
   - Strict time schedules
   - Influence on – punctuality, pace of life,
   Polychromic
   - Multiple things at a time
   - Time not strictly structured

Question 7

6 questions

6. What is a human beings relation to nature?

Answer 7

Mastery

• People can actively control and change natural world
• Nature can be exploited at advance personal/group interests

Harmony

• Live harmoniously with nature
• Nature is related to in a spiritual way, seen as higher power even