Differences in Culture

Differences in Culture

Societies differ along cultural dimensions What is culture? How/why do social structure, religion, language influence cultural differences? What are differences between culture and values in the workplace (corporate culture)? Culture changes over time. What are some reasons behind this? Implications for business managers

Cultural Appreciation
Values Customs Aspects of culture Symbols

Language

What is Culture?
Culture:

a societys (groups) system of shared, learned values and norms; these are the societys (groups) design for living
Values: abstract ideas about the good, the

right, the desirable Norms: social rules and guidelines; guide appropriate behavior for specific situations
Folkways: norms of little moral significance
dress code; table manners; timeliness

Mores: norms central to functioning of social life

bring serious retribution: thievery, adultery, alcohol

Cultural Diversity
Values

represent personal or socially preferable modes of conduct or states of existence that are enduring.
Why doesnt McDonalds sell hamburgers in India?

Cultural Diversity
Customs

are norms and expectations about the way people do things in a specific country.
Why were 3M executives perplexed concerning lukewarm sales of ScotchBrite floor cleaner in the Philippines?

What is Culture?
the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group over another Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture

Geert Hofstede

National Culture
Nation is a useful:
Definition of society

similarity among people a cause -- and effect -- of national boundaries

Way to bound and measure culture for conduct of

business

culture is a key characteristic of societ can differ significantly across national borders
also within national borders

laws are established along national lines

Culture is both a cause and an effect of economic and political factors that vary across national borders

Social Structure and Culture

Unit of social organization: individual or group? Society may be stratified into classes or castes
High-low stratification High-low mobility between strata

The individual: building block of many Western societies

Entrepreneurship Social, geographical and inter-organizational mobility

The group:
Two or more associated individuals with a shared identity Interact with each-other in specific ways on the basis of a common set of expectations.

Religion, Ethics and Culture

Religion: system of shared beliefs about the sacred Ethical systems: moral principles or values that shape and guide behavior; often products of religion Major religious groups and some economic implications

Christianity Islam Hinduism Buddhism Confucianism

protestant work ethic Islamic economic principles anti-materialistic, socially stratified anti-materialistic, social equality hierarchy, loyalty, honesty

Language: Culture Bound

Language, spoken private does not exist as a word in many

languages Eskimos: 24 words for snow Words which describe moral concepts can be unique to countries or areas Spoken language precision important in lowcontext cultures
Language, unspoken Context... more important than spoken word in

high context cultures

Non-Verbal Gestures

Non-Verbal Gestures

Non-Verbal Gestures

Non-Verbal Gestures

Cultural Stereotypes
Cultural stereotypes: values and behaviors considered typical of a culture

Are they valuable?

Yes, if they reduce uncertainty about what expatriate can expect. No, if used to label an individual unlike the stereotype

Education and Culture

Education

Medium through which people are acculturated Language, myths, values, norms taught

Teaches personal achievement and competition

Critical to national competitive advantage
Education system

may be a cultural outcome

Cultural Change Over Time

Change

is slow and often painful Shifts away from traditional values towards secular values Changes with shift from survival values to selfexpression values

Cultural Distance
Geographic

and cultural (or pshychic) distance among countries may not be the same
concept which can affect IB strategy and conduct

Key