Introduction to IS

- Jayati Singh

Nature of Culture
Culture is the acquired knowledge that

people use to interpret experience and

generate social behavior
Cultural knowledge forms values,

creates attitudes, and influences

behavior

Not everyone in a culture has exactly

the same values.

Culture
Culture is the shared values, understandings, assumptions

and goals that are learned from earlier generations,

imposed by present members of a society and passed on to
succeeding generations. It often results in shared attitudes,
codes of conduct, and expectations that subconsciously
guide and control certain norms of behavior.

As shown in the figure, national and sociocultural variables

provide the context for cultural variables, which in turn

determine attitudes toward work, time, materialism,
individualism, and change. Attitudes affect behavior and,
thus, individuals motivation and expectations regarding
work and workplace relations.

Values and Folkways

Culture sets norms (expectations) for

behavior

Values are cultural beliefs about right and

wrong. Values have moral significance and

are often included in law.
Folkways are customary ways of behaving,

with little or no moral significance.

Examples: wedding customs, what to wear
to a funeral

Priorities of Cultural Values

United
States
1.Freedom
2.Independence
3.Self-reliance
4.Equality
5.Individualism
6.Competition
7.Efficiency
8.Time
9.Directness
10.Openness

Japan
1.Belonging
2.Group
harmony
3.Collectiveness
4.Age/seniority
5.Group
consensus
6.Cooperation
7.Quality
8.Patience
9.Indirectness
10. Go-between

Arab
Countries
1.Family
security
2.Family
harmony
3.Parental
guidance
4.Age
5.Authority
6.Compromise
7.Devotion
8.Patience
9.Indirectness
10. Hospitality

Sub-cultures and Cultural

Change
Groups within a culture may be part of a sub-

culture that varies in some ways from the

national culture.

Cultures can change gradually over time.

People who have worked outside their own

country or have friends from other cultures

may pick up some attitudes or behaviors from
the other culture.

How Cultures View Each

Other
Stereotyping: assumes that all people

within one culture or group behave,

believe, feel, and act the same.

Ethnocentrism: occurs when people from

one culture believe that theirs are the

only correct norms, values, and beliefs.

Self-reference criterion: the assumption

that people in another culture will

behave like people in your culture

Hofstedes Cultural
Dimensions
Power Distance
Power distance: The extent to which less

powerful members of institutions and

organizations accept that power is distributed
unequally
High power distance countries: people may blindly obey

the orders of their superiors and are less likely to

question authority. Companies tend to use centralized
decision-making and tall organization structures (many
levels of management)
Denmark, Israel, Austria
Low power distance countries: flatter and decentralized

organization structures, smaller ratio of supervisors.

Employees are more likely to question their bosses.

Hofstedes Cultural
Dimensions
Individualism and
Collectivism
Individualism: Tendency of people to look after

themselves and their immediate family only

Countries high in individualism: High individual

initiative. Promotions are based on achievement.

Salaries are based on market value.
Australia, US, UK
Collectivism: Tendency of people to belong to groups or

collectives and to look after each other in exchange for

loyalty
Countries high in collectivism: Low individual

initiative. Salaries and promotions may be based on

seniority
Italy, Korea, Singapore

Hofstedes Cultural
Dimensions
Uncertainty Avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance: Extent to which people feel

threatened by ambiguous situations and have

created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid
such situations
High uncertainty avoidance countries: people have high

need for security, strong belief in experts and their

knowledge, more written rules and procedures, less risk
taking by managers
Greece, Japan, France
Low uncertainty avoidance countries: people are more

willing to accept risks associated with the unknown, fewer

written rules and procedures, more risk taking by
managers, higher employee turnover, more ambitious
employees
India, Denmark, Singapore

Hofstedes Cultural
Dimensions
Masculinity and Femininity
Masculinity: the dominant social values are success,

money and things

Countries high in masculinity: People place great

importance on earnings, recognition, advancement,

challenge, and wealth. High job stress.
Japan, Mexico, Germany
Femininity: the dominant social values are caring for

others and the quality of life

Countries high in femininity: great importance on

cooperation, friendly atmosphere, employment

security, and the natural environment. Low job
stress.
Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand

Trompenaars Cultural
Dimensions
Universalism vs. particularism
Universalism the belief that ideas and practices

can be applied everywhere in the world without

modification. People tend to focus on formal rules
and expect business partners to do the same.
USA, Germany, Sweden
Particularism the belief that circumstances

dictate how ideas and practices should be applied

and some things cannot be done the same way
everywhere. People tend to focus on relationships,
working things out to suit those involved.
Japan, Spain, China

Trompenaars Cultural
Dimensions
Neutral vs. Emotional Cultures
Neutral culture a culture in which emotions are

held in check. People try not to show their feelings

Japan, UK, Germany
Emotional culture a culture in which emotions are

expressed openly and naturally. People smile, may

talk loudly, greet each other with enthusiasm, show
happiness or unhappiness.
Spain, Italy, China

Trompenaars Cultural
Dimensions
Achievement vs. Ascription n
Achievement culture - culture in which people are

accorded status based on how well they perform

their work and what they have accomplished
Job, work performance, education, etc.
US, UK, Sweden
Ascription culture - culture in which status is

attributed based on who or what a person is

For example, status may be accorded on the basis

of age, gender, family, tribe, ethnic group, etc.

Spain, Japan, China

Trompenaars Cultural
Dimensions
Use of time
Sequential use of time - people do one

thing at a time, keep appointments

strictly, follow plans to the letter
Synchronous use of time - people do

more than one thing at a time,

appointments are approximate

Trompenaars' Research on
People and the External Environment
Inner-directed: People believe in

controlling environmental outcomes

and think that they can control what
happens to them

Outer-directed: People believe in

allowing things to take their natural

course and living in harmony with
nature. People are less likely to believe
that they can control what happens to
them.