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Differences in Culture

Differences in Culture. Chapter 3 BA 555. What is Culture?. “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society.” - Edward Tylor.

marny-chaney
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Differences in Culture

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  1. Differences in Culture Chapter 3 BA 555

  2. What is Culture? “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society.” - Edward Tylor

  3. “A system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living.” - Hofstede, Namenwirth, and Weber What is Culture?

  4. Culture, Society, and the Nation State • A society is a group of people bound together by a common culture • There is not a strict one-to-one correspondence between a society and a nation state • Nation State: • Is a political creation • May contain a single culture or several cultures

  5. The Determinants of Culture

  6. Language • Spoken • Verbal cues • Language structures perception of world • Unspoken • Body language • Personal space

  7. Formal Education • Medium through which many of society’s language, conceptual, and mathematical skills are taught • Supplements the family’s role in socializing the young into the values and norms of a society • Schools teach social and political values and the fundamental obligations of citizenship • Cultural norms are also taught indirectly at school • respect for others • obedience to authority • honesty • neatness • being on time • competition and personal acheivement (grading system)

  8. Dimensions of Culture in the Workplace • Power distance – extent of power differential across societal groups • Individualism versus collectivism - the relationship between the individual and others within a culture • Uncertainty avoidance - extent to which individuals are comfortable with uncertain or ambiguous situations • Masculinity versus femininity - the relationship between gender and work roles • Time orientation – acceptable time for fruits of labor (drawn from Confucianism)

  9. Work-Related Values for20 Selected Countries

  10. Long-Term Orientation Across Countries

  11. National Cultural Clustering Ronen and Shenkar’s culture clustering

  12. Problems with Hofstede • Assumes one-to-one relationship between culture and the nation state • Research may have been culturally bound • Survey respondents were from a single industry (computer) and a single company (IBM)

  13. Cultural Change • Culture is not a constant; it evolves over time • Since 1960s American values toward the role of women have changed • Japan moved toward greater individualism in the workplace • Globalization will continue to have impacts on cultures around the world

  14. Religious and Ethical Systems • Religion: a system of shared beliefs and rituals that are concerned with the realm of the sacred • Ethical systems: a set of moral principles, or values, that are used to guide and shape behavior • Most of the world’s ethical systems are the product of religions • Among the thousands of religions in the world today, four dominate in terms of numbers of adherents: • Christianity with 1.7 billion adherents • Islam with 1 billion adherents • Hinduism with 800 million adherents • Buddhism with 350 million adherents

  15. Religion

  16. Religion

  17. Hinduism • Began in at least 4000 BC, possibly earlier • Believed to be polytheistic, but the central belief is that everything is one with God (Brahma) • Purpose of life is to realize that we are part of God, and this process of self-improvement is achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death (reincarnation) • Moksha or oneness with God is the goal, cycle of rebirth stops • Multiple deities, however, these are reincarnations of Brahma. When mankind is in trouble, God comes down in the form of man (or sometimes beast) to help. • Holy Book: Gita • Place of Worship: Temple

  18. Buddhism • Began in 537 BC by Gautam Buddha; third oldest religion of the world. • The Middle Path: extremes of behavior are not good. One must figure out for oneself what the appropriate approach is. • Thinking man’s religion: people are not told what to do. To gain knowledge is critical in this process, leading to enlightenment • Belief in reincarnation; goal is nirvana • No god in this religion, or need for a savior. Only teachers and spiritual leaders thought to be reincarnated from Buddha.

  19. Confucianism • Confucius born in 551 BC. • Teachings and writings on morality and ethics, etiquette, relationships, honesty and trustworthiness, love, loyalty, and the proper exercise of political power. • Primarily an ethical system rather than a religion that revolves around a God. • Notions of Confucianism exist side by side with other religions.

  20. Orientation Towards Other Cultures • Ethnocentrism • Belief that home country ideas and values are superior to those of other countries • Polycentrism • Belief that local customs and values should prevail over that of home country • Geocentrism • The best practices and ideas can be found in and adopted from any part of the world

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