Transcript Meaning and Dimensions of Culture

Meaning and Dimensions of Culture
Chapter 4
Chapter Outline
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The nature of culture
 The nature of culture
 Values and folkways
 Comparing cultural values
 Sub-cultures and cultural change
 How culture affects management – see page 95
 How cultures view each other
Chapter Outline (2)
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Cultural dimensions – how people look at life
 Hofstede's dimensions
 Country clusters – countries with similar
cultural dimensions
 Trompenaar's dimensions
The Nature of Culture
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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.
The Nature of Culture (2)
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Characteristics of culture include:
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Learned
Shared
Transgenerational
Symbolic
Patterned
Adaptive
See page 94 for definitions.
Values and Folkways
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Culture sets norms (expectations) for
behavior
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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
Table 4-1: 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
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Groups within a culture may form a subculture 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
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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
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Power Distance
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Power distance: The extent to which less powerful
members of institutions and organizations accept that
power is distributed unequally
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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)
Low power distance countries: flatter and decentralized
organization structures, smaller ratio of supervisors. Employees
are more likely to question their bosses. Participative
management may be used.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Individualism and Collectivism
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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.
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
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Uncertainty Avoidance
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Uncertainty avoidance: Extent to which people feel
threatened by ambiguous situations and have created
beliefs and institutions that try to avoid such situations
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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
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
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Masculinity and Femininity
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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.
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.
Country Clusters
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Countries in the same clusters have similar work
values and attitudes.
1. Anglo-American (U.S., U.K., Australia)
2. Nordic (Norway, Finland, Denmark)
3. South American (Venezuela, Mexico, Chile)
4. Latin European (France, Belgium)
5. Germanic (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Other researchers have found other
clusters, depending on variables used
Synthesis of Country Clusters
Adapted from Figure 4–8: A Synthesis of Country Clusters
Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions
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Universalism vs. particularism
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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.
Particularism – the belief that circumstances
dictate how ideas and practices should be applied
and something cannot be done the same
everywhere. People tend to focus on relationships,
working things out to suit those involved.
Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions (2)
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Neutral vs. Emotional Cultures
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Neutral culture – a culture in which emotions are
held in check. People try not to show their feelings
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.
Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions (3)
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Achievement vs. Ascription n
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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.
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.
Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions (4)
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Use of time
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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
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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.