Chapter 3
Understanding the Role of Culture
PowerPoint by
Kristopher Blanchard
North Central University
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Overview
Culture and its effects on organizations
Cultural variables
Cultural value dimensions
The Internet and culture
Developing cultural profiles
Culture and management styles around the
world
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Key Terms
Culture Savvy
Cultural Sensitivity or Cultural Empathy
Culture of a society
Self reference criterion
Parochialism
Ethnocentrism
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Culture and Its Effects on
Organizations
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Culture and Its Effects on
Organizations
Once upon a time there was a
great flood, and involved in this
flood were two creatures, a
monkey and a fish. The monkey,
being agile and experienced, was
lucky enough to scramble up a
tree and escape the raging waters.
As he looked down from his safe
perch, he saw the poor fish
struggling against the swift
current. With the best of
intentions, he reached down and
lifted the fish from the water.
The result was inevitable.
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Cultural Variables
Never assume that a manager can transplant
American, or Japanese, or any other
country’s styles, practices, expectations, and
processes
Managers need to develop a cultural profile
that identifies the specific differences found
in each country
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Subcultures
Residents of the country only conform to
the national character to a certain degree
Could be from ethnic, geographic, or other
variables
Good managers treat people as individuals
and they avoid any form of stereotyping
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Influences on National Culture
Kinship – guides family relationships
Education – formal or informal education of
workers affects workplace expectations
Economy – means of production and
distribution in a society influences all
aspects of the resource allocation
Politics – system of government imposes
varying constraints on an organization
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Influences on National Culture
Religion – spiritual beliefs of a society are so
powerful that they overpower all other cultural
aspects
Associations – the formal and informal groups that
make up a society
Health – system of health care affects employee
productivity
Recreation – the use, attitude, and choice of how
to use leisure time
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Cultural Value Dimensions
Values are a society’s ideas about what is
good or bad, right or wrong
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Project GLOBE Cultural
Dimensions
Assertiveness
Future orientation
Performance orientation
Human orientation
Gender differentiation
Uncertainty avoidance
Power distance
Institutional collectivism vs individualism
In-group collectivism
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Cultural Clusters
Ex. 3-3 & Ex 3-4. Globe Project
Assertiveness & Non Assertiveness: Most Spain, USA,
Greece. Least Sweden, NZ
Perf Orientation. Most USA, Taiwan. Least Russia,
Argentina
Future Orientation. Most Denmark, Ca. Least Russia,
Argentina
Humane Orientation. Most Indonesia, Egypt, Malaysia.
Least Germany (Former West), Spain
3.4 Geographic Culture Clusters. Southern Asia, Confucian
Asia, Anglo, Latin America, to some extent, these specify
the cultural clusters
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Hofstede’s Value Dimensions
Power distance. To what extent, unequal dist. of
power accepted by the society
Uncertainty Avoidance. To what extent people feel
threaten by ambiguity
Individualism. Tendency to look for themselves &
their family
Masculinity. The degree typical values such as
assertiveness, materialism & lack of concern for
others. Femininity emphasizes concerns for others,
relationships with others, & quality of life.
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Trompenaar’ Value Dimensions
Universalistic vs particularistic. Applying rules
objectively or subjectively
Neutral vs Affective. Specific or diffuse in
relationship.. Specific oriented separate work
personal vs diffuse mix work &personal.
Achievement vs ascription Source of power in
achievement is individual-how well one
performs the job & what level of experience &
education one offers
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Critical Operational Value
Differences
Time: temporal vs non linear
Change: some forms of control over the
future vs destiny or will of Allah
Material factors
Individualism
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The Internet and Culture
Affecting many social variables:
associations, education, & the economy. For
example, in S Korea, the desire for
technology in syn: economy & daily habits.
Affecting how internet is used. Attitude
toward information privacy-the right to
control information about oneself. See Exh.
3.8
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Developing Cultural Profiles
Mgsr to gather info considerable info on cultural
variables from current research, personal
observation, & discussions with people. Develop
cultural profiles of various countries- composite
pics of working environ, people attitudes etc.
Exh 3.7- a basic comparison with other cultures on
10 dimensions
http://www.bspage.com/1netiq.html
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Comparative management in Focus
Japan-principle of wa (peace & harmony)
embedded in amae (indulgent love)
Japan’s cultural roots produced a very
homogeneous managerial value system, with
strong middle management, strong working
relationship, a strong seniority system. Wa
emphasises participative mgmt, consensus
problem solving, & decision making within a
patient & long term prospective.
Evidence of some convergence bet western
business culture & Japan. Group, lifetime
employment focus has given way to more
competitive bus environment with no guaranteed
job security & emphasis on perf based pay.
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Comparative management in Focus
2. Germany. Ranks high on ind. (less individualistic than
the uS), high on uncertainty avoidance & masculinity,
relatively small need for power distance. Thus, Manifest
preferences to be around familiar people & situations, &
for detailed evaluation of business before committing
themselves.
Christianity domination- perpetuates their need for rule &
order in their lives. Assertive but not aggressive. Have a
strict sense & use of time & follow hierarchical org
structures with power at the top. Want detailed info.
http://www.germany-info.or/
3. South Korea. Ranks high on collectivism & pragmatism,
fairly low on masculinity, moderate on power distance &
quite high on uncertainty avoidance. Priority on family,
respect for authority, formality, class & rank. Aggressive,
hardworking, friendly & hospitable.
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Culture and Management Styles
Korea. Bus based on honor & trust, most
contracts are oral.
http://www.1.kcci.or.kr/eng/dbdefault.htm
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Looking Ahead
Chapter 4 - Communicating Across Cultures
– The Communication Process
– The Culture – Communication Link
– Information Technology
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Culture Savvy
A working knowledge
of the cultural
variables affecting
management decisions
Return
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Cultural Sensitivity or Cultural
Empathy
An awareness and an
honest caring about
another individual’s
culture.
Return
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Culture of a society
Comprises 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.
Return
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Self reference criterion
The unconscious
reference point of
one’s own cultural
values
Return
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Parochialism
Occurs when a Frenchman, for example,
expects those from or in another country to
automatically fall into patterns of behavior
common in France.
Return
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Ethnocentrism
Describes the attitude of those who operate
from the assumption that their ways of
doing things are best – no matter where or
under what conditions they are applied
Return
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