Understanding Culture and Values

Culture

• Can be defined as the set of beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group or society.
• It encompasses everything from language, religion, art, music, literature, cuisine, fashion, and social habits to the ways in which people communicate and interact with one another.
• Often passed down from one generation to the next and is constantly evolving and adapting to new circumstances.
• Culture ≠ Nation (a nation can have multiple cultures within it, and a single culture can be shared by people across different nations)

Values & Norms

• Values are high-level principles, beliefs, and ideals that guide people's actions, decisions, and behaviors.
  • Examples of values: freedom, fairness, inclusion, compassion, respect, individualism, accountability, honesty.
• Norms are unwritten, social rules, and expectations that govern social behavior and interactions within a group or society.
  • They are shared beliefs and expectations about what is considered appropriate and acceptable behavior.
  • Some norms are explicit, such as laws and regulations, while others are implicit and communicated through nonverbal cues and socialization.

Social Structure

• Refers to how a society is organized.
• Includes the various components and systems within a society that help define and maintain its organization and stability, such as institutions, roles, hierarchies, and groups.
• Social structure shapes cultural norms and values.
• Two Dimensions:
  • Individuals vs. groups
  • Social hierarchy or stratification

Individual vs. Group

• Societies differ according to the degree to which the individual vs the group is viewed as the primary means of social organization.
• Business behaviors that are common among individualistic societies:
  • Focus on individual work and competition (vs team work, knowledge sharing)
  • Compensation based on individual achievement (vs team goals, etc)
  • Individual decision-making
  • Difficult to mobilize people for collective action.
  • Career nomad (switch from company to company)
  • Limited socialization during business meetings.

Social Stratification

• Is a hierarchical arrangement of individuals into social categories.
• Individuals are born into a specific social stratum that is based on factors such as family background, wealth, income, education, and occupation.
• This hierarchical structure results in the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among different segments of the population.
• Societies differ with respect to the degree of social mobility and class consciousness.

Language

• Includes Spoken language, Written language, Visual language, and Unspoken language.

Religion

• Is a system of beliefs, values, practices, and rituals that are centered around a higher power or spiritual force.
• Provides people with moral guidance and plays a significant role in influencing individuals’ and society’s behaviors.
• Implications for International Business:
  • Ethical considerations: Religion often shapes people's ethical values and moral beliefs, which can influence business decisions and practices.
  • Workforce management: Religion can also play a role in workforce management, particularly when it comes to issues like religious holidays and rituals.
  • Product and advertising: Religion can influence what types of products are acceptable and how products and services are advertised in a country.

Describing Culture

• Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory: Developed by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede to help understand and compare cultural differences between countries.

Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Sensitivity

• Ethnocentrism is believing that your culture is superior to others.
• Cultural sensitivity, or cultural literacy refers to a set of skills that allows you to understand and learn about people whose cultural background is not the same as yours and accept that your culture is fundamentally no better than any other culture.

How to Acquire Cultural Sensitivity

• Travel and explore
• Consult or hire a native citizen to help you learn the culture and advise you on acceptable and inacceptable behaviors.

Implications for Business

• Interpersonal communications: Who is allowed to talk? When? Where? How do you greet? What physical contact is appropriate?
• Hand gestures: In some Cultures, the left hand is considered unclean and used strictly for bodily hygiene (e.g., United Arab Emirates).
• Time management; Punctuality: The perception of time varies between cultures.
• Dress code: Different dress codes are expected in different cultures.
• Socializing and Networking/Dinner Etiquette: Eating with your hands can be the norm in some countries, like Southeast Asia, while finishing all of the food on your plate in China can be considered rude.
  • Always leave food on your plate in China. Finishing your plate when dining at someone's home in China suggests the food wasn't filling enough, and that your host was skimping on the portion size. (saving face)
  • The opposite is true in India or Japan. Leaving food on your plate is disrespectful.
• Bargaining on the table: This varies greatly between cultures.

This quiz explores the concepts of culture, values, and norms. It delves into how these elements shape societies and influence interpersonal interactions. Test your knowledge on the definitions, examples, and distinctions between culture and national identity.