CULTURE AND CULTURE AND SOCIAL SOCIAL FORCESFORCES

CULTURE DEFINITIONCULTURE DEFINITIONAntropologyAntropology•Studies human behavior

Cultural antropologyCultural antropology•Examines all learned behaviors, including social, linguistic, and family behaviors.

CultureCulture•Encompasses the entire heritage of a society transmitted orally,

via literature, or in any other form. Includes all traditions, morals, habits, religion, art, and language.

CULTURE CONCEPTSCULTURE CONCEPTS

“Culture is the integrated sum total of learned behavioral traits that are shared by members of a society” (Hoebel)

“Culture is the entirety of societal knowledge, norms and values” (Antonides and Van Raaij)

“Culture is the collective mental programming of the people in an environment. Culture is not a characteristic of individuals; it encompasses a number of people who were conditioned by the same education and life experience” (Hofstede)

CULTURE Vs. PERSONALITYCULTURE Vs. PERSONALITY

Human nature depends on culture: ideas, values, acts, emotions… are cultural products. Cultural patterns help people to live together in a society.

MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTUREMANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURE

Expressions Expressions of cultureof culture

SYMBOLSSYMBOLS

HEROESHEROES

RITUALSRITUALS

Rituals are the collective activities considered socially essential within a culture.

They are carried out for their own sake.

They are easily observed, but not always understood.

VALUESVALUES

Values are at the core of culture.

Values are stable beliefs regarding desired behavior or end states.

They often have a religious, ideological or humanistic background.

Values are among the first things children learn, not consciously but implicitly.

Core values are resistant to globalization; they vary across cultures and are not likely to change frequently.

NORMSNORMS

Norms and values are part of the “non-material” culture.

Norms are beliefs regarding how to behave and how not to behave (do’s and don’ts).

People differ in the extent to which they accept and comply with norms.

They create expectations and criteria regarding the conduct of others.

BUSINESS AND RELIGIONBUSINESS AND RELIGION

BUSINESS AND EDUCATIONBUSINESS AND EDUCATION

It shapes people’s outlooks, desires and motivations.

Affects: The consumer level and the employee level

Less literacy – Different communication options – More challenge

ATTITUDES TOWARD TIMEATTITUDES TOWARD TIME

Monochronic culture: Activities are undertaken one at a time and people respect schedules and agendas.

Polychronic culture: Multitasking is common, schedules and agendas bend to the needs of people, and interruptions are common

TO SUMMARIZE ON CULTURE…TO SUMMARIZE ON CULTURE…Culture is complex and multi-dimensional, but classification is important in business

Cultural distance is essential in international business

Culture influences perceptions and drives how we communicate and what we communicate

SRC and ethnocentrism can explain the failure of many companies in the international arena

Acculturation (adjusting and adapting to a specific culture other than one’s own) is one of the keys to success in international operations