Syllabus and schedule highlights

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Set 4 Culture, Diversity, Communication

What are some indicators of a country’s culture?

All roads lead to Rome. (Rome)

All roads do not lead to Rome. (Slovenia)

An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. (Arab)

Below the navel there is neither religion nor truth. (Italy)

Be prepared. (Boy Scouts)

Some proverbs—what can we learn?

The big thieves hang the little ones. (Czech)

The church is near, but the way is icy. The tavern is far, but I will walk carefully. (Ukraine)

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. (Arab)

Fish or cut bait. (U.S.)

The hammer shatters glass but forges steel. (Russia)

Some proverbs

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. (U.S.)

The hand that gives gathers. (Sweden)

A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood. (China)

After victory, tighten your helmet strap. (Japan)

Act and you shall have dinner, think and you shall be dinner. (Klingon)

Some proverbs

Some highlights about culture and IB

Cultural values

Hofstede

GLOBE project

Cultural values about management vary…

Centralized (top-down) vs. decentralized decision-making:

Safety vs. risk: comfort with uncertainty and risk

Individual vs. group rewards

Informal methods vs. formal procedures/rules

Loyalty to organization vs. loyalty to profession

Cooperation vs. competition—employees, companies

Short-term profits vs. long-term growth/innovation

Valuing stability vs. valuing change

Priorities of Cultural ValuesExample: US, Japan, Arab countries

Values in CultureImpact of values on management…

1. Power distance2. Uncertainty avoidance3. Individualism/collectivism4. Masculinity/femininity

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture

Power distance: Less powerful members accept that power is distributed unequally

[but do they really?]

High: obey superiors; centralized, tall structures (e.g., Mexico, South Korea, India)

Low: flatter, decentralized structures, fewer supervisors (e.g., Austria, Finland, Ireland)

Uncertainty avoidance: create beliefs/institutions the threat of ambiguous situations

High: more focus on expert knowledge, structure, rules, less risk-taking (e.g., Germany, Japan, Spain)

Low: less structure in activities, fewer rules, more employee turnover (e.g., Denmark, Great Britain)

Individualism/collectivism: look after self and immediate family only, or broader group

High individualism: focus on work, individual initiative, promotions based on accomplishment/value (e.g., U.S., Canada, Sweden)

High collectivism: less focus on work, less individual initiative, promotions based on seniority (e.g., Indonesia, Pakistan)

Masculinity/feminity: which social values appear primary?High masculinity: emphasize earnings, recognition,

advancement, challenge, wealth. Job stress is high (e.g., Germanic countries)

High feminine countries: emphasize caring for others, quality of life, cooperation, friendly atmosphere., employment security, group decision making. Job stress is low (e.g., Norway)

GLOBE project: Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness

Org. culture and diversity

interaction of national and MNC culturemulti-culturalism and diversity in MNCsproblems/advantages of diversity

Interaction betweenNational and Organizational Culture

National cultural values affect employee’s behavior/performance

Cultural values employees bring to workplace are not easily changed

Dimensions of Organizational Culture

European View of U.S. Operations of one MNC

National Patterns of Corporate Culture

Diversity/Multiculturalism

An MNC’s mix at home and abroad may includemen, womenyoung, oldblack, white, yellow, brown, red, etc. multiple religions

What else??

Disadvantages of Diversity

Perceptual problemsPreconceived, erroneous stereotypes of others

Inaccurate biases

Inaccurate communication

Attitudinal problemsMay lead to lack of cohesion, inability to act, poor

performance

Advantages of Diversity

More creativity

Better decisions

More effective/productive results

Less groupthink

Better teams

Communication

contextsuggestions and barriersnegotiation

Verbal Communication

Context:

Information that surrounds a communication and helps convey the message

Explains many communication differences

Verbal Communication

High-context culture: messages coded, implicit and indirect; voice intonation, timing, facial expressions play important roles in conveying information

(e.g., Japan, Arab countries, Latin America)

Low-context culture: people often meet only to accomplish objectives; tend to be direct and focused in communications

(e.g., Germany, Scandinavia, US, Canada)

Suggestions for CommunicationUse common words

Words with few alternative meanings

Follow grammar rules

Speak clearly

Avoid slang, unusual, or culturally biased words

Avoid words that require mental images (“off the charts”)

Clarify/repeat basic ideas

Test understanding—ask him/her to paraphrase

Communication Barriers

Language, body language barriersPractical barriers

Differences in approaches to benefits, compensation, pay cycles, holidays,

Metric system popular—include conversions in all communications

Calendars, ways of displaying dates, paper sizes, measuresBe sure that even in English-speaking countries, words don’t

have different meanings—e.g., dollar

Cultural Differences and Negotiation

Don’t assume you can identify someone’s culture, or that it fits.

Western bias toward “doing”. Being, feeling, thinking, talking may shape relationship more than doing.

Norms for outsiders may be different than for compatriots.

Don’t overestimate familiarity with someone’s culture.