Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
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Learning Objectives
Understand methods for learning about cultural
Chapter 2
environments
Grasp the major causes of cultural difference and
changes
The Cultural environments Discuss behavioural factors influencing countries’
business practices
Recognise the complexities of cross-cultural
communications
Analyse guidelines for cultural adjustment
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Introduction Introduction
Learning Objective: Culture refers to the learned norms based
Understand methods for learning about on values, attitudes, and beliefs of a group
cultural environments of people
Culture is an integral part of a nation’s
operating environment
Every business function is subject to potential
cultural differences
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Introduction Introduction
Companies need to decide when to make But, cultural collision occurs when
cultural adjustment business practices are less effective or
Cultural diversity can lead to global when employees encounter distress
competitive advantages because of difficulties in accepting or
adjusting to foreign behaviours
How can cultural diversity benefit the
organisation?
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How Cultures Form and Change How Cultures Form and Change
How are cultures different? Culture is formed through learning
Cultural values may change through
Choice
Imposition
Cultural imperialism
Creolisation
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Language: Language:
Cultural Diffuser and Stabiliser Cultural Diffuser and Stabiliser
A common language within a country is a Major Language Groups: Population and Output
unifying force
A shared language between nations
facilitates international business
Native English speaking countries account for a
third of the world’s production
English is the international language of
business
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function
Religion shapes cultural values and
behaviour
Many strong values are the result of a
dominant religion
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Behavioral Practices
Affecting Business Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Learning Objective: Individualism versus collectivism
The perception towards the importance of the collective
Discuss behavioural factors influencing interests of groups
countries’ business practices Power distance
The tendency of people to differentiate themselves from
each other
Uncertainty avoidance
The extent to which people are willing to take risks
Femininity versus masculinity
The attitude towards the relationship between work and
the quality of life
Long-term orientation
The attitude towards time and the preference in thinking
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Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Problems in methodology Work-
One-to-one relation between countries and culture related
Data were collected from only one company values
The study was done between 1967-1973 for 20
selected
countries
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Information and
Task Processing High and Low Context Cultures
Cultures handle information in different
ways
Perception of cues
Obtaining information
Low context versus high context cultures
Information processing
Monochronic versus polychronic culture
Idealism versus pragmatism
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Communications Communications
Cross border communications do not Body Language Is Not A Universal Language
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Ability to adjust
Culture shock and reverse culture shock
Dealing with
Cultural Differences Strategies for Instituting Change
Three orientations for companies and How should managers do to adapt to
management different culture?
Polycentrism
Business units abroad should act like local
companies
Ethnocentism
Home culture is superior to local culture
Geocentrism
Integrate home and host practices
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Strategies for Instituting Change Tutorial Questions (for W02)
Avoid upset deep-seated customs and values How do cultural differences across
Cost-benefit analysis of change countries increase the costs of doing
Avoid too much change to reduce resistance international business?
Participation in discussion with stakeholders How would you do if you work with people
Reward those who can be changed from different cultural background?
Gain support from opinion leaders
Timing
Capitalising on learning abroad
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Tutorial Questions
Case study
Tesco PLC: Leveraging global Knowledge (pp. 96-99)
Questions for the case study
2-3. The US and France are more culturally similar to
the UK than are Thailand and South Korea, yet Tesco
failed in the former two and has been highly successful
in the latter two. How might you explain the difference?
2-4. What is the role of global teams in sharing best
practices across a firm’s global operations? What advice
would you give to make the teams more effective?
2-5. Look at the Tesco PLC website (www.tescoplc.com).
What exactly are its businesses and what do you think
this tells us about its international strategy today?
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