HOWEST University BelgiumOffice management

Dirk Lavergepart 1

HOWEST University BelgiumOffice management

Dirk Lavergepart 1

The Cultural ImperativeGlobal trends in the 21st

Century

Contents

• 1 The roots and routes of Culture

• 2 Culture and Climate

• 3 Culture and Religion

• 4 Cross-century Worldviews

• 5 Cultural spectacles

• 6 Cultural black holes

• 7 Cognitive processes

• 8 Pacific Rim• 9 China

Phenomenon• 10 Americanization

vs Asianization• 11 Culture &

globalization• 12 Empires-past,

present & future• Epilogue after 9.11

Chapter 1From 2 000 000 BC to AD 2000: the roots• incomplete version history• culture, genetics or cultural

programming?• roots and routes

Incomplete version of history

• Do we (Europeans) have a complete version of the history of mankind in mind?

• Let’s check this?• What are the most important facts of our history?

• Generally people start talking about • Greece culture• Rome Empire (= benchmark)• Middle Ages• Etc…

• But our history did not start 2,000 years ago but 500,000

• So we ignore 99,5% of history….

• -500 000 0 2011

• We know a little bit about the history of Europe and perhaps the US, but mostly nothing about:• History of Africa• History of Asia• History of South America• Aztecs, Mayas, Incas

• History of Australia• Aboriginals

• So our cultural awareness is …

• The most • populous• influential• technically advanced

• country in history is….• its culture dates back from

5,000 years (ours + 2,000)

Cultural diversity development calendar

Prehumans

Homo Sapiens

Regional

Indians Chinese Finns Celts Mediterraneans

- 1,000,000,000 social behaviour

- 50,000 cultural dvlpt.

- 5,000 divergence

Today

• In a fast changing economy, where our village is the world culture is moving higher up the world agenda as a major challenge in business and politics…

• So as a management assistant, you need to be aware of cultural differences, and how to deal with them.

Roots and Routes• The roots of culture align themselves with the

routes of culture.• diagram (page 8)• Africa -> Europe• Africa -> Asia -> America • historical ‘rendezvous’ 1492 Columbus

• 4 basic roots of culture• geographic environment & climate• religion• language• historical happenings

• How many cultures now?• 200 different• How many languages?• 400 à 500 different

• However: trend of globalization and standardization• of values• and modes of behavior

Cultural behaviour is the end product of • collected wisdom• filtered and passed down• through hundreds of generations• as shared• core beliefs• values• assumptions• notions• persistent action patterns

Culture is• a collective programming • of the mind• that distinguishes • the members • of one human group• from another

Iceberg of Culture

• visual

• hidden

Layers of Culture

layers of

culture

national

regional

ethnic

religious

genera-tional

classgender

profes-sional

educa-tional

corporate

personal

Categorisation of layers of culture

Influences• Culture is strongly influenced by• the geographic environment and climate• religion• language• historical happenings

Chapter 2Culture & ClimateEast Side storyEffects of climate

Impact of climate

• Why did the dino’s disappear?• What caused the first humans to leave Africa?• Answer = climate

• Climate is also the only factor we cannot change• religion: we have a choice• environment: can be changed (sustainability)• geography: Holland (delta werken)

East Side story• correlation between:• evolution of climate• evolution of the hominids

• birthplace of humans = Africa• 2 500 000 years ago: drastic change in climate

(cooling of the whole earth) left East Africa dry• upright stance• from vegetarian to meat-eating diet• brain enlarged

The Effects of Climate• Cold climate• Sweden, • Finland• …

• Moderate• France• …

• Hot climate• Brazil, • Saudi Arabia• ….

Climate and work

• Stereotype• We work• Mexicans, Africans and Arabs don’t• They lie in the shade of tropical trees…

• This is of course not true, but still we can make a generalisation about work ethic:• low temperatures are conducive to vigorous physical

activity• cold wether gets you on the move

Climate and communication• There is a direct effect of sunshine, heat and cold

on the way people greet and talk to each other.• Northern Europe • meeting friends on street = brief interaction• a broad American smile at -20° in Helsinki makes your

front teeth ache• this culture of outdoor succinctness carries over to indoor

habits.• We observe this also in• USA: Maine, Montana, Wyoming ….• UK: Lancashire, Yorkshire• Murmansk• Japan’s Hokkaido

• Mediterranean countries • part of their lives = on the street, village

square, waterfront, ….• conversation = art , social enjoyment• gossip • nasty connotations in Nordic ears• an essential component of the social

structure in hot-weather cultures

• Generalisation• European latins= open, smiling exterior

appearances• cold Nordics = pinched faces• suspicious Germans or Brits

• eye contact• Latins and Arabs maintain almost

constant eye contact• Nordics and Brits avoid prolonged

eye contact

• tactile behaviour• Latins, Arabs & Africans often touch

each other while they talk• This friendly gesture is less easily

attainable through thick Nordic furs or British duffle coats.

Other climate-linked cultural attributes• Humor in the rain• constantly changing weather imparts a sense of humour• Mediterranean• Wit = jeu de mots, double entendres, aphorisms

• British = a sense of humour born of disappointment• rained-oud cricket matches• postponede Wimbledon encounters• ruined garden parties• burst pipes in winter• foggy weddings

Dress & use of color• Greek: paint boats with light blue, turquoise, pink= inspiration from azuer sky, blue-green sea, pink sunsets• Portuguese: vivid orange, green and blue boats•Mexican shawls• Guatemalan rugs• Indonesian dancers• Bolivian ponchos• Tahitian tribal dress

• Swiss, Finnish & Swedish houses • grey• reflecting cloudy sky

food and drink• Mediterranean• local resources: fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables cooked in

olive oil, and washed down with …..

• Nordic• eat more meat with thick sauces to combat the cold

• Scots• porridge• whisky

Sunshine and suicide

http://www.asianoffbeat.com/default.asp?display=1052

Natural disasters & culture• examples• perennial droughts of Somalia, Eritrea, parts

of Ethiopia, …• permafrost northern Siberia• life-threatening cold Arctic regions• frequent catastrophic flooding India,

Bangladesh.

• Are these people decisive about seeking habitation elsewhere?• guess….

• climatological hardships seem to engender a fatalistic attitude

climate and affinities• what do Inuit & African Bushman have in

common?• a London spring would be chilly for the Bushman• and hot for the Inuit

• so they have a completely seperate experience of habits, foods, philosophies, …..

• Sicilians and Finns don’t have a lot to talk about…..

Summary• climate affects culture• as heat increases, industriousness decreases• warm temperatures engender loquaciousness ( =

….)• cold conditions produce taciturnity ( = ….)• rainy weaher engenders • tolerance,• adaptation, • humor.

3 Culture & ReligionIslam, hinduism, judaism, jainism, sikhism buddhism, shinto, christianity, globalization of religion

• impact of religion on war• Israeli-Palestinian conflict• breakup of Yogoslavia• war in Chechnya• troubles in Ireland• september 11

• Hinduism• greatest number of adherents

• Islam• fastest-growing religion

• Buddhism• key to mental workings of more than a billion people in

Asia(China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, ….)

The language factor• religion and writing• hieroglyph = sacred carving

• religion could spread thanks to a prestige languageand the success of a religion guaranteed fame to the language

• patnerships• Jewish & ….• Islam & …• Buddhism & …• Christianity & …

The political factor• Kemal Ataturk modernized Turkey• replaced the Arabic script with the roman alphabet• replaced the Islamic calenderar with the Western one• abolished the fez

• so he tolerated Islam as a religion, but banned it as a lifestyle.

Supernatural beliefs & divine descent• tribes had supernatural beliefs• if these were classified to form a code, they were

transformed in to a religion

Relativity of religious influence• The impact of religion on a nation’s culture

depends to some extent on whether or not it is operating from a ‘core country’.• India is the core country for …• Israel for the …• Russia for the ….• Northern Europe for …• Southern Europe for ..• Islam = different• Mekka (Saoudi Arabia = few in number)• Indonesia = more relaxed form• bitter rivalry between Shiite and ….• So who can claim the Muslim world?

Islam• 5 pillars• acknowledge the Oneness of God & his prophet

Muhammad• pray …. times a day• give alms to the poor and to the mosque• fast during ….• make a pilgrimage to Mecca

values Islam• belief in Allah• extended family• respect for the elderly• conservatism• gender differentiation• hospitality• sincerity• morality• sense of honor• etc…

cultural contrasts with the West <> Islam

• separate church & state

• individual = social unit

• cold facts• fair but just• believe in

organisations• equality men &

woman• behave rationally• friends = good

company

• …..

• official channels : business

• negotiating: logical conlusions

• elderly are ignored

• use personal relationships

• emotional appeals

• respect

Social & Business considerations• golden rule : observing their taboos• alchohol• pork• eating with one’s left hand• discussing female relatives• causing embarassement• mingling of sexes in public places

• eldest male = head• woman are not seen socially• lamb = most popular meat (right hand!)

business rules• securing business depends more on • establishing trust• than on price of quality !!!

• in meetings, order of seeting is important• hard bargainers• if you do not bargain, they will be disappointed

• when negotiating price, proceed slowly• emotional arguments > cold reasoning• nobody must lose face !!

• the spoken word has much more weight than written agreements

• speak in a loud voice• they like to stand close, don’t shy away.• show you are interested in the person rather than

his company.• praise their • country,• their arts• morality• integrity• dress & food• but not their women !

note• Islam = Arab world• Arabs account for only 1/5th of the world’s

Muslims.• so most muslims live outside the Arab world.• Indonesia, Pakistan & Bangladesh = 500 000 000• Turkey = 70 000 000• Hindu India = 100 000 000 Muslims.• Europe = 7 000 000

Hinduism• the most ancient surviving religion on earth• tolerant religion• no founder, no hierarchy, no central authority• Veda = most ancient religious literature• Vegetarism• Veneration of cows• belief of transmigration of souls and karma• samsara = process of rebirth• dharma = hindu code of living

Hindu considerations in Business• if you fail, you can always blame bad karma• when making decisions, a Hindu wil look back for

good precedents to follow (instead of pesonal choices).

• Hindu rule of nonviolence• caste system must be borne in mind• women = underprivileged position

not• Judaism• Jainism• Sikhism• Shinto

Buddhism• 4 noble truths

• all life is sorrow• sorrow is the result of unchecked desire• cessation of desire ends sorrow• one must follow the middle way

• path is eigthfold• right understanding• right purpose• right speech• right action• right livelihood• right effort• seet the truth• conotemplation

Business• they conduct their lives in an unselfish manner• always display moderation• emphasize the sharing of mutual goals!• honesty in business• flexibility to change course

Christianity• 3 major branches• Roman Catholicism (southern Europe)• Eastern Orthodox (Easterne Europe, former Russia)• Protestantism (Northern Europe)

• Protestantism• rising early• eating meals quickly• rushing to work• planning activities• waisting little time• being efficient & tidy• making money asap

Globalisation of religion• Brundtland:

• ironie• globalization ties people together economically• but it also internationalizes problems• organized crime• drug trade• ethnic warfare• ecological pollution