Cross-CulturalCross-CulturalBusinessBusiness

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Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

What is Culture?What is Culture?

Set of values, beliefs, rules, and institutions held by a specific group of people

Cultural literacyDetailed knowledge of a culture that enables a person to function effectively within it

√√

EthnocentricityBelief that one’s own

ethnic group or culture is superior to

that of others

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Culture Matters:Culture Matters:Creating a Global MindsetCreating a Global Mindset

CulturalCulturalAdaptabilityAdaptability

CulturalCulturalAdaptabilityAdaptability

BridgingBridgingthe Gapthe GapBridgingBridgingthe Gapthe Gap

FlexibilityFlexibilityIs KeyIs Key

FlexibilityFlexibilityIs KeyIs Key

BuildingBuildingGlobal MentalityGlobal Mentality

BuildingBuildingGlobal MentalityGlobal Mentality

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National CultureNational Culture

Nation states build museums and monuments to preserve the legacies of important events and people

FilmmakingFilmmakingandand

BroadcastingBroadcasting

FilmmakingFilmmakingandand

BroadcastingBroadcasting

GuggenheimGuggenheimandand

Hong Kong DisneyHong Kong Disney

GuggenheimGuggenheimandand

Hong Kong DisneyHong Kong Disney

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SubcultureSubculture

People who share a unique way of life within a larger culture (language, race, lifestyle, attitudes, etc.)

EXAMPLES

Goth, Punk, Emo

China’s Dialects

Groups in U.S.

Arabs Globally

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Components of CultureComponents of Culture

Physicalenvironments

Education

Personalcommunication

Religion

Social structure

Manners &customs

Values &attitudes

Aesthetics

CultureCulture

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AestheticsAesthetics

Music

Painting

Dance

Drama

Architecture

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Values and AttitudesValues and Attitudes

ValuesValuesValuesValues AttitudesAttitudesAttitudesAttitudes

Positive or negative Positive or negative evaluations, feelings, and evaluations, feelings, and tendencies people hold tendencies people hold

toward objects or conceptstoward objects or concepts

Ideas, beliefs, and Ideas, beliefs, and customs to which customs to which

people are emotionally people are emotionally attachedattached

• FreedomFreedom• ResponsibilityResponsibility• HonestyHonesty

• TimeTime• WorkWork• Cultural changeCultural change

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Manners and CustomsManners and Customs

Manners

Appropriate behavior, speech, and dressing

in general

Customs

Traditional ways or behavior in specific

circumstances

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CustomsCustoms

Gift GivingGift Giving

FolkFolk

PopularPopular

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Social StructureSocial Structure

Social groupTwo or more people who identify and

interact with each other

Social stratificationProcess of ranking people into social layers

Social mobilityEase of moving up or down a culture's

"social ladder"

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World ReligionsWorld Religions

Christianity

Islam

Hinduism

Buddhism

Confucianism

Judaism

Shinto

Origin ofOrigin ofHuman ValuesHuman Values

Origin ofOrigin ofHuman ValuesHuman Values

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Language BlundersLanguage Blunders

Japanese knife manufacturer labeled its exports to the United States

with “Caution: Blade extremely sharp! Keep out of children.”

English sign in a Moscow hotel read, “You are welcome to visit the

cemetery where famous Russians are buried daily, except Thursday.”

Sign for non-Japanese-speaking guests in a Tokyo hotel read, “You

are respectfully requested to take advantage of the chambermaids.”

Sign in English at Copenhagen ticket office read, “We take your bags

and send them in all directions.”

Braniff Airlines’ English-language slogan “Fly in Leather” was

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Lingua FrancaLingua Franca

¿Hola? Guten Tag?

Hello??

Ni Hao? Bonjour?

Hello!!!

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Mixed SignalsMixed Signals

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EducationEducation

Cultures pass on traditions, customs, and values through schooling, parenting, group memberships, etc.

Education level

Well-educated attract high-paying jobs, while poorly educated attract low-paying manufacturing jobs

Brain drain

Departure of highly educated people from one profession, geographic region or nation to another

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Problem of IlliteracyProblem of Illiteracy

Source: Based on World Development Indicators, World Bank Web site (www.worldbank.org).

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Physical and Material CulturePhysical and Material CulturePhysical and Material CulturePhysical and Material Culture

These influence a culture’s development and pace of changeThese influence a culture’s development and pace of change

TopographyPhysical features characterizing the surface of a geographic region

TopographyPhysical features characterizing the surface of a geographic region

ClimateWeather conditions of a geographic region

ClimateWeather conditions of a geographic region

Material CultureTechnology used to manufacture goods and provide services

Material CultureTechnology used to manufacture goods and provide services

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Hofstede FrameworkHofstede Framework

Individualism Individualism vs. collectivismvs. collectivismIndividualism Individualism

vs. collectivismvs. collectivismPowerPower

distancedistancePowerPower

distancedistance

AchievementAchievementvs. nurturingvs. nurturing

AchievementAchievementvs. nurturingvs. nurturing

UncertaintyUncertaintyavoidanceavoidance

UncertaintyUncertaintyavoidanceavoidance

Long-termLong-termorientationorientationLong-termLong-termorientationorientation

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Power Distance &Power Distance &Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism

Source: Geert Hofstede, “The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories,” Journal of International Business Studies, Fall 1983, p. 82.

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Power Distance &Power Distance &Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty Avoidance

Source: Geert Hofstede, “The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories,” Journal of International Business Studies, Fall 1983, p. 84.

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