Impact of Culture on Business Communication_FINAL_SecBGrp12

8/8/2019 Impact of Culture on Business Communication_FINAL_SecBGrp12

1/34

Impact of Culture on BusinessCommunication

Prashant

105

Priyamvada

106

R. Aravindh

107

Rahul

108

24/August/2010


2/34

Agenda

Defining Culture

Measuring CultureHofstedes 4-D Model of Culture

Cultural Dimensions

Egalitarian vs. HierarchicalIndividualism vs. CollectivismRisk-taking vs. Risk-averseHigh-context vs. Low-contextTask-oriented vs. Relationship-orientedPolychronic vs. Monochronic

Conclusion

Q&A


3/34

ValuesPractices

Rituals

Heroes

Symbols

Defining Culture

THINK

ACT

MENTAL PROGRAM

tive programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group/ category from a


4/34

COMMON PROBLEMS

Measuring Culture

DIFFERENT ANSWERS

Relation to Authority

1

individual and society

Ways of Dealing with Conflict

3

Conception of the Self

2

masculinity and feminity

control of aggression

expression of feelings

Power Distance Index (PDI)

Individualism (IDV)

Masculinity (MAS)

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (U

4-D

Four-Dimensional (4-D) Model ofNational Culture

Long-Term Orientation (LTO)


5/34

Perception of Relationships


6/34

Individualism

niversal validity of certain rulesRelations

hips target mutual advantage

Involves management of groups

Decisions made with employees in group in mind

Mot

ivation: Achievement,Autonomy,

Self-sufficiency

Centrality of relationshipsRelationships driven by morals

loyees look after their own interestsInvolves

management of individuals

made on the basis of rules and skills only Driven by sense of duty, loyalty,devotion

INDIVIDUALISTIC COLLECTIVISTIC

Collectivism

UK, United States,Australia, Canada

Taiwan, Mexico,Greece

Organization defends employee interests


7/34

Case Study

A company from UK (highindividualism) is consideringinvesting in Mexico (lowindividualism)


8/34

Collectivism


9/34

Perception of Power


10/34

EgalitarianHierarchical

Rigid Centralization in placeSubordinates dependent on leaders for directions

e boss acts as a benevolent autocratStatus symbols are expected and cherished

Organisations tend to be DecentralizedInterdependence prevails

The boss acts as a resourceful democratStatus symbols are frowned upon

HIERARCHICAL EGALITARIAN

Philippines, Mexico, India,Brazil

Austria, Israel, Denmark,Sweden, Norway


11/34

Case Study

A company from Austria (low powerdistance) is considering enteringinto the Mexican(high powerdistance) market


12/34

High Power Distance


13/34

Perception of risk


14/34

Risk Taking

Uncertainty normal feature Low Stress

Few general rulesComfortable in ambiguous situations

Open to innovation

Uncertainty: common threatHigh Stress

Many precise rules and lawsFear ofambiguous situations

Resistance to innovation

LOW HIGH

Risk Averse

Singapore

Japan

FranceIndia

Denmark

Greece

Accepting of other nationalities Trust mostly family and friend


15/34

Case Study

A company from France (highuncertainty avoidance) isconsidering investing in Denmark(low uncertainty avoidance)


16/34

Perception of risk


17/34

High-Context vs Low-Context

Japan Germany

Obscure addresses Detailed postal addresses


18/34

High Context

Explicit messagesSpoken words have higher value

Few general rulesAlso known as Direct/

Explicit

HIGH LOW

Low Context

Japan

CanadaMiddle East

US

Direct Communicators

t deal of background informationMore information in context

Many precise rules and lawsAlso known as Indirect/

Implicit

Indirect Communicators


19/34



20/34



21/34

Perception of timeand priorities


22/34

Monochronic

One thing at a timeWork time and personal time are separate

Schedule co-ordinationTime is tangible

High respect for privacyDeadlines are sacrosanct

Several things at a timeNot clearly separable

Interpersonal relation co-ordinationTime is fluid

Low respect for privacyDeadlines are flexible

HIGH LOW

Polychronic

Germany, USA, UK, Australia India, China, UAE, France


23/34

Example

A Canadian conducting business in Kuwait issurprised when his meeting with a highranking official is not held in a closed office

and constantly interrupted He starts wondering if the official is as

important as he had been led to believe and

he starts doubting how seriously his businessis being taken


24/34

What is the importance of time?


25/34

One step at a time or several?


26/34

Perception of objectivityand subjectivity


27/34

Task-Oriented

Material Success Objectivity

Decisive and assertive Task first

Progress Confrontational

Caring for others Subjectivity

Intuitive and Striving Relationship first

PreservationCompromise and negotiation

HIGH LOW

Relationship- Oriented

Japan, Mexico, Germany, UK Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Korea


28/34

Case Study

A company from Denmark(Relationship Oriented) isconsidering investing in Mexico(Task Oriented)


29/34

What is more important - rules or relationship?


30/34

Conclusion

Culture is shared, intangible and confirmed by others

Influences management, negotiation and decision-making

Can make international business difficult or easy

Organizations are deploying resources internationally

Cross-border M&A activity has drastically increased

Organizations should invest in Inter-cultural training of employees


31/34

Culture is more often a source of conflictthan of synergy. Cultural differences are anuisance at best and often a disaster.

- Prof. Geert Hofstede

Culture hides more than it reveals and strangelyenough what it hides, it hides most effectively onits own participants. Years of study have

convinced me that the real job is not tounderstand foreign culture but to understand ourown.

- Prof. Edward T. Hall


32/34

Thank You !


33/34

References

1. Culture and Organizations: Intercultural Cooperation and itsImportance for Survival (Software of the Mind) by GeertHofstede

2. The Silent Language by Edward T. Hall

3. The Hidden Dimension by Edward T. Hall


34/34

FAMILY BUREAUCRACY:Parallels an extended family: dominant fatherfigureLess specialization of rolesControl personal supervisionDirect contactHighly centralized decision making

FULL BUREAUCRACY:The most formalizedOrganization dominated by rules, procedures andhierarchical relationshipsStandardization of the work processPredictability and control

ADHOCRACY:Flat organizational pyramidPeople can tolerate ambiguity in organizationalrolesLess need for formalized rules and regulationsDistance between managers and workers tends to

be small

PROFESSIONALBUREAUCRACY:Standardization of skillsCentralized decision makingOrder and compartmentalization

Organizational structures

PowerD

is

tance

Uncertainty Avoidance

Low

Low High

High

Date post:	29-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	palprashant88
View:	217 times
Download:	0 times

Impact of Culture on Business Communication_FINAL_SecBGrp12

Documents