IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Culture and OrganizationalBehavior

Chapter 2

2-1

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Learning ObjectivesUnderstand what culture is and levels of cultureExplain how culture developsDescribe the major frameworks for explaining the cultures of different societiesDiscuss the relation of culture to the study of OBDebate the issue of cultural convergence Vs. divergence

2-2

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

What is Culture?A way of life of a group of peopleThat complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by people as members of societyEverything that people have, think, and do as members of society

2-3

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Sathe’s Levels of Culture

Waterline

Basic assumptions

Expressed values

Manifestculture

Basicassumptions

Expressed values

Manifestculture

Iceberg Onion2-4

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

How is Culture Learned?

Primary SocializationCultures and SubculturesSecondary Socialization

2-5

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Frameworks for Examining CulturesCultural OrientationsWork-related Values DimensionsCommunication PatternsChinese Value SurveyCultural Metaphors

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Variations in Values OrientationsValues Orientation Variations

Relation to Nature

Time Orientation

Basic Human Nature

Activity Orientation

Relationships among People

Space Orientation

Subjugation

Past

Evil

Being

Individualistic

Private

Harmony

Present

Neutral/Mixed

Containing/Controlling

Group

Mixed

Mastery

Future

Good

Doing

Hierarchical

Public

2-6

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

You cook like that!

You cook this way!

How we cook and eat quite differently

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Hofstede’s Four Dimensions of Cultural Values

Individualism/CollectivismPower DistanceUncertainty AvoidanceMasculinity/Femininity

2-7

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

The Chinese Value Survey

Confucian Work Dynamism Long Term Vs. Short Term Orientation

• Future• Thrifty• Persistence

2-8

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Hofstede and CVS Cultural Dimension Scores for 10 Countries

USA 40L 91H 62H 46L 29LGermany 35L 67H 66H 65M 31MJapan 54M 46M 95H 92H 80HFrance 68H 71H 43M 86H 30LNetherlands 38L 80H 14L 53M 44MHong Kong 68H 25L 57H 29L 96HIndonesia 78H 14L 46M 48L 25LWest Africa 77H 20L 46M 54M 16LRussia 95H 50M 40L 90H 10LChina 80H 20L 50M 60M 118H

PD ID MA UA LT

2-9

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Trompenaars’ Seven Dimensions of Culture

Universalism Vs. ParticularismIndividualism Vs. CollectivismNeutral Vs. Affective RelationshipsSpecific Vs. Diffuse RelationshipsAchievement Vs. AscriptionRelationship to TimeRelationship to Nature

2-10

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Cultural Framework

High-Context Low-ContextChina AustriaEgypt CanadaFrance DenmarkItaly EnglandJapan FinlandLebanon GermanySaudi Arabia NorwaySpain SwitzerlandSyria United States

2-11

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Cultural Metaphors

Country MetaphorEngland the traditional British house

Germany the symphony

Italy the opera

Japan the garden

Nigeria the marketplace

Russia the ballet

Turkey the coffeehouse

United States football

2-13

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

American Football and the U.S. Corporate Culture

Members of the team come together and decide what to do as a groupIndividuals receive rewards based on individual performance and contribution to the teamA masculinity culture that emphasis “tough values” such as “Competition”

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Dragons in Ancient China and the Contemporary World

American Dragon Boat Association

Emperor Tai-Tsung, Tang Dynasty (626-649)

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Do the Frameworks Explain Cultural Differences?

Represent average behavior within a cultureCountries classified similarly may still be very differentReliability may vary

2-12

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Convergence or Divergence?

Closer communication and trade linksWorldwide marketing and product distributionsGlobalization of businessesCultural impact and penetration

Different cultural interpretationsNeed to maintain cultural identityAdaptation to different marketsTrade disputes

2-14

IBUS 681, Dr. Yang

Implications for Managers

Understanding culture is important even in home countryOrganization’s stakeholders could be from another cultureNeed to look for underlying cultural meanings

2-15