Chapter 1 the meanings and dimensions of culture.doc

Chapter 1 the meanings and dimensions of culture A major challenge of doing business internationally is to adapt effectively to different cultures. Such as adaptation requires an understanding of cultural diversity, perceptions, stereotypes, and values. The specific objectives of this chapter are: Define the term culture, and discuss some of the comparative ways of differentiating cultures. Descrise the concept of cultural values, and relate some of the international differences, similarities, and changes occurring in terms of both work and managerial values. Identify the major dimensions of culture relevant to work settings, and discuss their effect on behavior in an international environment. Discuss the value of country cluster analysis and relational orientations in developing effective international management practices. The nature of culture The word culture comes from the Latin cultura. Which is related to cult or worship. In its broadest sense, the term refers to the result of human interaction. Culture is acquired knowledge that people use to inerpret experience and generate social behavior. This knowledge forms values, creates attitudes, and influence behavior. The characteristics of culture: Learned. Culture is not inherited or biologically based; it is acquired by learning and experience. Shared. People as members of a group, organization, or society share culture; it is not specific to single individuals. Transgenerational. Culture is cumulative, passed down from one gerneration to the next. Symbolic. Culture is based on the human capacity to symbolize or use one thing to represent another. Patterned. Culture has structure and is integrated; a change in one part will bring changes in another. Adaptive. Culture is based on the human capacity to change or adapt, as opposed to the more genetically driven adaptive process of animals. If international managers do not know something about the cultures of the countries they deal with, the results can be quit