第三章 文化环境2014.ppt

Culture has been conceptualized as: “Software of the mind” culture is a guide for humans on how to think and behave; it is a problem-solving tool (Hofstede) An invisible barrier… a completely different way of organizing life, of thinking, and of conceiving the underlying assumptions about the family and the state, the economic system, and even Man himself” (Hall) A “thicket” (U.S. Ambassador Hodgson) The family, social classes, group behavior, age groups, and how societies define decency and civility are interpreted differently within every culture (1) Family behavior varies across the world, e.g., extended families living together to Dad washing dishes (2) Religious value systems differ across the world, e.g., Muslims not allowed to eat pork to Hindus not allowed to consume beef (3) School and education, and literacy rates affect culture and economic growth (4) Media (magazines, TV, the Internet) influences culture and behavior (5) Government policies influence the thinking and behaviors citizens of adult citizens, e.g., the French government offers new “birth bonuses” of $800 given to women as an incentive to increase family size (6) Corporations influence culture via the products they market, e.g., MTV Cultural Dynamics in Assessing Global markets Theory– Culture is like an iceberg Cultural Dynamics in Assessing Global markets Venturing into difference cultures without adequate preparation can be just as dangerous as a ship maneuvering ice waters without charts, hoping to be lucky enough to avoid hitting an iceberg. The difference is that the ship will know immediately when it hits an iceberg. Unsuspecting companies may never realize they hit an iceberg but they will , nevertheless, feel the impact. It appears in the form of delayed and abandoned projects, misunderstanding communications, frustrated employees and a loss of business and reputation Cultural values Rituals Symbols Beliefs, and Thought processes Individualism/Collectiv