《国际商务沟通》课件PPT 04 Individuals nad Groups in Business Culture.ppt

Individuals and Groups in Business Culture Category 4: The Self Category 5: Social Organization Category 4: The Self In high-context cultures individuals think of the self primarily as an element in a network with others. In low-context cultures individuals think of the self as a single unit of society. in low-context cultures, to be interdependent is to be weak and lacking in assertiveness In high-context cultures to be independent is to be selfish and lacking in social skills. Category 4: The Self The Basic Unit of Society: The Individual or the Collective? Individualism values individual achievements, failures, and rights over the collective Collectivism values the group above the individual, and individuals have a responsibility to the group that supersedes individual needs or rights. Category 4: The Self Obligation and Indebtedness: Burdens or Benefits? Some independent individuals may go to great lengths to avoid putting themselves in someone else’s debt and avoid making others indebted to them. In most cultures of the world significant relationships are those which involve webs of obligation. Obligation and indebtedness are taken for granted as part of business relationships in most of the world’s cultures. Category 4: The Self Age: Is Seniority Valued or Discounted? In cultures that value age, the older a businessperson is the more credibility he or she has. In youth-oriented cultures being young seems to man having more choices, more power, more energy, and more freedom. Businesspeople need to understand the great differences in how age is valued. Category 4: The Self Gender: Are Women Equals or Subordinates? In most cultures of the world women do not achieve key business positions in equal numbers with men Studies of gender show that men and women select priorities differently from the general culture. Feminine cultures—cooperativeness and intuitiveness Masculine cultures---- assertiveness, decisiveness, competitiveness and aggressiveness. Category