1. Part I: Intercultural Effectiveness in Global Management
International Management Behavior Henry W. Lane, Joseph J. DiStefano, and Martha L. Maznevski
Part I: Intercultural Effectiveness in Global Management

2. Definition of “Culture”
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck
“a shared, commonly held body of beliefs and values that define the ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ of life”
“the culture of a country – or other category of people – is not a combination of the properties of the ‘average citizen,’ and not a ‘modal personality.’ It is, among other things, a set of likely reactions of citizens with a common mental programming”
Hofstede
“the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group or category from another”
Culture
shapes assumptions, perceptions, behavior
awareness of culture’s impact comes from exposure to different cultures

3. Culture At the surface: Language, clothing, behavior
In fact: Learned, shared assumptions and values that dictate
What may be successful and what not
What are the priorities of the group
How people should behave
Simplifies action
Provides source of social identity
Is a group characteristic; individuals are all different

4. Culture and Individual Behavior
Influences on Culture
History, Language
Religion, Climate,
Physical Environment,
etc.
Culture
Shared Assumptions and Values,
Systematic,
Learned
Individual Perceptions Describe,
Interpret,
Evaluate
Individual Behavior
Cultural Institutions
Educational,
Social,
Political, Legal,
Economic,

5. When People Meet Institutions of Culture A Influences on Culture A
Individual A Perceptions
Individual A Behavior
Institutions of Culture A
Influences on Culture B
Culture B
Institutions of Culture B
Individual B Behavior
Individual B Perceptions
Synergy or Conflict Potential
Different Background
Different assumptions and values about what should happen in effective interaction
Different Interpretation and Evaluation of Events
Different Decisions or Actions in the Same Situation
When People Meet

6. Intercultural Communication and Effectiveness
Interpersonal communication challenges are compounded by intercultural communication difficulties
Normal reactions to lack of communication imply other person has problem, hence:
slowing speech
speaking more distinctly
listening more carefully
Interpretation requires manager’s
willingness to explain
ability to get outside his/her own culture

7. Communication and Language
Communication ≠ use of language alone
send idea
receive idea from someone else and understand it
Communication = “dynamic process whereby human behavior, both verbal and non-verbal, is perceived and responded to”
In the case of cross-cultural communication:
initiator must understand cultural differences and similarities that affect a respondent of another culture and the initiator too
both must want to communicate and seek mutual understanding
both need to set aside superior-inferior relationships based on membership in particular cultures

8. Barriers to Effective Communication
Process Assumptions
other person sees the situation same as you
other person shares your assumptions
other person experiences your feelings
other person understand you based on your logic, not their feelings
communication situation has no relationship to past events
the other person has a problem understanding the situation
other cultures are becoming more like yours ... others are more like you (US perspective??)
Content Assumptions
status/hierarchy and its effect on the communication
role of individual vs. group
role of contracts

9. Dynamics of Differing Worldviews
Assumptions: the more others share them the better the communication
Assumptions influence Perceptions (understanding)
then may become barriers to effective relations
“we see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear”
Key: Fit between assumptions and perceptions
no fit:
cognitive inconsistency -> negative feeling, i.e., discomfort
then, -> distortion of perceptions to achieve consistency with assumptions and false comfort
i.e., we seek pleasure to avoid pain
good fit: cognitive consistency -> justified “harmony, comfort”
cross-cultural situations: assumptions are likely to have no fit with perceptions -> misunderstanding

10. The MBI Model: How to Improve Interpersonal and Team Effectiveness
High
Performance
Value the
Differences
and Differences
Create
Value
Map
Bridge
Integrate
Understand
the
differences
Communicate
across the
differences
Manage
the
differences

11. Culture Maps - Frameworks
Edward T. Hall
Geert Hofstede
Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck
Trompenaars
Sociological & Anthropological Framework
Variations in Value Orientations
Culture Elements
Value Patterns
Universalism vs. Particularism
Collectivism vs. Individualism
Affective vs. Neutral Relationships
Achievement vs. Ascription
Orientation Towards Time
Internal vs. External Control
time
space
things
friendships
agreements
and
interpersonal
behavior
power
risk
individualism
masculinity
time
and
management
theories - practice
relation to nature
orientation to time
belief about human nature
mode of human activity
relationships
space
and
international business practice

12. Value Orientations Framework (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck)
Is one tool for “mapping” differing patterns of beliefs held by different cultures
Can promote deeper cultural awareness
BUT, must be used prudently
Presupposes understanding of:
concepts underlying culture
assumptions underlying the framework itself

13. Value-Orientation Framework Assumptions
There are common (universal) themes in the challenges that different societies faced over time
Six universal challenges or issues or themes are identified by K & S as being faced by all societies
Different societies developed different ways to cope with each of these issues
These differences

14. Value-Orientation Framework Assumptions
All variations of a particular value orientation exist in a given culture
every member of the culture cannot believe that there is only one way to deal with a given situation
Each culture has an ordered preference of variations for solving a particular problem
a dominant variation may reflect

16. Variations in Relation to Environment: Management Impact

18. Time Orientation and Management Impact

20. Human Nature and Management Impact

22. Activity Orientation and Management Impact

24. Relationships Among People and Management Impact

26. Spatial Orientation and Management Impact

29. High/Low Context Cultures - Hall

30. Culture and the workplace (Hofstede)
Hofstede groups national cultures along dimensions meaningful to business:
Work-related values, not universal
“Home” country values used to determine HQ policies
“Local” values may persist over MNC efforts to create global corporate culture
MNC may create unnecessary morale problems if it insists on uniform moral norms
Hofstede’s work is a good starting point for understanding of business situations

31. Hofstede’s Dimensions
Power Distance
Individualism versus Collectivism
Masculinity versus Femininity
Uncertainty Avoidance

32. Hofstede's dimensions Power Distance:
degree of social inequality considered normal by people
distance between individuals at different levels of a hierarchy
scale is from equal (small power distance) to extremely unequal (large power distance)

33. Individualism vs. Collectivism:
Hofstede's dimensions
Individualism vs. Collectivism:
degree to which people in a country prefer to act as individuals rather than in groups
the relations between the individual and his/her fellows

34. Hofstede's dimensions Uncertainty Avoidance:
more or less need to avoid uncertainty about the future
degree of preference for structured versus unstructured situations
structured situations: have tight rules may or may not be written down (high-context society?)
high uncertainty avoidance: people with more nervous energy (vs. easy going), rigid society, “what is different is dangerous.”

35. Hofstede’s dimensions
Masculinity versus Femininity:
division of roles and values in a society
Masculine values prevail: assertiveness, success, competition
Feminine values prevail: quality of life, maintenance of warm personal relationships, service, care for the weak, solidarity

36. Six Arenas for Synergy in International Management