1. Culture and Organizational Behavior
Chapter 2
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

2. Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003
Learning Objectives
Understand what culture is and levels of culture
Explain how culture develops
Describe the major frameworks for explaining the cultures of different societies
Discuss the relation of culture to the study of OB
Debate the issue of cultural convergence Vs. divergence
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

3. Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003
What is Culture?
A way of life of a group of people
That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society
Everything that people have, think, and do as members of society
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

4. Sathe’s Levels of Culture
Manifest
culture
Manifest
culture
Expressed values
Expressed values
Water
line
Basic
assumptions
Basic assumptions
Iceberg
Onion
Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003
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5. Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003
How is Culture Learned?
Primary Socialization
Cultures and Subcultures
Secondary Socialization
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

6. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Variations in Values Orientations
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
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

7. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Values
Individualism/Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Masculinity/Femininity
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

8. The Chinese Value Survey
Confucian Work Dynamism
Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation
Persistence
Thrifty
Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

9. Hofstede and CVS Cultural Dimension Scores for 10 Countries
PD ID MA UA LT
USA L 91H 62H 46L 29L
Germany 35L 67H 66H 65M 31M
Japan 54M 46M 95H 92H 80H
France 68H 71H 43M 86H 30L
Netherlands 38L 80H 14L 53M 44M
Hong Kong 68H 25L 57H 29L 96H
Indonesia 78H 14L 46M 48L 25L
West Africa 77H 20L 46M 54M 16L
Russia 95H 50M 40L 90H 10L
China 80H 20L 50M 60M 118H
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

10. Trompenaars’ Seven Dimensions of Culture
Universalism Vs. Particularism
Individualism Vs. Collectivism
Neutral Vs. Affective Relationships
Specific Vs. Diffuse Relationships
Achievement Vs. Ascription
Relationship to Time
Relationship to Nature
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

11. Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Cultural Framework
High-Context Low-Context
China Austria
Egypt Canada
France Denmark
Italy England
Japan Finland
Lebanon Germany
Saudi Arabia Norway
Spain Switzerland
Syria United States
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

12. Do the Frameworks Explain Differences?
Represent average behavior within a culture
Countries classified similarly may still be very different
Reliability may vary
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

13. Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003
Cultural Metaphors
Country Metaphor
England 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
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

14. Convergence or Divergence?
Closer communication and trade links
Worldwide markets and products
Different cultural interpretations
Need to maintain cultural identity
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003

15. Implications for Managers
Understanding culture important even in home country
Organization’s stakeholders could be from another culture
Need to look for underlying cultural meanings
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Comparative Management, Dr. Yang 2003