1. Culture & Management Definitions of culture Theoretical frameworks of culture How culture affects management

2. What is culture? For a culture to exist, its members need to have: –shared meanings –shared understanding –shared sense making

3. Culture Culture is a collection of behavior patterns –such as thoughts, manners and actions which members have shared, learned and passed on to succeeding generations

4. At a fundamental, basic level, culture is a group’s solution to human needs and problems (individual and collective) that has evolved over generations. Each culture has its own: logic, rules of behavior & conduct

5. A culture cannot exist without a society A society is the group of people who create and give significance to its shared ways.

6. Other definitions of culture A collective programming of the mind (Hofestede) A complex whole which includes: –knowledge, belief, art, morals, laws, customs, habits, and values

7. Sathe’s levels of culture Basic assumptions –underlying assumptions of society’s relationship to nature/others/themselves expressed values –values & beliefs - “shoulds” “oughts” “musts” observable aspects/manifest culture –artifacts, symbols, rituals, gestures, dress, heroes

8. Beliefs Statements of fact about the ways things are

9. Values Preferred states about the ways things should be Ideals

10. Key elements of Culture - humans’ relationships to:

11. How is culture learned? Primary socialization - a complex process through which we learn appropriate age, gender, ethnic and social class behavior

12. How else is culture learned? Subculture socialization appropriate behavior in a distinct cultural group that might differ from the dominant group secondary socialization knowledge skills to achieve adult roles -such as educational and workplace training

13. We learn culturally appropriate behaviors from our families, friends, schools, religious institutions media

14. Organizational culture Like national cultures, organizations have their own cultures that consist of: –structured systems of policies/procedures –shared assumptions and values –a collective sense of belonging

15. Culture & Management Culture affects management in various ways It informs such questions as: –What is valued? –Whom is the company for? –What are are goals? –How far ahead do we plan? –Who are we as company - collective identity

16. Culture & Management Historically, culture has been the most neglected influence on management practices. Nonetheless, management means different things to different people in different cultures

17. Theoretical frameworks for understanding culture Hofestede Hall Kluckhohn & Strodbeck Tropenaars

18. Hofestede 4 distinct dimensions –power distance (hierarchy) –uncertainty avoidance (the need to avoid ambiguity) –individualism vs. collectivism (attachment to a group) –career success (masculinity) vs. quality of life (femininity)

19. Strengths & Weaknesses Work-related values are not universal Local values affect interpretations of rules He assumes cultural homogeneity He worked within a single industry & company

20. Edward Hall High Context vs. Low Context cultures

21. High context High context depends heavily upon: –external environment –situational context –non-verbal behavior –meaning indirectly conveyed –relationships are long-lasting –agreements may be verbal & changeable

22. Low context External environment less important Direct, often blunt communication Non-verbal behavior less important Explicit information given, ambiguity avoided Meaning directly conveyed relationships are shorter-term

23. Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck 6 basic orientations –What is the person’s relationship to nature? –What is the person’s relationship to others? –What is the modality of human activity? –What is the temporal focus of human activity? –What is the person’s concept of space?

24. What is the nature of people? Fixed Changeable Good Evil Mixed

25. What is the person’s relationship to others? Lineal (hierarchical) Individualistic Collectivist

26. What is the modality of human activity? Doing Being Contained (controlling)

27. What is the temporal focus of human activity? Future oriented Past oriented Present oriented

28. What is the person’s concept of space? Private space Public space mixed

29. Tropenaars- Seven parameters –Group/individualism: collective vs. individual –Feelings/relationships: neutral vs. emotional –How far we get involved: specific vs. diffuse –How we accord status: achievement vs. assigned –Nature: control vs. harmony –Time: a commodity or relational –Relationships/rules: universalism vs. paticularism