Chapter 3 Cultural Dimensions
Nine cultural dimension of the GLOBE project
1. power distance 2. uncertainty avoidance 3. institutional collectivism 4. in-group collectivism 5. gender egalitarianism 6. assertiveness 7. future orientation 8. performance orientation 9. human orientation
Project GLOBE
A massive and ongoing research program to study the impact of cultural variables on leadership behaviors and organizational effectiveness. This has evolved into a network of more than 160 scholars, 62 societies since it was launched in 1994. Most of the researchers are native to the particular cultures they study, thus enhancing the credibility of the project. During this project nine basic cultural dimensions or characteristics was identified and statistically validated.
Social Capital
Ability to form connections and bring people together, characterized by intercultural empathy, interpersonal impact and diplomacy
Purpose of Training
Actual performance versus desired performance, and performance discrepancy
Cultural Perception of Interpersonal Space
Americans prefer physical distance compared to other countries such as arab, asian and latin american cultures who do not mind close physical contact.
level 4
Business results: the impact of training on the business--quantifying improved efficiency, reduced accidents, reduced costs can be a measure of success
Collectivist Cultures
Called "we" and "us" cultures, ranked shared goals highe than individuals desires and goals. These people are expected to subordinate their own wishes and goals to those of the relevant social unit. Countries such as Egypt, Mexico, China, Japan
Individualistic Cultures
Characterized as "I" and "me" cultures, give priority to individual freedom and choice. Countries such as the US, Canada, Israel, Nigeria
Merging Societal and Organizational Cultures
Employees bring their societal culture to work with them in the form of customs and language. Organizational culture is then a by-product of societal culture and in turn affects individual differences such as values, ethics, attitudes, assumptions and expectations. These individual differences then influence behavior at the individual, group and organizational levels. This merging is an eternal and critical challenge facing managers. Awareness and accommodation of differences is essential in order to achieve an effective fit between the two and boost performance on all levels.
Research insight on ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is bad for business--it is found that ethnocentric staffing and human resources policies to be associated with increase personnel problems. These problems include recruiting difficulties, high turnover rates, and lawsuits over personnel policies. Japan has the most ethnocentric policies, Ethnocentrism also affects managers and consumers--expratriate managers have greater difficulties adjusting their international assignment when their subordinates are ethnocentric. It also affects consumers because they typically like to buy domestic goods even if the imported ones are cheaper and have better quality.
Masculine vs Feminine Hofstede
Masculine: assertive, competitive, material success is important feminine: concern for the welfare of others, value interpersonal relationships.
Psychological Capital
Openness to other cultures and willingness to change, characterized by passion for diversity, thirst for adventure and self-assurance
level 1
Reaction to training, the learner satisfaction with content and instructor--can get feedback through surveys/questionnaires
level 5
Return on investment: the benefits of training outweigh the costs incurred--can conduct a cost/benefit ratio to determine the training success.
Cultural Intelligence
The ability to accurately interpret ambiguous cross-cultural situations, is an important skill in todays diverse workplaces.-- such as facing cultural paradoxes.
Ethnocentrism
The belief that ones native country, culture, language and modes of behavior are superior to all others, has roots in the dawn of civilization.
Cultural Paradoxes
The exception to the rule in a culture--which is are individuals who do not fit the expected cultural pattern. Managers will face these people from time to time.
Polychronic time
The multiple and cyclical activities and concurrent involvement with different people in Mediterranean, Latin America and especially arab cultures--time is very flexible, arriving late to a party is a social norm. The more a person tends to do at once, the more polychronic they are--sometimes being too polychronic means that the person is not as efficient as hoped and can be very stressful.
Monochronic Time
The ordered, precise, schedule driven use of public time that typifies and even caricatures efficient northern europeans and north americans.
Low-Context Cultures
Written and spoken words carry the burden of shared meanings. These include countries such as germany, switzerland, north america, great britain. The handshake is considered a signal to get a signature on a detailed, lawyer approved, iron clad contract---rely more on precise written rules.
Power Distance Hofstede
high: unequal power are accepted, readily comply with authority low: expect equality in power
Power Distance
how much unequal distribution of power should there be in organizations and society
level 2
learning, changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes--this can be done through tests, role plays, simulations, observations
Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions
1. individualism vs collectivism 2. power distance 3. uncertainty avoidance 4. masculine vs feminine 5. long term vs short term
Uncertainty Avoidance Hofstede
High:reject deviant ideas, prefer structure rules and procedures to regulate low: tolerate different and unfamiliar ideas
Assertiveness
How confrontational and dominant should individuals be in social relationships.
Gender Egalitarianism
How much effort should be put into minimizing gender discrimination and role inequalities.
In-group collectivism
How much pride and loyalty should individuals have for their family or organizations
Performance orientation
How much should individuals be rewarded for improvement and excellence
Institutional Collectivism
How much should leaders encourage and reward loyalty to the social unit as opposed to the pursuit of individual goals
Future Orientation
How much should people delay gratification by planning and saving for the future
Uncertainty avoidance
How much should people rely on social norms and rules to avoid uncertainty and limit unpredictability
Humane Orientation
How much should societies encourage and reward people for being kind, fair, friendly and generous.
Measuring Success of Training
Includes different levels such as reaction to training, learning, job application, business results and return on investment.
High Context Cultures
Including china, korea, japan, vietnam--they rely heavily on situational cues for meaning when perceiving and communicating with others. Nonverbal cues such as ones official position, status, or family connections convey messages more powerfully than do spoken words. ex: business cards, official position etc. agreements tend to be made on the basis of someones word or handshake
Developing a Global Mindset Include
Intellectual capital, psychological capital, social capital
Societal Culture
Involves shared values, norms, identities and interpretations that result from common experiences of members of collectives that are transmitted over time. A social phenomenon that is shared among its members. Typically when you comply with expectations you are rewarded by the culture, if you do not you are punished in some way. Many factors influence societal cultures such as economics, technology, politics, laws, ethnicity and religion
level 3
Job application: transfer of training to the job--observations, before and after data, interviews with supervision can measure success
Intellectual capital
Knowledge of international business and ability to learn, characterized by global business savvy, cognitive complexity and cosmopolitan outlook
Self-centered leaders
Leaders who are seen as loners or facesavers generally receive poor reception worldwide
Charismatic Leaders
These leaders are visionary and inspirational who are good team builders and generally do the best when it comes to being global managers.
Performance discrepancy
This happens because of limited resources (can't), lack of motivation (won't) and lack of skills (don't know how to)