CH 4: The Role of Culture

This means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their superiors simply on the basis of the superiors' positions in the hierarchy. These same people also tend to respect the superiors' right to that power.

power respect

attach much less significance to a person's position in the hierarchy. These people are more willing to question a decision or mandate from someone at a higher level or perhaps even refuse to accept it.

power tolerance

what are the four characteristics of culture?

learned behavior interrelated adaptive shared

the collection of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that distinguish one society from another

culture

are stimulated by change and thrive on new opportunities. Ambiguity is seen as a context within which an individual can grow, develop, and carve out new opportunities. In these cultures certainty carries with it a sense of monotony, routineness, and overbearing structure

uncertainty acceptance

dislike ambiguity and will avoid it whenever possible. Ambiguity and change are seen as undesirable. These people tend to prefer a structured and routine, even bureaucratic, way of doing things

uncertainty avoidance

____ context in which a conversation occurs is just as important as the words that are actually spoken, and cultural clues are important in understanding what is being communicated

High

_____that is, the culture changes in response to external forces that affect the society.

adaptative

People who exhibit aggressive goal behavior tend to place a high premium on material possessions, money, and assertiveness.

aggressive goal behavior

is the belief that the group comes first. Societies that tend to be collectivistic are usually characterized by well-defined social networks, including extended families, tribes, and coworkers. People are expected to put the good of the group ahead of their own personal welfare, interests, or success. Individual behavior in such cultures is strongly influenced by the emotion of shame; when a group fails, its members take the failure personally and experience shame. In addition, group members try to fit into their group harmoniously, with a minimum of conflict or tension

collectivism

______ _____ literacy is the first step in ________, the process by which people not only understand a foreign culture but also modify and adapt their behavior to make it compatible with that culture.

cross cultural acculturation

_____comprises countries that share many cultural similarities, although differences do remain

cultural cluster

what are the six nonverbal communication?

facial expressions hand gestures intonation eye contact body positioning body posture

_______-context cultures place higher value on interpersonal relations in deciding whether to enter into a business arrangement.

high

is the cultural belief that the person comes first. Key values of individualistic people include a high degree of self-respect and independence. These people often put their own career interests before the good of their organizations, and they tend to assess decisions in terms of how those decisions affect them as individuals

individualism

what two things does the cultural cluster approach affect?

international strategies foreign marker entry methods

which characteristic of culture is this? ex: For example, Japan's group-oriented, hierarchical society stresses harmony and loyalty, which historically translated into lifetime employment and minimal job switching.

interrelated

what are the five basic elements of culture?

language communication religion values and attitudes social structure

that is transmitted from one member of a society to another. Some elements of culture are transmitted intergenerationally, as when parents teach their children table manners. Other elements are transmitted intragenerationally, as when seniors educate incoming freshmen about a school's traditions.

learned behaviors

In a ____-context culture, the words used by the speaker explicitly convey the speaker's message to the listener (ie. US, UK, Canada)

low

______-context cultures place more importance on the specific terms of a transaction

low

place a higher value on social relationships, quality of life, and concern for others

passive goal behavior

When dealing with a new culture, many international businesspeople make the mistake of relying on the _______ ________, the unconscious use of one's own culture to help assess new surroundings

self reference criterion

culture is _____by members of the society and indeed defines the membership in the society. Individuals who share a culture are members of a society; those who do not are outside the boundaries of the society

shared

what are the four elements of culture relating to values and attitudes?

time age education status