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CCS: Introduction to Cross Cultural Management - Coggle Diagram
CCS: Introduction to Cross Cultural Management
The concept of Culture
Culture as collective programming of mind manifests itself in several ways
From the many terms used to describe manifestations of culture, the following four together cover the total concept rather neatly : symbols, heroes, rituals and values
Symbols
The words in a language or jargon belong to this category, as do dress, hair-do, Coca-cola and status symbols
New symbols are easily developed and old ones disappear; symbols from one cultural group are regularly copied by others
This is why symbols represent the outer, most superficial layer of culture
Symbols are words, gestures, pictures or objects which carry a particular meaning, only recognized as such by those who share the culture
Heroes
Heroes are persons, alive or dead, real or imaginary, who possess characteristics that are highly prized in a culture, and thus serve as model for behavior
Founders of companies often become cultural heroes. In this age of television, outward appearances have become more important in the choice of heroes than they were before.
Ritual
Ways of greeting and paying respect to others, social and religious ceromonies are examples
Symbols, heroes and rituals together can be labelled 'practices". As such they are visible to an outside observer: their cultural meaning, however, is not necessarily visible and lies in the way these practices are interpreted by the insider
Ritual are collective activities, technical superfluous to reach desired ends, but within a culture considered socially essential: they are therefore carried out fo their own sake
Values
Because they were acquired so early in our lives, many values remain unconscious to those who hold them
Therefore they can only rarely be discussed, or directly observed by outsiders. They can only be inferred from the way people act under various circumstances
Values are among the first things children learn - not consciously, but implicitly
This includes the way they answer questionnaires, although their answers should be always taken literally. Interpreting answers to questionnaires is a main task of cross-cultural researchers who nowadays have many statistical tools at their disposal to help them
The core of culture is formed by values. Values are strong emotions: such as evil versus good, abnormal versus normal, ugly versus beautiful, dangerous versus safe, immoral versus moral, indecent versus decent, unnatural vs natural, dirty vs clean
Importance of Cross-Cultural Management
This leads to increased prevalence and intensity of cross-cultural interactions
Cross-cultural encounters might, for example, occur when
Increased migration of labour
Handling co-workers and clients in a multicultural environment
Companies decide to outsource work to new countries
Culture impacts the management of people at work
Those involved in cross-cultural situations will seek solutions to challenges
There, organisation decision-makers need to understand the ways in which culture intervenes at workplace level
Culture and cultural differences exists and can lead to misunderstandings
Focusing on management of workforce diversity is a way to gain competitive edge
Cross-cultural management has affected working lives of people
Globalisation accelerates the interconnectedness between nations and people
The Meaning of Culture
In view of this, the collective mental programming takes place through socialisation - the process that transmits values from one generation to another
mental programme:
A least attitue of life and set of expected behaviours that can lead to stereotyping
An expectation produced by society and taught to its members since early childhood
Culture is the mental programming o the mind that distinguishes the member of one group or category of people from another
Culture is an important source of difference and is a set of learned values and behaviours
Characteristics of Culture
Aspects of culture is not independent, for example religion may influences culture in determining the role of marriage, morally acceptable behaviour, etc. Culture consists a rich mixture of aspects that comprise the overall social environment
Culture is shared within a group. A certain group of people primarily behave according to the same unwritten rules that gives them the characteristics to distinguish themselves from other groups.
Culture is acquired or learned gradually through our environment. Our environment includes parents, family, tribe which we belong or other people within the same culture. It is mainly taught unconsciously through copying of behaviour.
Culture is internalised. One behave according to the rules and standards of one's culture
The need to manage across cultures
International movement of labour with skills from less developed countries to more developed countries
Recruitment and retention of highly qualified and competent workforce is crucial
Companies get dependent on managers from different cultures and nationalities in different countries
Many companies are merging with companies from different countries, involving negotiation and partnerships
The workforce is becoming more diverse in terms of employees and management
Managing across culture is important to everyone who may become involved in managing resources in different countries and societies
Understanding the behaviours, attitudes, values, beliefs, arts and artefacts of host country nationals is key to the success for organisations operating in different countries. It helps in identifying the hidden behaviours and actions of people from different cultural background and value-orientation