Summary Book Chapters: Cross Cultural Management and Communication

Summary;

Week 1:

Lecture 1:

What is culture?
-Something we feel but we can not define

4 theories models:
1.​ Hofstede: collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one
human group

2.​ Trompenaars: way in which a group of people solves problems and reconciles
dilemma

3.​ GLOBE project: shared motives, values, beliefs, identities, and interpretations or
meanings of significant events that result from common experiences of members of
collectives that are transmitted across generations

4.​ Hall Studies of culture as identifying mushrooms
-​ difficult no same definition
-​ differs between people .- perspectives, definitions


The relation between Culture and Economy:
-cultural behaviour is responsible for economic development
-economic development is responsible for developing cultural values and behaviour

Culture → economy
Economy → Culture

Weber's thesis:
-a strong work ethic (connection with religious culture)
-the colonial trade (back than a culture)

Characteristics of culture:
Culture is shared by members of a group
-is learned through membership
-it influences attitudes and behaviours

Subcultures:
-global culture
-national cultures
-organisational cultures

,-ethic cultures
-family cultures
-professionals cultures
-political coalitions
-friendship circles
-school unions

Culture is a complex phenomenon, and is often a sensitive topic
→ society deems it to be correct and proper through beliefs, norms, values and practices
→ institutions reinforce these social norms and values through laws, regulations and policies

Etic and emic perspectives:



Etic = tangible Emic = intangible

-culture as something outside ourselves -culture is created
-can compare and measure them -ony try to describe a culture from the inside
-take part and influence them -situation dependent
-cultures are stable -dynamic
-based on hofstedes studies -based on fieldwork in a single culture


The changing world of business:

Mobilisation..
→ economic forces (pacts and treaties - Verträge)
→ political forces (wars, refugees, political collaborativ)
→ social forces (migration)
→environmental forces (covid 19)
→ technological forces (AI, digitalisation)

What happens to national cultures? Or the influence of culture on businesses?

Global village: the way we do business is homogenized
world becoming faster /slower / global (steer &..)

Globalisation:
Economic view
“An international economic integration that can be pursued through policies of
‘openness’, the liberalisation of trade, investment and finance, leading to an
‘open economy” (see, for example, Khor, 2001: 7; World Bank, 2002: 23).
- The main point of discussion is now to what extent this economic integration
stimulates economic growth

Multidimensional view
According to Mittelman (1996: 2), the manifestations of globalisation include:
– the spatial reorganisation of production,
– the interpenetration of industries across borders,

,– the spread of financial markets,
– the diffusion of identical consumer goods to distant countries,
– massive transfers of population
– an emerging world-wide preference for democracy




Drivers of it:
→ global brands:nike, starbucks
→ access to the internet
→ emerging markets
→ shared R & D
→ interdependence of financial markets
→ increasing role of governments– trade policies
→ increased customer demands
→ drive for efficiency and ‘economies of scale

The global landscape has moved:
-towards continuous change
-towards increased interconnectedness
-towards a large stream of mobilisation
-towards fundamental problems that call for an integrated approach and support from every
country/ citizen


In relation to culture:
Biculturalism-multiculturalism (melting pot: want people to be integrated so melted ,
salad bowl: things coming together but still different things)
→ What could be pros and cons?

Cultural Pluralism
social complexity - cultural stereotyping / ethnocentrism

Minority / majority

Ethnocentrism (own culture seen as centre)
→ universal phenomenon that is rooted deeply in most areas of inter group relations
→ depending on ingroup and outgroup bias (reinforcing negative attitudes and
behaviours towards outgroups)

Stereotype:
→ do not need to be negative
→ do not need to be inaccurate
→ distinguish a particular group from other groups
→ attributes that are seen as more or less prevalent in this group relative to other
groups

, Cultural stereotyping:
→ attributes or cultural descriptions towards a certain culture and people from that
cultural background

Three paradigms on the degree of culture transformation:
1.​ Cultures are dissimilar and stay dissimilar
2.​ convergence of cultures as result of consumerism (mcdonaldization)
3.​ Hybridisation: mixing of cultures

Cultural languages rather mixed than their grammars (superficial not deep roots)
folkloric, superficial elements (food..
deeper attitudes and values, way elements hang together, structural ensemble of
culture

Glocalisation:
→ creation of products and services intended for the global market but costumised to
suit the local cultures (teriyaki mc burger)

-Formed by telescoping global and local to make a blend
- dochakuka - adapting farming techniques to own locals conditions, later products
localised


Lecture 2: Guest lecture

Part 1:
Global managerial skills:
→ globalisation pressures for..
-business change
-management change
-managers should change and adapt to changes




Multicultural competence → “individuals ability to step outside their cultural
boundary to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange and to act on that
change of perspective”