Cross Cultural Human Resource Management Lecture
Summary
Lecture 1 Introduction
What is culture?
- Differences in behaviour
- Overt behaviour: observable actions and responses
- Covert behaviour: thoughts, beliefs, feelings
- ‘national culture’ at the country level
- ‘organisational culture’ for a company
- ‘youth culture’ for a population of young people
Culture is seen as a system of meaning, or as a system of values. This contributes to its coherence.
How culture influences organizations:
Management is subject to cultural influences
When observing successful organizations across various cultures, we realize that their leaders
modified foreign management concepts to align with local cultural norms
To achieve optimal outcomes, it is advisable for multinational companies to tailer their management
practices to suit the specific cultural context of each location.
The purpose of cross-cultural training in HRM is to enhance intercultural communication and
understanding.
,Lecture 2
Culture at the National Level
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory
Power Distance (high/low)
= related to the different solutions to the basic problem of human
inequality. The extent to which less powerful members of organizations
and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is
distributed unequally. It suggest that a society’s level of inequality is
endorsed by the followers as much of the leaders.
Uncertainty avoidance (high/low)
= related to the level of stress in a society in the face of an unknown
future. The extent to which people are threatened by ambiguous
situations and accordingly set up systems to control them. (employees can be more resistant to
change)
Individualism (vs. Collectivism)
= related to the integration of individuals into primary groups. Focus on rights above duties. Focus on
personal autonomy and self-fulfilment. Individuals look after themselves and their immediate family
only. The needs and preferences of the individual are more important than the needs of the group.
Masculinity vs. Femininity
= related to the division of emotional roles between women and men. Dominant values in society are
money, success and things instead of caring for others and the quality of life (highly competitive work
environment).
, Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation
= related to the choice of focus for people’s efforts: the future or the present and past.
Short-term vs. long-term gains
Respect to traditions and social obligations versus stress on adaptability.
Enjoying life in the present versus planning ahead
Indulgence versus Restraint
= related to gratification versus control of basic human desires related to enjoying life. More freedom
to enjoy life and fulfil natural human desires and appetites versus having stricter regulations and
social norms to control impulses and gratification of desires. Freedom in sexuality, personal
expression and consumption of goods and services versus self-restraint, duty and social harmony
Maintaining a good work-life balance
Tightness/ Looseness
TL refers to the variation in the strength of norms and tolerance for norm deviance across different
human groups
- Norm strength refers to unwritten rules and social pressures that individuals feel they must
follow in a given culture
- Tolerance refers to the severity of punishments that results when individuals violate norms
Whereas tight cultural entities have strong norms and low tolerance for deviance, loose cultural
entities have weak norms and high tolerance for deviance.
Flexibility-monumentalism
Delay of gratification operationalized as the importance of thrift:
MON societies teach children to be generous, share their money and things with others, and be
willing to provide other forms of help to those is need. MON societies create networks of
economically interdependent individuals. FLX advocate self-sufficiency
Summary
Lecture 1 Introduction
What is culture?
- Differences in behaviour
- Overt behaviour: observable actions and responses
- Covert behaviour: thoughts, beliefs, feelings
- ‘national culture’ at the country level
- ‘organisational culture’ for a company
- ‘youth culture’ for a population of young people
Culture is seen as a system of meaning, or as a system of values. This contributes to its coherence.
How culture influences organizations:
Management is subject to cultural influences
When observing successful organizations across various cultures, we realize that their leaders
modified foreign management concepts to align with local cultural norms
To achieve optimal outcomes, it is advisable for multinational companies to tailer their management
practices to suit the specific cultural context of each location.
The purpose of cross-cultural training in HRM is to enhance intercultural communication and
understanding.
,Lecture 2
Culture at the National Level
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory
Power Distance (high/low)
= related to the different solutions to the basic problem of human
inequality. The extent to which less powerful members of organizations
and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is
distributed unequally. It suggest that a society’s level of inequality is
endorsed by the followers as much of the leaders.
Uncertainty avoidance (high/low)
= related to the level of stress in a society in the face of an unknown
future. The extent to which people are threatened by ambiguous
situations and accordingly set up systems to control them. (employees can be more resistant to
change)
Individualism (vs. Collectivism)
= related to the integration of individuals into primary groups. Focus on rights above duties. Focus on
personal autonomy and self-fulfilment. Individuals look after themselves and their immediate family
only. The needs and preferences of the individual are more important than the needs of the group.
Masculinity vs. Femininity
= related to the division of emotional roles between women and men. Dominant values in society are
money, success and things instead of caring for others and the quality of life (highly competitive work
environment).
, Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation
= related to the choice of focus for people’s efforts: the future or the present and past.
Short-term vs. long-term gains
Respect to traditions and social obligations versus stress on adaptability.
Enjoying life in the present versus planning ahead
Indulgence versus Restraint
= related to gratification versus control of basic human desires related to enjoying life. More freedom
to enjoy life and fulfil natural human desires and appetites versus having stricter regulations and
social norms to control impulses and gratification of desires. Freedom in sexuality, personal
expression and consumption of goods and services versus self-restraint, duty and social harmony
Maintaining a good work-life balance
Tightness/ Looseness
TL refers to the variation in the strength of norms and tolerance for norm deviance across different
human groups
- Norm strength refers to unwritten rules and social pressures that individuals feel they must
follow in a given culture
- Tolerance refers to the severity of punishments that results when individuals violate norms
Whereas tight cultural entities have strong norms and low tolerance for deviance, loose cultural
entities have weak norms and high tolerance for deviance.
Flexibility-monumentalism
Delay of gratification operationalized as the importance of thrift:
MON societies teach children to be generous, share their money and things with others, and be
willing to provide other forms of help to those is need. MON societies create networks of
economically interdependent individuals. FLX advocate self-sufficiency
