1. Chapter 3 Contrasting Cultural Values

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Topics
Semantic Differences
Attribution and Perception
Attitudes Toward Women
Work Attitudes
Attitudes Toward Ethics
Religious Influences
Individualism and Collectivism
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What are Values?
Values are the social principles, goals, or standards accepted by persons in a culture.
Values are learned by contacts with the family, teachers, and religious leaders.
The media also may influence one’s value system.
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U.S. Values
Equality
Informality
Individualism
Directness
Attitude toward the future, time, and work (future-oriented, punctual, work-oriented)
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1. Semantic Differences
Semantics - the study of the meaning of words; involves the way behavior is influenced by words and nonverbal means of communication.
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Semantic Differences
Homely
US – plain
England – friendly, warm, and comfortable
A sharp person
US – quick, smart, and clever person
England – devious, and lacking in principles
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Semantic Differences
Quite good
England – less than good
US – very good
To table an item
England – put up the item for immediate consideration
US – postpone the subject
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Semantic Differences
Example:
A U.S. American, while traveling in Bolivia, observed that drivers rarely stopped at the red octagonal sign with the word “alto,” the Spanish word for “stop.” A local Bolivian explained that in that country, the stop sign is more a recommendation than a traffic law.
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9. 2. Attribution and Perception
Attribution - the ability to look at social behavior from another culture’s view
Attribution training - involves making people aware of their own cultural context and how it differs from that of the host country
Perception - the learned meaning of sensory images
Uncertainty-reduction theory - “involves the creation of proactive predictions and retroactive explanations about our own and others’ behavior, beliefs, and attitudes.” (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomy, 1988, p. 22)
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10. Uncertainty Avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance is defined as the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain situations.
Creates uncertainty
Creates anxiety
Is reinforced by family, school, and government
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11. Uncertainty Avoidance
High uncertainty avoidance cultures
China
Latin America
Some European Countries
Japan
South Korea
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12. Uncertainty Avoidance
Low uncertainty avoidance cultures
Finland, the Netherlands
United States of America
India
United Kingdom
Denmark
Singapore
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13. Differences Between Weak/Strong Uncertainty Avoidance Societies
Weak Uncertainty Avoidance Strong Uncertainty Avoidance
Citizen protest acceptable Citizen protest should be repressed
Civil servants positive toward Civil servants negative toward political process political process
Positive attitudes toward young Negative attitudes toward young people people
One group’s truth should not be There is only one truth - ours imposed on others
Human rights: nobody should be Religious, political, ideological persecuted for their beliefs fundamentalism and intolerance
Scientific opponents can be Scientific opponents cannot be personal friends personal friends
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14. GLOBE Uncertainty Avoidance
See attachment
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15. 3. Attitudes Toward Women
Influenced by cultural roots
U.S. women are supposed to have the same rights as men.
Libya and Kenya women are considered subordinate to men.
Gender differences in the U.S. workplace are de-emphasized. Women are accepted at higher levels in government and in many companies.
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Attitudes Toward Women
U.S. women have taken two-thirds of new jobs created; they are starting new businesses at twice the rate of men.
In France, one-fifth of small businesses are owned by women; in Canada, the rate is one-third.
The U.S. and Canada lead the world in the number of women in executive positions; Northern and Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand also have high numbers of women managers.
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17. Percentage of Women in Top Management Positions
Philippines %
The Russian Federation %
Thailand %
China %
European Union %
New Zealand %
Australia %
United Kingdom %
United States %
Japan %
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4. Work Attitudes
Work ethic - hard work is applauded and rewarded; not working is viewed negatively.
U.S. persons value work; executives work
56 hours per week.
take 14 days of vacation a year.
European persons work
36 to 41 hours per week.
take 4 to 6 weeks of vacation a year.
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2009 Weekly Hours Worked
Country Weekly Working Hours
Singapore
India
China
Mexico
South Korea
United States
Switzerland
Brazil
Japan
United Kingdom
Germany
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20. Cultural Attitudes Toward Work
Europeans
Relaxed
Vacation during month of August
Do not work weekends or holidays (The French take longer vacations than people of any other country.)
Australians
Value free time
Value short work week
Japanese
Work Monday through Friday, often 18 hours a day
Work until their boss leaves
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21. 5. Attitudes Toward Ethics
Ethical standards are guidelines established to convey what is perceived to be correct or incorrect behavior by most people in a society.
Ethical behavior means acting with integrity, honesty, competence, respect, fairness, trust, courage, and responsibility.(US – honesty and truth telling)
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Global View of Ethics
Ethical relativism – ethical principles vary with the culture.
Ethical universalism – certain values are universal across cultures regardless of race, gender, culture, or religion.(e.g. UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
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23. Suggested Approach to International Business Ethics
Identify in writing individual and corporate ethical values.
Involve all employees in the development of a corporate code of ethics.
Assure that all employees understand the company’s ethical values.
Monitor compliance with the code of ethics. Establish consequences for breaching the code of ethics.
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24. Personal vs. Societal Ethics
Personal ethics
may vary from person to person
often influenced by religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds, or personal experience
Societal ethics
rules of conduct shared by most people in a culture
agreed-upon standards of behavior
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6. Religious Influences
In North and South America, Australia, and Europe, lifestyle and religion are separate.
In northern Africa and southern Asia, religion is a lifestyle and directly affects work.
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6. Religious Influences
The separation of church and state is followed in the U.S.
Religion is not a significant part of life in China.
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Religious Influences
In Islamic countries religion affects all aspects of life. (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Iraq)
In 2012, the world population billion, Muslim 1.6 billion with 23%
Muslims stop work five times a day to pray.
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Religious Influences
Non-literate religions are practiced by Native Hawaiians and by people of Zaire.
Religion affects what people eat in some countries:
beef is not eaten by Hindus
pork is eaten by neither Muslims nor Orthodox Jews
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29. 7. Individualism and Collectivism
Individualism - attitude of valuing ourselves as separate individuals with responsibility for our own destinies and actions
Collectivism - emphasizes common interests, conformity, cooperation, and interdependence
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30. 7. Individualism and Collectivism
- China, Japan, Malaysia, India, Nigeria, Cameroon, Colombia, and Puerto Rico
Individualism
- US, UK, Australia, Canada, western Europeans, and European Americans
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31. 7. Individualism and Collectivism
The Hofstede and GLOBE studies
Hofstede’s theory
study the IBM in 53 countries
five dimensions
GLOBE study headed by House
nine dimensions
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Power Distance
Inequality within society
Power, wealth, status, and social position
Physical
Intellectual
Index measures the degree of acceptance of unequal distribution of power
Both Hofstede and GLOBE agree on this construct
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33. Masculinity and Femininity
Hofstede’s Masculinity and Femininity Index measures assertiveness versus modesty.
GLOBE study on gender egalitarianism measures roles for which men and women are suited.
Denmark and New Zealand most gender egalitarian; Eastern Europe and Nordic Europe
Iran and Qatar are the least gender egalitarian; Middle East, Confucian Asia, Germanic Europe
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34. Long-term versus Short-term Orientation
Long-term orientation
Concerned with future, perseverance, thrift, hard work, learning, openness, accountability, self-discipline
Family and work are not separated
Short-term orientation
Concerned with bottom line, control systems, respecting tradition, and preserving face
Fulfilling social obligations
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