innovation in its cultural context prof. denise e. murray macquarie university

Innovation in its cultural context

Prof. Denise E. MurrayMacquarie University

Task 1:Think back over the past 10 years. What changes were you asked to make in your teaching practice?

Innovation or change?

Change is predictable and inevitable, always resulting in an alteration in the status quo but not necessarily in improvements. Innovation, on the other hand, results from a deliberate and conscious effort that is perceived as new, is intended to bring about improvement, and has potential for diffusion.

(Stoller, 1997 p. 34)

Contributors to innovation• Horizontal organizations cf vertical– Communication across areas

• Willingness to move beyond received wisdom• Combining ideas from unconnected sources• Seeing problems integratively, as wholes,

related to larger wholes• Challenging established practices (Kanter 1983)

• Stable core staff• Match with values, resources, student needs

(Stoller 1997)

People and innovation

Change is experienced differentially among participants and differently from the intentions of the original proposers. (Murray, 2008, p.6.)

• Innovators (2%-3%)• Early adopters (10%)• Early majority• Late majority• Laggards (15%)(Rogers 1995)

Task 2:What ideas/words come into your mind when you hear the word “culture”?

Definition of culture

“Collective programming of the mind”

• Shared values• Habitus (a system of permanent and

transferable tendencies)

Hofstede 1990

Definition of culture

I am referring to a sense of culture as the process by which people make sense of their lives, a process always involved in struggles over meaning and representation. (Pennycook 1995:47)

A different definition of culture

The ways people agree to be.

(Sullivan, 1994)

Culture is

Ways of

• Seeing• Being• Behaving• Communicating

Based on shared values.

Values

A value is “a broad tendency to prefer certain states of affairs over others” (Hofstede, 2001, p. 5).

Some value continuaEvil Good

Dirty Clean

Dangerous Safe

Ugly Beautiful

Immoral Moral

Abnormal Normal

Paradoxical Logical

Irrational Rational

What behaviors do you attach to these values?

Cultural dimensions (Hofstede 2001)

• Power distance – distance between individuals at different levels of hierarchy

• Uncertainty avoidance – more or less need to avoid uncertainty about the future

• Individualism/collectivism – relations between individual and his/her fellow

• Masculinity/femininity – division of roles and values

• Long-term orientation – focus on future or present

Power distance (PDI)

• PDI is related to the different solutions to the basic problem of human inequality (Hofstede 2001).

• PDI is the extent to which a society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally (Dickson et. al. 2003).

Power distance (PDI)

PDI - organizationalLow power distance High power distance

•Flat organization pyramids•Managers rely on personal experience & subordinates•Consultative leadership leads to satisfaction, performance, productivity •Privileges, status symbols for managers frowned on•Openness with information

•Subordinates expect to be consulted

•Tall organization pyramids•Managers rely on formal rules•Authoritative leadership, close supervisions lead to satisfaction etc •Privileges, status symbols for managers expected, popular•Information constrained by hierarchy•Subordinates expect to be told

PDI - schoolingLow power distance High power distance•Teachers treat students as equals (& vice versa)•Student-centered education•Students initiate some communication in class•Teachers are experts-transmit impersonal truths•Parents may side with students against teachers•Quality of learning depends on two-way communication & excellence of students

•Students dependent on teachers•Teacher-centered education•Teachers initiate talk

•Teachers are gurus-transmit personal wisdom•Parents side with teachers to control students•Quality of learning depends on excellence of teachers

Task 3Which of these characteristics are typical of Thailand?

Uncertainty avoidance (UAI)

• UA is related to the level of stress in a society in the face of an unknown future (Hofstede 2001).

• UA is the degree to which members in a society feel uncomfortable with ambiguous and uncertain situations, and take steps to avoid them (Dickson et. al. 2003).

• May have religious basis.

Uncertainty avoidance (UAI)

UAI -organizational

Low uncertainty avoidance High uncertainty avoidance

•Skepticism towards technological solutions•Relationship orientation•Appeal of transformational leader role •Tolerance for ambiguity in structures and procedures

•Strong appeal of technological solutions•Task orientation•Appeal of hierarchical control role

•Highly formalized conception of management

UAI -schoolingLow uncertainty avoidance High uncertainty avoidance•Students expect open-ended learning & discussion•Teachers may say “I don’t know”•Students learn that truth may be relative•Students attribute achievements to own ability•Parents’ ideas sought by teachers

•Students expect structured learning & want right answers•Teachers supposed to have all the answers•Students learn that Truth is absolute•Students attribute achievements to effort, luck•Teachers seen as extension of parents

Task 4Which of these characteristics are typical of Thailand?

Collectivism/Individualism (IDV)

• Cultures characterized by individualism can be seen as loosely knit social frameworks in which people are supposed to take care of themselves and look after their own interests and those of their close family only. A tight social framework with strong and cohesive in-groups that are opposed to out-groups is a key characteristic of high collectivism. (Dickson et. al. 2003, p. 742)

Collectivist

Individualist

IDV - organizational

Low individualist societies High individualist societies

•Employees act in the interest of their in-group•Employer-employee relationship is basically moral•Employee commitment to organization high•Treating friends better than others is normal, ethical•Belief in collective decisions

•Employees act as economic men•Employer-employee relationship a business deal•Employee commitment to organization low•Treating friends better than others is nepotism, unethical•Belief in individual decisions

IDV - schoolingLow individualist societies High individualist societies

•Teachers deal with students as groups•Individual student initiative discouraged•Harmony, face, shaming•Students not expected to speak up•Goal of education: Learning how to do

•Teachers deal with individual students•Individual student initiative encouraged•Students respected•Students expected to speak up•Goal of education: Learning how to learn

Task 5Which of these characteristics are typical of Thailand?

Collectivism: Some features

• Luck rated especially important in Thailand.• People in collectivist societies are integrated

horizontally and vertically:– Stay in contact with parents, grandparents, care

for elders– Honor memories of deceased and care for their

graves– Static/circular view of time

Masculinity-femininity dimension (MAS)

Masculinity implies dominant values in society that stress assertiveness and being tough, the acquisition of money and material objects, and not caring for others, the quality of life or people. In feminine cultures, values such as warm social relationships, quality of life, and care of the weak are stressed. (Dickson et. al. 2003, p. 745)

Masculinity

Femininity

MAS – organizational

Low masculine societies High masculine societies•Work in order to live•Managers are employees•Managers expected to use intuition, deal with feelings, seek consensus•More women in management•Resolution of conflicts through problem-solving, compromise, negotiations

•Live in order to work•Managers are culture heroes•Managers expected to be decisive, firm, assertive, just, competitive•Fewer women in M’ment•Resolution of conflicts through denying them or fighting until the best “man” wins

MAS – schoolingLow masculine societies High masculine societies•Friendliness in teacher appreciated•Students’ socialization•No special awards•Children socialized to avoid aggression•Ego effacing: own performance underrated•Teachers give equal status to boys and girls•Curriculum guided by intrinsic interest

•Brilliance in teacher appreciated•Students’ performance•Awards for good students, teachers•Children socialized to fight back•Ego boosting: performance overrated•Teachers pay more attention to boys•Curriculum guided by career expectations

Task 6Which of these characteristics are typical of Thailand?

Some interesting statistics

Responses to child standing over another, saying “Go ahead and fight back if you can!”

Aggressive answers (such as “You’ve hit me. Now I’m going to teach you a lesson.”)

Japan 38%Britain 26%Korea 22%Thailand 17%

Future orientation dimension (LTO)

• LTO refers to the extent to which the culture programs its members to accept delayed gratification of their material, social, and emotional needs. (Hofstede, 2001, p. xx)

• LTO is related to the choice of focus for people’s efforts: the future or the present. (p. 29)

Future orientation

LTO - organizational

Low long-term orientation

High long-term orientation

•Short-term results, bottom line

•Family, business separate

•Meritocracy-economic and social life

•Traditions sacrosanct

•Leisure time important

•Spending

•Building relationships, market position

•Vertical, horizontal coordination

•People should live more equally

•Traditions adaptable to changed circumstances

•Leisure time not important

•Saving, investing

LTO - schooling

Low long-term orientation

High long-term orientation

•Children should have tolerance and respect for other people

•Gifts to children for their self-concept and love

•Pre-school child need not suffer if mother works

•All siblings are equal

•Consumption

•Children should learn thrift

•Gifts to children for their education and finances

•Pre-school child will suffer if mother works

•Differentiation between elder and younger brothers and sisters

•Frugality, perseverance

Task 7Which of these characteristics are typical of Thailand?

Australia & Thailand

• Power distance – Thailand has much higher power distance than Australia

• Uncertainty avoidance – Thailand rates higher on uncertainty avoidance than does Australia

• Individualism/collectivism – Australia is much more individualistic than Thailand

• Masculinity/femininity – Thailand is more feminine than Australia

• Future orientation – Thailand is more future oriented than Australia

ISSUE FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS

Contributors to innovation• Horizontal organizations cf vertical– Communication across areas

• Willingness to move beyond received wisdom• Combining ideas from unconnected sources• Seeing problems integratively, as wholes,

related to larger wholes• Challenging established practices (Kanter 1983)

• Stable core staff• Match with values, resources, student needs

(Stoller 1997)

How to effect innovation in the Thai cultural context?

denise.murray@mq.edu.au