chapter 3 contrasting cultural values

Chapter 3

Contrasting Cultural Values

3-2Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. 2

Topics

• Semantic Differences• Attribution and Perception• Attitudes Toward Women• Work Attitudes• Attitudes Toward Ethics• Religious Influences• Individualism and Collectivism


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.


U.S. Values

• Equality• Informality• Individualism• Directness• Attitude toward the future, time, and work (future-oriented, punctual, work-oriented)


1. Semantic DifferencesSemantics - the study of the meaning of words; involves the way behavior is influenced by words and nonverbal means of communication.


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


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


Semantic DifferencesExample:

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.


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)


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


Uncertainty Avoidance

• High uncertainty avoidance cultures– China– Latin America– Some European Countries– Japan– South Korea


Uncertainty Avoidance

• Low uncertainty avoidance cultures– Finland, the Netherlands– United States of America– India– United Kingdom– Denmark– Singapore


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


GLOBE Uncertainty Avoidance

See attachment


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.


• 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.

Attitudes Toward Women


Percentage of Women in Top Management Positions• Philippines 47%• The Russian Federation 42%• Thailand 38%• China 31%• European Union 30%• New Zealand 27%• Australia 23%• United Kingdom 21%• United States 20%• Japan 7%


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.


2009 Weekly Hours WorkedCountry Weekly Working Hours

Singapore 47.3India 46.9China 46.8Mexico 44.5South Korea 43.4United States 42.3Switzerland 42.0Brazil 41.3Japan 40.7United Kingdom 40.7Germany 40.3


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


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)


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)


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.


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


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.


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.


Religious Influences• In Islamic countries religion affects all

aspects of life. (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Iraq)

In 2012, the world population 6.9 billion, Muslim 1.6 billion with 23%

• Muslims stop work five times a day to pray.


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


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


7. Individualism and Collectivism• Collectivism - China, Japan, Malaysia, India, Nigeria,

Cameroon, Colombia, and Puerto Rico• Individualism - US, UK, Australia, Canada, western

Europeans, and European Americans


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


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


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


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

chapter 3 contrasting cultural values

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