the cultural imperative, global trends in the 21st century, h1, h2 h3 om howest
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HOWEST University BelgiumOffice management
Dirk Lavergepart 1
HOWEST University BelgiumOffice management
Dirk Lavergepart 1
The Cultural ImperativeGlobal trends in the 21st
Century
Contents
• 1 The roots and routes of Culture
• 2 Culture and Climate
• 3 Culture and Religion
• 4 Cross-century Worldviews
• 5 Cultural spectacles
• 6 Cultural black holes
• 7 Cognitive processes
• 8 Pacific Rim• 9 China
Phenomenon• 10 Americanization
vs Asianization• 11 Culture &
globalization• 12 Empires-past,
present & future• Epilogue after 9.11
Chapter 1From 2 000 000 BC to AD 2000: the roots• incomplete version history• culture, genetics or cultural
programming?• roots and routes
Incomplete version of history
• Do we (Europeans) have a complete version of the history of mankind in mind?
• Let’s check this?• What are the most important facts of our history?
• Generally people start talking about • Greece culture• Rome Empire (= benchmark)• Middle Ages• Etc…
• But our history did not start 2,000 years ago but 500,000
• So we ignore 99,5% of history….
• -500 000 0 2011
• We know a little bit about the history of Europe and perhaps the US, but mostly nothing about:• History of Africa• History of Asia• History of South America• Aztecs, Mayas, Incas
• History of Australia• Aboriginals
• So our cultural awareness is …
• The most • populous• influential• technically advanced
• country in history is….• its culture dates back from
5,000 years (ours + 2,000)
Cultural diversity development calendar
Prehumans
Homo Sapiens
Regional
Indians Chinese Finns Celts Mediterraneans
- 1,000,000,000 social behaviour
- 50,000 cultural dvlpt.
- 5,000 divergence
Today
• In a fast changing economy, where our village is the world culture is moving higher up the world agenda as a major challenge in business and politics…
• So as a management assistant, you need to be aware of cultural differences, and how to deal with them.
Roots and Routes• The roots of culture align themselves with the
routes of culture.• diagram (page 8)• Africa -> Europe• Africa -> Asia -> America • historical ‘rendezvous’ 1492 Columbus
• 4 basic roots of culture• geographic environment & climate• religion• language• historical happenings
• How many cultures now?• 200 different• How many languages?• 400 à 500 different
• However: trend of globalization and standardization• of values• and modes of behavior
Cultural behaviour is the end product of • collected wisdom• filtered and passed down• through hundreds of generations• as shared• core beliefs• values• assumptions• notions• persistent action patterns
Culture is• a collective programming • of the mind• that distinguishes • the members • of one human group• from another
Iceberg of Culture
• visual
• hidden
Layers of Culture
layers of
culture
national
regional
ethnic
religious
genera-tional
classgender
profes-sional
educa-tional
corporate
personal
Categorisation of layers of culture
Influences• Culture is strongly influenced by• the geographic environment and climate• religion• language• historical happenings
Chapter 2Culture & ClimateEast Side storyEffects of climate
Impact of climate
• Why did the dino’s disappear?• What caused the first humans to leave Africa?• Answer = climate
• Climate is also the only factor we cannot change• religion: we have a choice• environment: can be changed (sustainability)• geography: Holland (delta werken)
East Side story• correlation between:• evolution of climate• evolution of the hominids
• birthplace of humans = Africa• 2 500 000 years ago: drastic change in climate
(cooling of the whole earth) left East Africa dry• upright stance• from vegetarian to meat-eating diet• brain enlarged
The Effects of Climate• Cold climate• Sweden, • Finland• …
• Moderate• France• …
• Hot climate• Brazil, • Saudi Arabia• ….
Climate and work
• Stereotype• We work• Mexicans, Africans and Arabs don’t• They lie in the shade of tropical trees…
• This is of course not true, but still we can make a generalisation about work ethic:• low temperatures are conducive to vigorous physical
activity• cold wether gets you on the move
Climate and communication• There is a direct effect of sunshine, heat and cold
on the way people greet and talk to each other.• Northern Europe • meeting friends on street = brief interaction• a broad American smile at -20° in Helsinki makes your
front teeth ache• this culture of outdoor succinctness carries over to indoor
habits.• We observe this also in• USA: Maine, Montana, Wyoming ….• UK: Lancashire, Yorkshire• Murmansk• Japan’s Hokkaido
• Mediterranean countries • part of their lives = on the street, village
square, waterfront, ….• conversation = art , social enjoyment• gossip • nasty connotations in Nordic ears• an essential component of the social
structure in hot-weather cultures
• Generalisation• European latins= open, smiling exterior
appearances• cold Nordics = pinched faces• suspicious Germans or Brits
• eye contact• Latins and Arabs maintain almost
constant eye contact• Nordics and Brits avoid prolonged
eye contact
• tactile behaviour• Latins, Arabs & Africans often touch
each other while they talk• This friendly gesture is less easily
attainable through thick Nordic furs or British duffle coats.
Other climate-linked cultural attributes• Humor in the rain• constantly changing weather imparts a sense of humour• Mediterranean• Wit = jeu de mots, double entendres, aphorisms
• British = a sense of humour born of disappointment• rained-oud cricket matches• postponede Wimbledon encounters• ruined garden parties• burst pipes in winter• foggy weddings
Dress & use of color• Greek: paint boats with light blue, turquoise, pink= inspiration from azuer sky, blue-green sea, pink sunsets• Portuguese: vivid orange, green and blue boats•Mexican shawls• Guatemalan rugs• Indonesian dancers• Bolivian ponchos• Tahitian tribal dress
• Swiss, Finnish & Swedish houses • grey• reflecting cloudy sky
food and drink• Mediterranean• local resources: fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables cooked in
olive oil, and washed down with …..
• Nordic• eat more meat with thick sauces to combat the cold
• Scots• porridge• whisky
Sunshine and suicide
http://www.asianoffbeat.com/default.asp?display=1052
Natural disasters & culture• examples• perennial droughts of Somalia, Eritrea, parts
of Ethiopia, …• permafrost northern Siberia• life-threatening cold Arctic regions• frequent catastrophic flooding India,
Bangladesh.
• Are these people decisive about seeking habitation elsewhere?• guess….
• climatological hardships seem to engender a fatalistic attitude
climate and affinities• what do Inuit & African Bushman have in
common?• a London spring would be chilly for the Bushman• and hot for the Inuit
• so they have a completely seperate experience of habits, foods, philosophies, …..
• Sicilians and Finns don’t have a lot to talk about…..
Summary• climate affects culture• as heat increases, industriousness decreases• warm temperatures engender loquaciousness ( =
….)• cold conditions produce taciturnity ( = ….)• rainy weaher engenders • tolerance,• adaptation, • humor.
3 Culture & ReligionIslam, hinduism, judaism, jainism, sikhism buddhism, shinto, christianity, globalization of religion
• impact of religion on war• Israeli-Palestinian conflict• breakup of Yogoslavia• war in Chechnya• troubles in Ireland• september 11
• Hinduism• greatest number of adherents
• Islam• fastest-growing religion
• Buddhism• key to mental workings of more than a billion people in
Asia(China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, ….)
The language factor• religion and writing• hieroglyph = sacred carving
• religion could spread thanks to a prestige languageand the success of a religion guaranteed fame to the language
• patnerships• Jewish & ….• Islam & …• Buddhism & …• Christianity & …
The political factor• Kemal Ataturk modernized Turkey• replaced the Arabic script with the roman alphabet• replaced the Islamic calenderar with the Western one• abolished the fez
• so he tolerated Islam as a religion, but banned it as a lifestyle.
Supernatural beliefs & divine descent• tribes had supernatural beliefs• if these were classified to form a code, they were
transformed in to a religion
Relativity of religious influence• The impact of religion on a nation’s culture
depends to some extent on whether or not it is operating from a ‘core country’.• India is the core country for …• Israel for the …• Russia for the ….• Northern Europe for …• Southern Europe for ..• Islam = different• Mekka (Saoudi Arabia = few in number)• Indonesia = more relaxed form• bitter rivalry between Shiite and ….• So who can claim the Muslim world?
Islam• 5 pillars• acknowledge the Oneness of God & his prophet
Muhammad• pray …. times a day• give alms to the poor and to the mosque• fast during ….• make a pilgrimage to Mecca
values Islam• belief in Allah• extended family• respect for the elderly• conservatism• gender differentiation• hospitality• sincerity• morality• sense of honor• etc…
cultural contrasts with the West <> Islam
• separate church & state
• individual = social unit
• cold facts• fair but just• believe in
organisations• equality men &
woman• behave rationally• friends = good
company
• …..
• official channels : business
• negotiating: logical conlusions
• elderly are ignored
• use personal relationships
• emotional appeals
• respect
Social & Business considerations• golden rule : observing their taboos• alchohol• pork• eating with one’s left hand• discussing female relatives• causing embarassement• mingling of sexes in public places
• eldest male = head• woman are not seen socially• lamb = most popular meat (right hand!)
business rules• securing business depends more on • establishing trust• than on price of quality !!!
• in meetings, order of seeting is important• hard bargainers• if you do not bargain, they will be disappointed
• when negotiating price, proceed slowly• emotional arguments > cold reasoning• nobody must lose face !!
• the spoken word has much more weight than written agreements
• speak in a loud voice• they like to stand close, don’t shy away.• show you are interested in the person rather than
his company.• praise their • country,• their arts• morality• integrity• dress & food• but not their women !
note• Islam = Arab world• Arabs account for only 1/5th of the world’s
Muslims.• so most muslims live outside the Arab world.• Indonesia, Pakistan & Bangladesh = 500 000 000• Turkey = 70 000 000• Hindu India = 100 000 000 Muslims.• Europe = 7 000 000
Hinduism• the most ancient surviving religion on earth• tolerant religion• no founder, no hierarchy, no central authority• Veda = most ancient religious literature• Vegetarism• Veneration of cows• belief of transmigration of souls and karma• samsara = process of rebirth• dharma = hindu code of living
Hindu considerations in Business• if you fail, you can always blame bad karma• when making decisions, a Hindu wil look back for
good precedents to follow (instead of pesonal choices).
• Hindu rule of nonviolence• caste system must be borne in mind• women = underprivileged position
not• Judaism• Jainism• Sikhism• Shinto
Buddhism• 4 noble truths
• all life is sorrow• sorrow is the result of unchecked desire• cessation of desire ends sorrow• one must follow the middle way
• path is eigthfold• right understanding• right purpose• right speech• right action• right livelihood• right effort• seet the truth• conotemplation
Business• they conduct their lives in an unselfish manner• always display moderation• emphasize the sharing of mutual goals!• honesty in business• flexibility to change course
Christianity• 3 major branches• Roman Catholicism (southern Europe)• Eastern Orthodox (Easterne Europe, former Russia)• Protestantism (Northern Europe)
• Protestantism• rising early• eating meals quickly• rushing to work• planning activities• waisting little time• being efficient & tidy• making money asap
Globalisation of religion• Brundtland:
• ironie• globalization ties people together economically• but it also internationalizes problems• organized crime• drug trade• ethnic warfare• ecological pollution