SOME DEFINITIONS
THEORY OF CULTURAL DETERMINISM Show
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
CULTURAL ETHNOCENTRISM
MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURE Cultural differences manifest themselves in different ways and differing levels of depth. Symbols represent the most superficial and values the deepest manifestations of culture, with heroes and rituals in between.
Figure 1. Manifestation of Culture at Different Levels of Depth LAYERS OF CULTURE People even within the same culture carry several layers of mental programming within themselves. Different layers of culture exist at the following levels:
MEASURING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES A variable can be operationalized either by single- or composite-measure techniques. A single-measure technique means the use of one indicator to measure the domain of a concept; the composite-measure technique means the use of several indicators to construct an index for the concept after the domain of the concept has been empirically sampled. Hofstede (1997) has devised a composite-measure technique to measure cultural differences among different societies:
RECONCILIATION OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Cultural awareness:
Clustering cultures:
Determining the extent of global involvement:
Figure 2. Cultural Awareness and Extent of Global Involvement Reference: Hofstede, G. (1997). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGraw Hill. Some recent publications Culture Shock Challenges Firms Looking Abroad The U.S. construction industry has always been adept at winning work overseas, but the lure of reconstruction contracts in places like Afghanistan and Iraq could draw some firms in over their heads. Large international firms have many resources to deal with the enormous challenges of working in the global marketplace. But the massive reconstruction of countries devastated by war could trip up the best of them. Political and physical risks are the most treacherous and must be reckoned with. Language and cultural differences can't be ignored either. Addressing them sensibly can unlock many opportunities for success. The U.S. government's conference on rebuilding Afghanistan, held in Chicago last week, went a long way to outline opportunities there. These outreach programs are a good start because many firms need an education on how to work abroad. The first lesson is to drop ethnocentric views that the world should accommodate our method of contracting rather than the other way around. In a separate meeting, also held in Chicago last week, ENR brought together construction executives at its annual leadership conference. U.S. firms interested in China's Olympic building plans and other work, particularly those willing to listen patiently through translation, heard rich detail from Chinese representatives. Patience, attentiveness and sensitivity are not common construction traits, but they can help in cultures different from our own. Language and cultural differences can be treacherous to negotiate. [ ENR (2003). Culture shock challenges firms looking abroad. Vol. 250, No. 23. New York: McGraw Hill.] Do We See Eye-to-Eye? Implications of Cultural Differences for Cross-Cultural Management Research and Practice Abstract Although observation is a common research technique, little attention has been given to the effects of culture on observer judgment making. These researches argue that consideration of cultural differences is critical when applying observation techniques in cross-cultural research as well as in the applied contexts of performance appraisal and international management. A laboratory study was conducted to examine the potential for discrepancies in observer judgment making among Asian American and Caucasian American subjects. The results of the study affirm the importance of cultural influences in research and management. [Li & Karakowsky (2001). Do We See Eye-to-Eye? Implications of Cultural Differences for Cross-Cultural Management Research and Practice. The Journal of Psychology, 135(5), 501-517.] Is what people define as real because of their background assumptions and life experiences?From the first moments of life, children begin a process of socialization wherein parents, family, and friends establish an infant's social construction of reality, or what people define as real because of their background assumptions and life experiences with others.
Which is the best definition of socialization?Definition of socialization
a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.
Is the reflection of who we think we see by observing the treatment and behaviors of others towards us?The looking-glass self describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others view them. Using social interaction as a type of “mirror,” people use the judgments they receive from others to measure their own worth, values, and behavior.
What is the process by which people learn characteristics of their groups norms values attitudes and behaviors?Socialization is the process by which people learn characteristics of their group's norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors. Newborns are not born human—at least not in the social or emotional sense of being human.
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