MANAGING ACROSS CULTURES

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PERCEPTION
The cultural perspective that people bring with
them to an interaction affects not only their own
behaviors, but also their perceptions of the
behaviors of others.
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HOW OTHERS SEE AMERICANS
GROUP A
GROUP B
RESERVED RUSHED/ TIME CONSCIOUS REALISTIC/
HARD-HEADED TEAM WORKER QUALITY
CONSCIOUS UNEMOTIONAL SERIOUS/ BUSINESSLIKE SELF-C
ONTROLLED
FRIENDLY/ OUTGOING RELAXED/ EASYGOING OPTIMISTIC I
NDEPENDENT OUTPUT-ORIENTED EMOTIONAL FUN-LOVING/JO
KING SELF-INDULGENT
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UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

• Artifacts On the surface, that can be sensed
  easily
• Values That can be or inferred, or
  articulated
• Assumptions Hidden -- about man and the
  environment, about human nature, human roles
  relationships, reality, time, risk-taking..

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Discussion Simulations

• Different Contexts of Culture

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Feeling Upset at Work
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• Choose between the following two extremes to
  conceive of a company what do you think is
  usually true? What do you think most people would
  prefer?
• A. One way is to see a company as a system
  designed to perform functions and tasks in an
  efficient way. People are hired to perform these
  functions with the help of machines and other
  equipment. They are paid for the tasks they
  perform.
• B. A second way is to see a company as a group of
  people working together. They have social
  relations with other people and with the
  organization. The functioning is dependent on
  these relations.

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Two Ways to Work
G R O U P
System

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Question

• A defect is discovered in one of the
  installations. It was caused by negligence of one
  of the members of a team. Responsibility for this
  mistake can be carried in various ways.
• A. The person causing the defect by
  negligence in the one responsible.
• B. Because he or she happens to work in a team,
  the responsibility should be carried by the group.

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Four Building Blocks

• Concept of Self (How we interpret the human
  condition)
• Individualist-Collectivist
• Concept of Responsibility (Our relationship with
  others)
• Personal versus Societal Responsibility
• Concept of Time
• Monochronic-Polychronic
• One thing at a time-Multi-tasking
• Locus of Control (Fate)
• Internal-External

Based on Hall, 1959, 1977 Klukhohn Strodtbeck,
1961
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RESPONSIBILITY
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CONCEPT OF TIME
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RELATIONAL TIME
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LOCUS OF CONTROL
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National Cultures
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Hofstedes Dimensions of Workplace Culture

• Power Distance -- extent to which the less
  powerful members of institutions and
  organizations within a country expect and accept
  that power is distributed unequally, society is
  hierarchical
• Uncertainty Avoidance -- extent to which members
  of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or
  unknown situations. This feeling is, among other
  things, expressed through nervous stress and in a
  need for predictability a need for written and
  unwritten rules.
• Masculinity/Femininity -- Masculinity pertains to
  societies in which social gender roles are
  clearly distinct (i.e., men are supposed to be
  assertive, tough, and focused on material
  success, whereas women are supposed to be more
  modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of
  life) Femininity pertains to societies in which
  social gender roles overlap (i.e., both men and
  women are supposed to be modest, tender, and
  concerned with the quality of life).
• Individualism/Collectivism -- the degree to which
  the ties between individuals are loose (everyone
  is expected to look after himself or herself) or
  strong (people are integrated into strong,
  cohesive ingroups from birth onwards which
  protect them in exchange for unquestioning
  loyalty).

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National Cultures
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National Cultures
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National Cultures
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National Cultures
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Problems with the B-B Model

• There are different levels of culture
• Cultures are not homogeneous
• Perception our culture of origin influences our
  view of

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VARIOUS CULTURAL LEVELS
National
Organizational
Individual
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CULTURE AT THREE LEVELS

• National Culture
• Hofstedes dimensions of national culture
• Power distance, Uncertainty Avoidance,
  Individualism-collectivism, Masculinity-Femininity
  
• Sub-national cultures
• Organizational Culture
• The culture of Matsushita and Sony versus
  Japanese culture
• Individual culture
• Function of different affiliations, extent of
  socialization, learned through experience . . .
  , Stereotypes

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CULTURE IN CONTEXT
Transformation Process
Culture
Input
Output
Environment National Culture Political
Legal Economic Competitive Resources History
Organizational Group Individual
Task
Formal Organizational Arrangements
Individual
Feedback
From Nadler Tushman, A General Diagnostic
Model for Organizational Behavior
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SOURCES OF POWER INFLUENCE

• Arena Power
• Internal Environment
• Venture Structure
• Subsidiary, IJV, etc.
• Organizational structure
• Formal
• Informal
• In-group cultural ties
• Home office ties
• Interpersonal
• Centrality, Criticality Expert
• Language

• Field Power
• External Environment
• Cultural
• Historical
• Political
• Legal
• Economic
• Competitive

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Your Project Teams