...Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions US vs. India by Edward A. Molnar January 19, 2013 Abstract This article acknowledges the six dimensions of Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions, and defines five of them for a comparison between the United States and India. This article shows for the most part, the definitions of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are correct, but the article did identify some ambiguities while making the comparisons. Finally, future areas of possible research were identified that would assist in the removal of the ambiguities. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions US vs. India Geert Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions was a result of an analysis of a world-wide survey of employee values by IBM in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This theory describes the effects of a society’s culture on the values of that culture’s members and how those values relate to behavior. This is accomplished by using a structure resulting from factor analysis (Hofstede, 2011). This theory has been used as an example for several fields, particularly in cross-cultural psychology (Hofstede, 2011). Geert Hofstede’s original cultural dimensions theory had four dimensions from which cultural values could be analyzed. These four dimensions were: (a) individualism versus collectivism (IDV); (b) uncertainty avoidance (UAI); (c) power distance (PDI); (d) masculinity versus femininity (MAS). While Hofstede was performing research in Hong Kong he added the fifth dimension, long-term...
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...cultures to get across to wide audiences. This could be a possible factor for church attendance figures dropping as believers do not need to go to chruch to follow their religon; they are now able to do it at home. Haynes however argues that fundamentalism is not caused by globalisation; He uses the Iran revolution as an example. Due to the country becoming Westernised, conflict in Iran increased, as did violence and oppression. The revolution began and Islamic fundamentalists gained power through the use of religion; this is known as "Cultural Defence". This example shows Fundamentalism in a positive way when opposing globalisation. The community unites through religion (traditional values) in order to protect the country from an external force; They do not want their national identity to be harmed. This suggests that the relationship between globalisation and religion differs depending on the country. In the UK its clear that people have come away from traditional religion causing...
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...Comparison of Jainism and Hinduism REL212 – World Religions July 28, 2013 Comparison of Jainism and Hinduism The two religions that we are comparing are going to be Jainism and Hinduism. The origin of Jainism is India which was formed in 550 BCE (Gunn). It is one of the oldest religions in the world and is taught by Tirthankaras which are also known as Jina. The origin of Hinduism is also India. It has no founders and the earliest forms date to 1500 BC or earlier. Three of Jainism foundational spiritual beliefs are non-violence (ahimsa), non-absolutism (anekanta), and non-possession (apraigraha). The first foundational spiritual belief is the principle of non-violence, which is strong in Jain teachings. It embraces the well-being of all animals that are visible and invisible. According to Akaranga Sutra, IV: Lesson 1, it says: one should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture or kill any animal, living being, organism or sentient being (Fisher). The second, non-absolutism, is another principle in Jainism that encourages avoiding anger and judgment. A person has to remain open-minded by remembering that any issue can be seen from many angles, all partially true (Fisher). Last but not least, non-possession is a principle that teaches to let go of things and people. It states that acquiring material things possess us by driving our emotions. The more a person is attached to worldly things the more they are likely to commit sin to obtain that possession (Shah)...
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...------------------------------------------------- Religion in a Global Context For secularisation theory, modernisation undermines religion. The importance of science and technology in economic development, and the rational worldview on which they depend, are seen as destroying belief in the supernatural. On the other hand, religion may contribute to development, as Weber argued in the case of the protestant ethic (AO2 – Gordon Marshall and Peter Berger). More recently, sociologists have examined what role religion may play in development in today’s globalising world. Religion and Development Meera Nanda - God and Globalisation in India Globalisation has brought rising prosperity to India’s new middle class. Nanda’s book ‘God and Globalisation’ examines the role of Hinduism, the religion of 85% of the population, in legitimating both the rise of a new Hindu ‘ultra-nationalism’ and the prosperity of the Indian middle class. Hindusim and Consumerism Globalisation has created a huge and prosperous, scientifically educated, urban middle class in India, working in IT, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors closely tied into the global economy. According to Inglehart and Norris, these are precisely the people whom secularisation theory predicts will be the first to abandon religion in favour of a Secular View (AO2). Yet as Nanda Observes, a vast majority of this class continue to believe in the supernatural. A survey by the ‘Centre for the Study of developing Societies...
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...Culture Essay Culture is pervasive in all marketing activities”, (Albaum et al, 2005) Hall distinguishes culture according to the degree of context in their communication systems (De Mooij, 2010). High context cultures (Japanese, Chinese) contrast greatly with low context cultures (USA), who require a more explicit conveyance of messages. As Hall (1984) says, “Many Americans don’t seem able to evaluate anything unless they can attach a number to it”. Introduction One of the early scholars of culture, Linton (1945), defines it as: ‘‘The configuration of learned behavior and results of learned behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society.’’ Other early scholars like Kluckhorn (1954) conceptualized that the cultural influences transcend in terms of the beliefs, norms, traditions, and values of society and this view still prevails among the scholars of culture. Why is culture important? Global Marketing in the simplest description attempts to understand customers in terms of what they buy, when they buy, why they buy, how much they buy, where they buy it, and with what they buy. Internationally, this means understanding culture. How marketing efforts interact with culture determines the success or failure of a product. "There are many examples of cultural differences that have affected marketing success or failure." (Buzzell) The relationship with culture comes into play with the realization that each of the consumer...
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...Cursory Analysis Having finished up with the answer of the evils of religion as opposed to the evils of civilization, Gandhi criticizes the requirement of protection from “the Pindaris, and the Bhils”. He states that suffering their perils would be better than requiring the British protection to repel it, as that would “render us effeminate”. The chapter is concluded by putting forth the idea that home rule can only be achieved when “we” stop fearing our countrymen, whoever or whatever they may be. Now the idea changes from pax britanica being questioned to how “Railways, lawyers, and doctors have impoverished the country”. Consumption is treated as a disease that plagues the population, showing a false pretense of wellbeing as is apparent from the lines “Consumption does not produce apparent hurt – it even produces a seductive color about the patient’s face, so as to induce the belief that all is well”. Now the concept of civilization being the broader umbrella which covers consumption and other such maladies is introduced. The example used to substantiate this assertion comes in the form of the railways, a symbol of modernity which showcases the spread of civilization. Arguments including the spread of germs, the bubonic plague, and evil in general is used to drive the point home. It is further stated that the same cannot be used to spread the word of the “good”, as the virtuous are not selfish and, hence, travel at a snail’s pace, further stating that the obstacle of distance...
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...HINDU MARRIAGE Who are ‘Hindus’? Under Old Hindu Law: In the case of Yagnapurusdasji vs Muldas, AIR 1966 SC 1119: The working formula of Tilak regarding the Hindu religion was accepted by the Supreme Court of India: Acceptance of Vedas with reverence, Recognition of the fact that the means or ways of salvation are diverse and Realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshipped is large, That indeed is the distinguishing feature of Hindu religion. Under Modern Hindu Law: Under Hindu Law, The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 governs the law relating to marriage and divorce. In order to understand whom The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (the HM Act) applies to, we must identify the classes of people covered by the term Hindu‘. This can be problematic, as it is difficult to ascertain the definitive meaning or scope of Hinduism — and so, there is no fixed criterion to determine who is a Hindu either. However, the HM Act assumes that certain classes of people are Hindus and excludes certain other classes from the ambit of this term. Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the members of any Scheduled Tribe within the meaning of clause (25) of article 366 of the Constitution unless the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, otherwise directs. After the codification of Hindu law, it gives the negative definition also: A person who was not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew was a Hindu. The following chart lists out the various categories of people...
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...Science vs. Humanities They say old habits die hard. Society is full of prejudice wherever anyone looks, and many have to struggle constantly to fit in. There are plenty of things that may be signaled out from society for giving space to criticism and segregation. One of these conceptions regards the arts and humanities. People struggle with different kinds of prejudice every day, and one of the most widespread preconceptions is that people who study science are smarter or more "intelligent" than people who go for the arts. In general, it is essential to know about history and literature, since it is a very important part of what humankind is now. History talks about the evolution of men and even contributes to an important part of economics or international relationships. It is essential to know about the allies of a country and the relationships with other countries when it comes to commerce. Literature gives an insight to the complete thoughts of a culture, a greater understanding of diversity in mankind and the collective thoughts of it. It is quite ironic the situation held now a days, since in the highest "classes" it is expected, if not an obligation, to be well educated in the arts and culture in general. Ironically, many of these people are the CEO's of big companies, which work with mathematics, statistics and calculus, and whose carreer was based on science. Of course, we may not generalize, but it is taken as a fact that it is harder in the field of humanities...
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...India A Portrait Patrick French is the author of India a Portrait, French is a historian and a writer who has also published Liberty or Death: India’s journey to independence and Division and The World is What it is: The Authorized biography of V.S. Naipaul. Penguin books published India A Portrait in 2011.In this novel, French gives a detailed account of the economic and political state of India starting from the Aryan era to modern India. French has divided the book into 3 parts: part 1 is Rashtra: Nation, 2nd part being Lakshmi: Wealth and the 3rd part being called Samaj: Society. In each section of the book French provides detailed explanations of the changes that the Indian society and nation had to deal with during times of major political and economical change such as the times of the Aryan, Mogul and British rule and the partition of India in 1947. This book focuses largely on the changes that Indian society had to deal with after the end of the British rule in their country and how the economic and political state of India has changed since gaining independence. The book takes you on a 435 page long journey in which the rich history of India is explored and the change of India from being a colonized country to the world’s largest democracy is witnessed. I have compared French’s book India A Portrait to his other nonfiction history novel the Biography of V.S Naipaul and to Ramanajuns novel India after Gandhi. French begins his book by describing India's...
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...MBA GD Topics • Is India moving away from a secularist state? • Education in India - or the lack of it • What ails Indian sports? • The Age of Information • Is Philosophy just an armchair theory? • Success is all about human relations • Borderless worlds - Dream or reality? • Quality is a myth in India. • Education and success - Is there a correlation? • We don't learn from history, we repeat it • Do we need a global policeman • Indian villages - our strength or our weakness? • Agrarian Economy in India - boon or bane • if there were no armies in the world...... • Indian customs - are we in a time warp? • "How green was my valley........". Is nature paying the price ? • Management Education - Is it necessary to succeed in business • The role of NGOs in economics and politics • NGOs - Do they serve peoples interests or are they pressure groups? • Death of Socialism • Role of women in development • Kids today are not what they used to be • Casteless India - A pipe dream • Should Trade Unionism be banned in India • Repeated elections - Should taxpayers pay for it? • Indian bureaucracy - foundation strengths or colonial hangovers? • In India, the whole is less than the parts - Do we lack in team spirit? • Generation X - Drivers of our future or are they our lost souls? • Do we need a cut in the defence budget? • "Dot.com" companies...
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...Islam vs. the Rest of the World Islam vs. the Rest of the World Introduction There are hundreds of different religions and cultures throughout the world today and each is interpreted differently within the religious communities, families, or individuals and many of these cultures and religions have been morphed into a different form with different practices based on how each deems appropriate for them. There have been great strides in recent years to reduce discrimination and prejudice towards minority groups that are of a culturally different background than the dominant, more accepted groups and there is still a long way to go to meet total equality. While it is true there have been many improvements for some cultures in recent years, the opposite is true for those of the Muslim decent. Since the terrorist attacks starting from September 11 and since then, Muslims and those of the Islamic faith have been unfairly stereotyped negatively as demons and as many as 46 percent of Americans view the group as a whole as having terrorist tendencies. (Deane, Fears 2006) Not only are their religious practices criticized and viewed negatively, but nearly every other action they commit is thought to be “suspicious”, from the way they dress, to the way they talk, how they practice their religion, and how women are viewed and treated in their culture. Some view their form of lifestyle to be geared towards hatred and violence, with every action being held under a microscope and...
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...Print Media Vs Electronic Media We are living in a rapidly developing and modernized era where technology is taking charge in every walks of our life. This technology may come with many advantages and disadvantages as well. Every development is due to rapid modernization, improvement of old administration methods and the use of new technology to make things even better. However with the growing modernization human demand for knowledge is also increasing. Media serves an important role in keeping people informed about the events and innovations around the globe. This information may reach us in two forms, either through print media which is the oldest method, or the other one can be electronic media. With the improvement of electronic media during past few years and daily reports on achievements, electronic media has dominated over print media during past few years. Print media is the oldest form of Mass Media, and still not outdated. Daily about 70% of people start their day by reading newspaper, which is the oldest media around the world. Newspaper gives us information about whole world within few minutes of reading session, with a choice to skip the topics that we are not really interested about. Print Media still forms an important part of Media Industry which has been given a competition by electronic media and a new technology called e-newspaper applications. But still newspaper holds its value even today and is competing strongly with technology backed media. Basically...
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...Culture and its Impact on International Business Introduction As businesses have grown and expanded to the international level; certain aspects of business have become abundantly clear. One thing that has become the norm when doing business on the international level is dealing with different cultures. Culture, as defined by Geert Hofstede is “the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values.” The concept of a culture has been around for a very long time; in-fact, when people exist in the same place together they end up following a set of rules. These rules can be called a “social norm” or culture and can be made up of simple things like how to act in certain situations all the way to a very devout set of beliefs or values. This paper will focus on the role that culture plays on multinational businesses around the globe and the differences that culture plays from one area of the globe to the next. An in-depth look will be taken on the obstacles that may arise due to culture, adjustments that need to be made, and any ethical conundrums that may arise due to different cultures. Literature Review D. Elenkov and d. Kirova, state that “MNCs should not underestimate the importance of the cultural specificity of the host countries because different staffing, selecting, training, motivating and compensating practices should be applied in accordance...
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...faith to Social issues * Housing and immigration are public policy issues * Daniel devotes a chapter to this question, using “Caesar vs. God” image from New Testament * Micah Shows up in both books (see below) * Differences? * Is immigration more of a “hot button” issue than housing? * If so, do we find different kinds of rhetoric? * Phil comment in class: Does Reckford focus more on system or structures or root causes (next slide) and Daniel more on individuals? * If so, do we have different kinds of solidarity in these two approaches? * Root Causes (“cycle”) of Poverty (structural analysis) (52-53) * Rhetorical device? * Cites 5 of them * “social capital” (56-58) is a rich illustration * Solidarity involves “learning” and “sensitivity” and “collaboration” (60) * Corresponding interventions/Solutions * E.g. “not charity but capital” (Clarence Jordan, cited 54) * 62-63: justice = level playing field (Sen. M. Fenwick, grandmother) * Housing is one of several interventions, but foundational (59) * Note structural components (infrastructure) of this intervention * E.g. ONE Campaign (http://www.one.org/us/) : 1% of US budget against extreme poverty * Immigration as “spiritual pilgrimage” * Religion/Public Square (ch.4) * “Do I believe in the moral teaching of my faith more than...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Introduction 2 3. Cultural aspect to Communication 3 3.1. Cultural Contexts 3 3.2. Assessing Cultures through Hofstede’s Framework 4 4. Codes of Communication 6 4.1. Verbal Communication 6 4.1.1. Welcome topics of conversation 7 4.1.2. Topics to avoid 8 4.2. Non-Verbal Communication 9 5. Gift Giving 10 6. Causes of Cross-Cultural Communication Conflicts 12 7. Conclusion 13 8. Recommendations 14 9. References 15 Executive Summary Today’s world has gone global. This globalization has led to the collaboration among manufacturers of products, suppliers of materials and service providers situated across the globe. The markets are no more restricted to a specific region or a country. The boundaries and distances between the markets have vanished. Saturation in developed markets has led to exploration and exploitation of emerging markets. The expansion of geographic footprint is not happening only to meet business needs, but this is happening also to promote social causes (Education, Health Awareness) and to mitigate global risks (Global Warming). Therefore, for the purpose of effective functioning, there is a strong need to learn about Cross-Cultural Communication. It is true that any usage of an inappropriate word, an impression or a gesture can lead to serious business or social implications. These cross-cultural communication...
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