...Cross Cultural Management- Under Scandanavian Cultures Concept of INterdependent Individualism reigns supreme, Discuss concept and importance to the Culture. Interdependent Individualism has been articulated by a few critical writers including Nikolai Grundtvig. “People must know themselves before they can know others.” Is the way Nikolai put it. However other Danish writers have theorized interdependent individualism with a controlling set of guidelines. For example; saying we as an alternative of I, but meaning I. Swedes normally value tradition and still ensure a village culture. They tend to be “horizontal individualists” who prefer customs of equality over fairness, in contrast to the United States. Their Individualism is demonstrated by their great self-reliance and prevention of lasting relations outside the family. They also traditionally had the characteristics of practicality and rationality. When practicality conflicts with other values, practicality usually wins. “We the Swedes love and are interested in nature, not people” Jenkins, 1968 page 149. In Sweden the government provides a substantial amount of programs to make job availability. It also offers pension for the elderly, sick benefits for all workers housing allowance, free education even for universities. Sweden also offers free medical care and part-free dental care. In Hofstede’s 53-nation study of cultural values, Sweden is one of the 53 nations that Highlight individualism. Swedish...
Words: 379 - Pages: 2
...According to Chevalier (2007), the motivation defines as a force of moving enthusiasm towards within individual, not an outside to enhance workplace management. Actually, it arrives from the theory of hierarchy of needs which is one of the main criticisms of Abraham Maslow’s “eupsychian” approach to management. The critical point of Maslow is that people can only be motivated by unsatisfied need. When people’s basic need is satisfied, they are motivated by the next higher level or abundant needs. This theory is known to be successful adopted and developed for managing working environment in United States. However, it is wondering if the needs theories of motivation are appropriate in other parts of the world such as Asia. This essay will examine some discussions about this issue to clarify that question. Colvin & Rutland (2008) claimed that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a content of motivation theory which its model identifies five basic needs categories constructed ascending hierarchy order to clarify them as arranged elements to arise employee’s motivation. They are psychological needs, safety need, love and belongings needs, esteem needs and lastly needs of self-actualization. Normally employee’s lower level of needs is requested to be satisfied before the progress of seeking into higher level gratification. Due to the fact that the most difficult part of motivating approach in workplace’s supervision is satisfying the mutual benefits between employee and organisation...
Words: 1894 - Pages: 8
...tries to live in nonconformity to the world. This is demonstrated by their dialect, their plain clothing, transportation of horse and buggy, and their housing, functioning to the outside world as distinction and to the inside community as confirmation of a shared identity (Kuhnova, 2012). This clothing style is uniform and leaves little room for individualism, although small differences are perceptible in sewing and cloths. Where for non-Amish this might sound like a limitation of freedom. They fear that owning a car leads to individualism, distinction, social inequality, and too much personal freedom (Vonk, 2012). The above behavior choices of the Amish cultural emphasize togetherness and reinforce group cohesion. According to Vonk (2011), “The community and its welfare are ranked above personal freedom and individual rights, what contradicts modern values such as individualism and self-expression the Amish receive a durable and visible ethnic identity” (pg. 68). The traditional community is quite separate from the outside world, with strong social capital, is known for keeping and sustaining their faith, identity, important beliefs, values, and communal behavior choices (Vonk, 2011). The Amish would fit into the Collectivistic culture because they are very community-oriented tend to focus on the needs, interests, and goals of the group. The Amish adhere to the many characteristics of a collectivist culture like their...
Words: 6358 - Pages: 26
...head: THE CULTURAL CHALLENGES OF DOING BUSINESS OVERSEAS Week 6 Paper The Cultural Challenges of Doing Business Overseas University of Phoenix Online ECO/561 July, 26 2010 Dr. George Sharghi Abstract Mr. Kafka is an American of Czech origin. He’s a franchisor for Chicago Style Pizza and decided to expand his business into the Czech Republic and anticipates he will face some difficulties at the new location in Prague, Czech Republic. Born in the United States, he has family and friends in the Czech Republic, speaks Czech fluently, and has visited the country of his origin several times (University of Phoenix, 2010). This paper will identify major differences, incompatibilities, risks, mitigation factor, comparative advantages that exist and how best Steve can benefit, Hofstede's four primary dimensions, trade barriers, assessment of demand, cost, and what Mr. Steve Kafka should know about price and income elasticites. U.S./Czech Cultures & Comparative Advantages Some of the major differences and incompatibilities between the United States and Czech cultures are; norms, values, beliefs and behavior. The citizens of the Czech Republic believe in the firm hand shakes upon introduction and again when departing. They address each other by their first name takes time and occur when the consent is mutual. They raise a hand in order to get their attention. Czech citizens are well informed about politics and religion. The general attitude of Americans tends to...
Words: 979 - Pages: 4
...non-human resources. Violet claims that accounting cannot be considered culture-free. Hofstede(1980) has defined culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another.’ Gray argues that the value systems of accountants will be derived and related to societal values, Cultural dimension of • Individualism, • Power Distance, • Uncertainty Avoidance and • Masculinity The values of accounting subculture will in turn, it is believed, impact on the development of the respective accounting systems at the national level. Therefore, at this point we can perhaps start to question whether accounting system can be developed in a “one-size-fits-all perspective – an approach which in some respects, the IASC appears to have adopted. Individualism versus Collectivism Individualism stands for a preference for a loosely knit social framework in society wherein individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. Collectivism stands for a preference for a tightly knit social framework in which individuals can expect their relatives or other in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. Impact of individualism – it is interesting that a great deal of economic theory is based on the notion of self-interest and the rational economic person. Chapter 4 – International Accounting Culture (Cont’d) Large versus Small Power...
Words: 1337 - Pages: 6
...Abstract Building on Hofstede’s individualism-collectivism cultural dimension, Pruitt’s negotiation styles model, and Rahim’s conflict management model, this research examines how national culture influence the way people choose negotiation and conflict resolution handling styles through an empirical study of 87 individuals in the U.S. The respondents were divided in two groups: American, and Ethiopians. The results show that the individualism-collectivism cultural dimension did differentiate the members of the American culture from the members of the Ethiopian culture. Among the negotiation and conflict management styles object of this study, the dominating style was found to be preferred by those with high concern for self, whereas the cooperating and the integrating styles were found to be preferred by those with high concern for others. Introduction In order to remain competitive in their respective markets companies around the world are expanding their horizons beyond their original country, and they are increasingly seeking international partnerships and business ventures in different cultural environments. The ability to negotiate across national borders and within the organization has become increasingly important in the past decade, but despite the continuous growth of business globalization negotiation and conflict resolution styles are often misunderstood. According to much of the literature available scholars have conducted substantial research on the subjects...
Words: 2755 - Pages: 12
...The conflict between Chinese traditional family concept and American individualism Because of the different cultural background and thinking mode, Americans and Chinese have many conflicts in life style, which is best revealed in this film The Joy Luck Club. The mothers, who grew up in China and still keep Chinese traditional value and concept, are the first generation immigrants in America. Their daughters, however, are often born and grow up in America, and are deeply affected by the American moral standard and acting principles. This article analyse the conflicts between mothers and daughters in four aspects：1.The conflict between Chinese traditional family concept and American individualism 2.The conflict between the difference of power destance in Chinese family and the equal concept in American family 3.The conflict between Chinese modest and American straightforwardness. Actually, it’s not only the generation gap but also the cross-cultural conflicts throughout the film. 1.The conflict between Chinese traditional family concept and American individualism. The chinese are collectivist, placing high value on group cooperation and individual modesty.Americans are individualist,placing high value on self-reliance and freedon from externally imposed constraints.After Waverly won the national chess champion, her mother proudly showed it everywhere. Finally Waverly can’t stand her mother anymore, and she said angrily to her mother ：“why you always show me to others...
Words: 1054 - Pages: 5
...economy, cultural awareness in more necessary now than ever before. However exciting it is to understand the mind, ideas, and culture of other nationalities, it is more important to understand things that may offend or are considered taboos. When we build connections with our friends from around the world, and more than build relationships, but work with and share ideas, and work space or supervising. How do we even begin to incorporate the thousands of different ideas and cultural practices into a functional system of healthy business relationships? Luckily for those of us who are aware of such a necessity psychologist Dr. Geert Hofstede has spent 10 years dedicated to this idea. He has been internationally recognized for his commitment to understanding and collecting data from organizations in over 40 countries. The five dimensions discussed in Hofstede’s work is Power, individualism, masculinity, Uncertainty, long term orientation. By power, Hofstede meant to describe the level of inequality that is prevalent among certain cultures and what inequalities are actually tolerated. In Malaysia it is common practice for a reports to be sent only to top execs and the powerful members of a company would only congregate and share information between themselves. This isn’t all too foreign here in America. As we understand clearly that the power in this country is heavily concentrated. This leads up to individualism, interpreted by Hofstede to be the values that a cultural adheres...
Words: 555 - Pages: 3
...The Differences of Family Values in Chinese and American Cultures ABSTRACT This paper aims to make a contrastive study on family values in Chinese and American cultures from the three parts: the attitude to the family members and their relationships, marriage and family education. As the pace of the global economy integration accelerates, cross-cultural communication between China and America is becoming more and more frequent and important，and the research can undoubtedly help Chinese people and American people to further understand with each other and their family values and to avoid the unnecessary conflict caused by the misunderstanding and mistakes in cross-cultural communication. Key words: the differences of family values, filial piety, marriage, family education Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Literature Review 2 3 The Definitions of Family, Values and Family Values 3 3.1 The Definition of Family 3 3.2 The Definition of Values 3 3.2.1 The Decisive Values in Chinese Culture: Collectivism 3 3.2.2 The Decisive Values in American Culture: Individualism 4 3.3 The Definition of Family Values 4 3.4 The Meaning of Family to Chinese and Americans 5 4 Differences Between Chinese and Americans Family Values 5 4.1 The Attitude to the Family Members and Their Relationships 6 4.1.1 The Attitude to the Family Members and...
Words: 6021 - Pages: 25
...Similarities and Differences between American and European Values Shalonda Cotton Cross-Cultural Perspectives Allan Mooney 3/29/2015 Even the United States and Europe is just a flight across the Atlantic, Europeans and Americans are very different, but have some similarities also. Europeans and Americans both agree and disagree what we deem are basic values are. There is a view that supports opposing views of the world and foreign relations obviously stands in need of clarification. The Pew Research Centre reported a very wide public, single opinion poll, taken of public attitudes in several different countries. It shows that America's old faithful image has slipped a bit. The Pew study found that many Europeans support “the US-led war on terror” and about 60% called Iraq a serious threats. Many countries love and admire America culture because of our science, technology and new modern way of thinking. In both the Marshall Fund and Pew studies, there were a few differences in attitudes towards our armed forces, neither was there much difference in a positive opinion to use force abroad. The Marshall Study points out that institutions such as NATO of the United Nations is just as strong in America as Europe. Majorities in almost every country said the world would be less safe if there were a competing superpower, based off the Pew Study. Some Americans say they favor a firm intelligent leadership from the European Union, while some...
Words: 1126 - Pages: 5
...will bring new legal and ethical challenges due to differences in cultural view. HR professionals must increase their knowledge and skills in the international environment to keep their organizations competitive in this challenging global marketplace. It means that HR related problems different countries solve in different ways. Hofstede suggests that culture influences business related practices. Many HR representatives working in an international business a global business world face the same difficulties, but also face other new challenges that relate to cultural convergence in business practices. There are many characteristics to identify a countries culture. When dealing with HR issues, culture plays a major role in how an organization handles personnel issues. We can best understand this if culture is defined. Culture is the common ideas, beliefs and values shared by the members of a group of individuals (Hofstede 1984). Each group is defined by specific family traditions, common languages, ethnic diets, notions, and dress. It is best stated by “culture is everything that people have, think and do as a member of their society. “ (Adekola, Abel Sergi, Bruno S., 2007) Culture is a shared pattern of socially norm behaviors within a particular group of people. If a comparison is made of two cultures, it would be found that there are numerous cultural differences. And definitely, a comparison of American and other cultures reveals a large numerous variations. A variation...
Words: 962 - Pages: 4
...Cultural Differences In every culture, people work diligently to find a common ground for acceptance and tolerance. Typically, people are accepting of various social criteria that are oftentimes associated with a specific ethnicity. However, many individuals simply tolerate the beliefs, standards, values, and behaviors of other individuals in society while inwardly opposed to the model of the displayed behaviors of other individuals as it relates to another individuals beliefs, value systems, and other variables that influence how an individual functions in society. Individualism and collectivism is arguably two topics that are the subjects of continued debate and for that reason, this paper provides a comparison and contrast of individualism and collectivism. Additionally the paper provides a description of variables supporting the significance in understanding cultural differences as the differences relate to individualism and collectivism. The understanding of individualism and collectivism bridges the gap of understanding the similarities and differences between the two topics, provides a clear picture of various cultures, and facilitates sensitivity, and tolerance (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2009). The ability to accomplish the sensitivity and tolerance portion allows for individualism and collectivism to be embraced and not feared. According to Segall, Dasen, Berry, and Poortinga (1999) a society can have an increase of individualism and collectivism...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...1. Introduction Cross-cultural literacy (an understanding of how cultural differences across and within nations can affect the way in which business is practiced) is important to success in international business There may be a relationship between culture and the costs of doing business in a country or region Culture is not static, and the actions of MNEs can contribute to cultural change 2. What is Culture? Question: What is culture? Culture is a system of values (abstract ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and desirable) and norms (the social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations) that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living A society is a group of people who share a common set of values and norms 3. Values and Norms Values provide the context within which a society’s norms are established and justified Norms are the social rules that govern the actions of people toward one another and can be further subdivided into ◦ folkways (the routine conventions of everyday life) ◦ mores (norms that are seen as central to the functioning of a society and to its social life) 4. Culture, Society, and the Nation-State A society can be defined as a group of people that share a common set of values and norms There is not a strict one-to-one correspondence between a society and a nation-state ◦ Nation- states are political creations that can contain a single...
Words: 2521 - Pages: 11
...Jordan’s Male Academy: An Insight Look American individualism, a conceptualized form of individualism, is the basis through which individuals are believed to be best represented for accuracy to generalized standards of behavior. However, it is the diversity of this country that makes the American individualism more opaque and less clear, when deviations from the standard appear. Jordan High School is an institution in Long Beach, and the place for the project observations to take place. The framework to be used in this project is a combination of Geert Hofstede’s value dimensions and Edward T. Hall’s High and Low Context cultures, to better understand the culture within the school. As part of my research, outside sources are included such as websites, books, scholarly journals, etc. According to data from the academic year 2013-2014, the total enrollment of the school is 3,481 students. The student ethnicity is divided as follows: 67.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Black or African American, 4.1% Asian, 3.2% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% White, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.3% Two or more races, and 0.2% Not reported. The student population is majorly populated by students on the free/reduced meals program, and an estimated 22% are English learners. The most frequent language of English learner students is Spanish, with an 84%, followed by Khmer (Cambodian), 0.8%. The teacher’s ethnicity is described as follows for the 2011-2012 academic school year, 62...
Words: 2374 - Pages: 10
...------------------------------------------------- CULTURAL dIFFERENCES United States and Venezuela Introduction When examining the cultures of Venezuela and the United States there are some aspects of each that make them unique and special. There are three areas in which there is considerable difference. The first would be the cultural dimensions, which reflects the underlying framework of each society, the second would be the family structure and values, and the third would be the social norms, which dictate how people in a society ought to behave. It is important to understand these differences so that as an international marketer one is culturally competent and prepared to interact successfully within another culture. Cultural Dimensions Cultural values are the ideas and things of importance within a society. Starting in 1980, Geert Hofstede studied cultural values of more than 90,000 people in 66 countries, and found that nations differed along four primary dimensions. The four dimensions are; the Individualism/Collectivism Index (IDV), which focuses on self-orientation; the Power Distance Index (PDI), which focuses on authority orientation; the Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), which measures the tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity among members of the society; and the Masculinity/Femininity Index (MAS), which focuses on assertiveness and achievement. (International Marketing 16th Edition, 2013) Indulgence refers to the extent to which people try to...
Words: 1868 - Pages: 8
