2

The students should be able to

explain the meaning , forms and
characteristics of culture and
cultural interaction, as well as to
understand the importance of
learning cross culture awareness
in the hospitality and tourism
industry.
3
Concept and definitions of culture
Purpose and benefits of learning
cross-cultural
Characteristics of culture
Sub culture
Cultural differences
Dimensions of culture
Inter-cultural interaction model

4
When the US firm Gerber started selling baby food in
Africa they used the same packaging as in the US, i.e.
with a picture of a baby on the label. Sales flopped and
they soon realized that in Africa companies typically
place pictures of contents on their labels.
Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste in South East Asia
by emphasizing that it "whitens your teeth." They
found out that the local natives chew betel nuts to
blacken their teeth which they find attractive.
The film "Hollywood Buddha" showed a complete lack
of cultural sensitivity by causing outrage and protest on
the streets of Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Burma when the
designer of the film's poster decided to show the lead
actor sitting on the Buddha's head, an act of clear
degradation against something holy.

5
The concept of Big Brother was somehow
taken to the Middle East. The show was
pulled of the air after its first few episodes
due to public protests and pressure from
religious bodies stating the show's mixed
sex format was against Islamic principles.
A golf ball manufacturing company
packaged golf balls in packs of four for
convenient purchase in Japan.
Unfortunately, the number 4 is equivalent
to the number 13 due it sounding like the
word "death". The company had to
repackage the product.
6
Culture comes in many shapes and
sizes. It includes areas such as politics,
history, faith, mentality, behavior and
lifestyle. The examples above
demonstrate how a lack of cultural
sensitivity led to failure.

7
 The are many definitions of the word
“Culture”
 Derives from the Latin “Colere” – Cultivate,
to settle, e.g. agriculture, horticulture
 Culture is developed within the individual as
well as the outside environment
 It is continually changing and dynamic
 Culture is reflected in communication
patterns
 Culture is way of acting, a way of behaving
 Culture is a collective phenomenon
 People who grow up in similar environment
tend to share common attitudes and behave
in similar ways
 Culture is not inherited, it is learned

8
CULTURE
The web of ways of living, behaviors,
beliefs, values, customs, aesthetic
standards, social institutions and styles
of communication which a group of
people have developed to maintain its
survival in a particular physical and
human environment. Its pervasive
binding force belongs to a group of
people who identify themselves as “Us”.
Culture is a non-evaluative term,
neither good nor bad
9
 Culture is a complex whole which include knowledge,
belief, art, law, morals, custom and other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of society
(Edward Taylor, 1958)

Culture is a complex whole that consists of all the ways we

think and do and everything we have as members of society
(Robert Bierstadt, 1974)

10
 Culture is what all human beings learn to do, to use,
to produce, to know, and to believe as they grow
to maturity and live out their lives in the social groups
to which they belong

Culture is the knowledge, language, values, customs

material objects that are passed from person to person
and from one generation to the next in a human group
or society

11
 CULTURE
(according to Geert Hofstede)
The collective programming of the mind
that distinguishes the members of
one category of people from another

12
Culture is not only the way we do things.
It is also our attitudes, thoughts,
expectations, goals and values. It is the
rules of our society – the norms that tell
us what is and what is not acceptable in
the society

Culture can also be viewed from an

anthropological perspective, that is, in
its most traditional interpretation, such
as Aboriginal Culture

13
 Material Culture – formed by the physical
objects that people create
 Cars, clothing, books, buildings, computers
 Archeologists refer to these items as artifacts

Non-material Culture – abstract human

creations (can’t touch it)
Language, family patterns, work practices, political and
economic systems

14
Better service to international guests
Improved relations in the workplace
Increased return in business
Improved the industry and the
organization reputations
Better service to local community

15
 Specific to Inherited &
Individual PERSONALITY Learned

Specific to Learned
Group or CULTURE
Category

Universal Inherited
HUMAN NATURE

16
 Visible
Components
Dress
Habits Tradition
Appearance Behaviors
Language
Hidden
Components
Assumptions Time Orientation
Personality Styles Values
Expectations Rules/Roles
Thought processes Space Orientation

17
Functional: each culture has a function to
perform; its purpose is to provide
guidelines for behavior of a group of people
Social Phenomenon: human beings
create culture; culture results from human
interaction and is unique to human society
Prescriptive: culture prescribes (sets
down or imposes) rules of social behavior
Learned: culture is not inherited; it is
learned from other members of the society
18
Arbitrary: cultural practices and behaviors are
subject to judgment. Certain behaviors are
acceptable in one culture and not acceptable in
other culture
Value Laden: culture provides values and tells
people what is right and wrong
Facilitates Communication: culture facilitates
verbal and nonverbal communication
Adaptive/ Dynamic: culture is constantly
changing to adjust to new situation and
environment; it changes as society changes and
develops
19
Long Term: culture is developed
thousands of years ago and it was
accumulated by human beings in the
course of time and is the sum of acquired
experience and knowledge
Satisfy Needs: culture helps to satisfy the
needs of the members of a society by
offering direction and guidance
(Source: Reisinger, 2003, p.14)

20
Dominant culture consists of several subcultures
Subcultures can be based on race, ethnicity,
geographic region or economic or social class
Race: a genetic or biological similarity among
people (Asians, Caucasians, etc.)
Ethnicity: a wide variety of groups of people
who share a language, history and religion and
identify themselves with a common nation or
cultural system
Geographical region: geographic differences
within countries or similarities between
countries
Economic and social class: differences in the
socio-economic standing of people 21
Each subculture community exhibits
characteristic patterns of behavior that
distinguish it from others within a
parent culture
Each subculture provides its members
with a different set of values and
expectations as a result of regional
differences

22
Sub cultures indicate the
form of private social
interaction

SUB CULTURE
SUB CULTURE
DOMINANT CULTURE

Dominant culture directs the form of

public social interaction 23
 Cultural Differences

Cultural Differences in
Communication
Cultural Differences
Cultural Differences in in Rules of Social
Social Categories Behavior

Cultural Differences in
Service

24
Different patterns of verbal communication
Language
Phonology (differences in sound)
Semantic (differences in meaning of words)
Syntactics (differences in the sequence of the
words and their relationships to one another)
Pragmatics (differences in effects of language on
perceptions)
Paralanguage
Intonation, laughing, crying, questioning

25
Different patterns of non-verbal
communication
Body movement (kinetics)
Space and Touch: Use of personal space
(intimate, personal, social, public)
Sense of Time
Other non-verbal codes: clothing, building,
furnishing, jewelry, cosmetics, skin and hair
color, body shape

26
Role, Status, Class, Hierarchy,
Attitudes towards human nature,
Activity, Relationships between
individuals.

27
Describing reasons and opinions
Expressing dissatisfaction and criticism
Joking, asking personal questions,
complimenting and complaining,
expressing dislike, showing warmth,
addressing people, apologizing,
expressing negative opinions and gift
giving

28
Cultural differences on the interaction
process between a service provider and a
visitor
Example: Chinese Hosts & American Tourists
Chinese escorting their guests everywhere,
providing them with a tight itinerary and not
leaving an opportunity to experience the
Chinese life style privately. The Chinese hosts
believe they have provided their guests with
courtesy.
American tourists may view such hospitality as
an intrusion and lack of trust. 29
There are many dimensions of which
cultures differ
Some of the dimensions (scope) are:
According to Hall, cultures can be differentiated
on the basis of orientation towards:
Human nature: agreements
Activity orientation
Human relationships: amount of space,
possessions, friendship, communication
Relation to time: past/ future
Space orientation: public/ private

30
Hofstede (1980, 1984, 1991)
Power distance (PD): interpersonal
relationship develop in hierarchical society
Uncertainty Avoidance (UA): the degree to
which people feel threatened by ambiguous
situations
Individualism-Collectivism (IC): the degree
to which individual goals and needs take
primary over group goals and needs
Masculinity-Femininity (MF): the degree to
which people value work and achievement
VS quality of life and harmonious human
relations 31
32
Differing shapes of the individual represent
the influence of different cultures on an
individual
When an individual from Culture A leaves its
culture and reaches Culture B, his or her
behavior changes because of the influence of
a culturally different society.

33
1. In your own words, briefly define the term
CULTURE
2. Write 3 hidden and 3 visible components of
culture
3. List 3 important benefits of a multicultural work
force?
4. What is subculture?
5. Explain cultural differences in communication
and service and give examples
34
 THE END

“CONCEPT OF
CULTURE”

for the
Subject Course
CULTURAL AND
HERITAGE TOURISM

sircuasay@hotmail.com

35