MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT (IMPACT OF CULTURER IN BUSINESS)

What is culture?

It is the way we dress or behave with others, to some it means refined behavior or sophistication in living, yet others think it is the way we speak.

CULTURE
Example Arvind Malhotra joined a firm in Japan as a senior manager. On the day of joining he was asked if he would like to pick up the appointment letter and other related for Arvind thought it was a suggestion and said he would pick it up later. By saying this he lost the goodwill of his employers without even realizing it. The Japanese communicate indirectly. What they actually meant was that Arvind should pick them up the same day. But Arvind failed to understand it because different cultures communicate in different:' ways. In addition, the Japanese expect people to respond quickly. By saying that he would pick them up later, he created a negative impression.

Meaning of Values
Values are general beliefs about what is right and wrong. It determines general preferences. They are driven often unconsciously, our thinking and action. Managerial values influence all managerial activities such as communication, superior subordinate, relationship, selection and reward systems, leadership, and so on..

Values
Latin American managers recruit family members. Americans - depend totally on track record and qualifications

Values
Indians believe that happiness of one's entire family - including the extended family should be of utmost importance to all Americans believe that individuals should achieve more and more success.

Values
Indians will feel that Americans are very selfish and Americans will feel that most Indians waste time on silly things like attending a cousin's marriage. Imagine action of an Indian who has lived all his time in non-metro towns in India, when he goes to UK and finds some of his female colleagues with live-in partners or having children without being married.

Cultures contain subcultures and individual differences

The most important values in the Chinese culture are:
Obedience to parents, honoring ancestors, financial support to parents and Hard work Tolerance of others Harmony with others Humbleness Loyalty to superiors

HOW ARE CULTURES FORMED?

Cultures develop out of a large number of factors such as economic organization weather conditions of that area food available, the geography hilly or coastal, fertile plains, infertile deserts, and so on

HOW ARE CULTURES LEARNED

A new-born baby has no culture. If a very young Indian baby is adopted by French parents, he will totally imbibe the French culture.

Hofstede's Framework of Cultural Differences

The Three Levels of Mental Programming - Universal Level - Individual Level - Collective Level

Cultures vary on following dimensions.

- Individualism vs. Collectivism. - Power Distance (high power distance vs. low power distance). - Career Success vs. Quality of Life (also called Masculine vs. Feminine). - Uncertainty Avoidance. - Confucian Dynamism.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Japan has a collective culture and they strongly feel that the behavior, and even the beliefs, of members of any group should be determined by the will of that group. North Americans on the other hand are individualists and believe that every individual can behave in the way he chooses to, subject only to the laws of the land.

Power Distance
Power distance dimension describes the extent to which the society accepts unequal distribution of power. In a high power distance society, people show a lot of respect to those in authority. Managers negotiate with similar 'titles' of competing firms. Formal hierarchy is important and indeed necessary for success

Power Distance
High Power Distance Moderate Low Power Distance

Russia China Hong Kong

Indonesia

Korea

USA Germany Netherlands

Career Success (Masculine) vs. Quality of Life (Feminine)

Some societies rigidly define men's and women's roles. Their social sexual roles are clearly different from each other. Men are expected to be assertive, tough and focused on the acquisition of money and material things. Women are expected to be modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life (India, Mexico). Women are not expected to be truck drivers. Hofstede calls them masculine societies.

Confucian Dynamism
Hofstede, and Bond at a later period, conducted a survey of Chinese managers and employees and identified a fifth dimension which they called Confucian dynamism. They found these societies to have strong work ethics and commitment to traditional Confucian values. Many attribute the extraordinary success of China to Confucian dynamism.

Uncertainly avoidance
Society's reliance on social norms and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events

THE KLUCKHOHN-STRODTBECK FRAMEWORK

Relationship with the environment -Dominance -Harmony -Subjugation Time Orientation Past Present Future Nature of People Activity Orientation Concept of Space