A Key Role of Culture - Essay Example

A Key Role of Culture Definition "A culture is a configuration of learned behaviors and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society" Linton, R. (1945). Cultures and tradition play a key role in defining the values and believes of a nation. It is the culture that sets either positive or negative trends in a society. If we look closely at the modern day scenario, we will find that the impact of culture, values and traditions is momentous on the people. Learned: Culture is a learned behavior and helps people in interacting with people in a society. The process of learning one’s culture is called enculturation. Shared: Culture is shared thing, which is shared among the members of society. Mutually Formed: The culture breeds through a constant process of interaction. Arbitrary: The cultural laws being made are arbitrary; these laws are made by humans according to the “whims” of the society. Taken for granted: Cultures are usually perceived as natural and internalized in the members of the society. As the world is fast becoming a global village distances and boundaries are fast losing their meaning thus we are observing a constant fusion of diverse cultures and societies. This scenario has lead to the evolution of a new breed of individuals who are a part of a new brand of culture which has virtually no boundaries. The evolution of technology in the past few decades has brought cultures closer then ever before. NATIONAL CULTURE: The following sections examine the importance of national culture in the business context. How People See Themselves: In some countries people are viewed as basically honest and trust worthy where as in others as suspicion and distrust. This may result from the way people see themselves. They assume others are like them; they set certain schemas about different people. For example, it took Mc Donald’s a year to realize that Hindus in India does not eat beef, this hamper their sales initially until they get shifted to lamb meat Ethical Decision Making: Society continues to be apprehensive about the impact of ethics on decision making. The increased globalization of today's business suggests that more emphasis should be given to the potential impact of culture on ethical decisions. Understanding of cross-cultural ethical differences is quite important in today’s world because the ethical standards are variable in different cultures. Individualism versus Collectivism: Individualism refers to people regarding themselves as individual like USA, Canada, Britain etc, while collectivism refers to people regarding themselves as a part of a group like Japan, China, Israel etc. The differences between the two reflect in many ways, such as in hiring practice. In countries where individualism is important, job applicants are evaluated on the basis of personal, educational and professional achievement where as in group oriented societies applicants are evaluated on the basis of trustworthiness, loyalty and compatibility with coworker. Communication: Cultures can vary according to the directness with which the messages are communicated. There are two ways in which communication takes plays among different cultures. High Context Communication: “The practice of sending less explicit message; the context-environment, setting, person, and relationship-provides meaning for the message.” In such cultures the context provides meaning for the message. Examples Asian and arab cultures generally have high context cultures. Low Context Communication: “The Practice of sending explicit, direct and unambiguous messages, both verbal and nonverbal.” Example: European and Americans cultures tend to use low context communication. DIFFRENCE BETWEEN THE TWO: Communication Flow: In high Context the speakers and listeners must coordinate their meaning from the context, while in low context one way communication is often sufficient. Role of Feedback: In high context the role of feedback is most important for creating and determining shared meaning. While in low context feedback is less important. Meaning of Words and Phrases: In high context words and phrases can have multiple meanings while in low context each word and phrases is meant to have one meaning. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: “The set of shared, taken for granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and that defines how it perceives, thinks about, and reacts to its various environment”. Robert Kreitner & Angelo Kinicki (2004). In the past 25 years, the concept of organizational culture has gained wide acceptance as a way to understand human systems. From an open system perspective, each aspect of organizational culture can be seen as an important environmental condition affecting the system and its subsystem. Increased competition, globalization, mergers, acquisitions, alliances, and various workforce departments have created a greater need for organizational culture. Thus, it has become an important pattern for the organization's development. There are of course many other bottom line business reasons to focus on and build organizational culture. Here are seven of those reasons. A strong culture is a talent-attractor. Your organizational culture is part of the package that prospective employees look at when assessing your organization. The talent market is tighter and those looking for a new organization are more selective than ever. The best people want more than a salary and good benefits. They want an environment they can enjoy and succeed in. (Eikenberry, 2006) A strong culture is talent-retainer. How likely are people to stay if they have other options and don’t love where they are? Your organizational culture is a key component of a person’s desire to stay. (Eikenberry, 2006) A strong Organizational culture engages people. People want to be engaged in their work. Your culture can engage people. Engagement creates greater productivity, which can impact profitability. (Eikenberry, 2006) A strong culture creates energy and momentum. A culture that is vibrant and allows people to be valued and express themselves and that will create a very real energy. That positive energy will permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success. Energy is contagious and will build on itself, reinforcing the culture and the attractiveness of the organization. (Eikenberry, 2006) A strong culture helps members making sense of their surroundings. This type of cultures help employees understand why the organization does what it does and how it intend to accomplish its long term goal. A Strong Culture Facilitates Collective Commitment: A strong culture brings people together. When people have the opportunity to (and are expected to) communicate and get to know each other better, they will find new connections. These connections will lead to new ideas and greater productivity - in other words, you will be creating synergy. A Strong Culture Promotes Social System Stability: social system stability reflects the extent to which the work environment is perceived as positive and reinforcing and conflict and change are managed effectively. A Strong Culture Follows the Adaptive Perspective: The most effective cultures help organizations anticipate and adapt to environmental changes. This type of culture enhances s firm’s financial performance. WORKS CITED 1. Linton, R. (1945). The Cultural Background of Personality. New York. 2. Robert Kreitner & Angelo Kinicki (2004). Organizational behavior. Chapter 3 Organizational culture,socialization and mentoring (page# 81). 3. Eikenberry, K. (2006, March 19). Seven Reasons Organizational Culture Matters. Retrieved May 24, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Reasons-Organizational-Culture-Matters&id=164337 Read More