International Intercultural Management - Assignment Example

1. Overview The cultural diversity campaign is to be conducted in Mumford theatre, in September fresher’s week in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. It is an architectural presentation of each country and their influence on culture. The booklet made to cover the topic of cultural diversity will also be passed around for more details on architecture and culture. Having an understanding of the various cultural differences globally is crucial for organizations involved in international business. This is because countries differ across a number of dimensions, having a great impact on the workplace values. When we look at international business, it is very clear that understanding the vast cultural differences and endorsing cultural sensitivity will help make sure that the communication across the boundaries of cultures remains successful and that business transactions are effective. 2. Hofstede’s Model in Relation to Cultural Aspects Every nation has its own set of standards that define the culture in terms of thinking, being and acting, and these differences have a very strong impact on the business communication and workplace values in any organization. Something that may be considered perfectly normal and natural in an organization of one country can be frowned upon and seen as offensive in another. Values will always differ across cultures. Therefore, we have to understand these varying differences in order to describe and forecast employee behaviour from various countries. Some cultures value decisions that are made in a group, while others think that the leader should take control of the decision-making. For almost all business organizations, it is crucial to be aware of how the cultures will affect the workplace values because it will provide them with a framework of assessing the different dimensions. One of the most determined studies of the cultural differences and how they influence organizational issues was commenced by Geert Hofstede, a Dutch scholar which involved data on more than 116,000 employees of IBM representing forty countries. Many of these dimensions will be based on Geert Hofstede’s framework for assessing cultures (Brown, 2009). It is important to understand where the values across cultures stem from, or what the source is. Previous research has identified two clear forces that have an impact on the formation of values that managers who are engaged in international business possess (Ronen, 1986; Webber, 1969). These two forces can be categorized into national culture as well as business environment. Both the culture of the nation and the environment the business operates in will have a significant influence on the values that an organization will possess. Triandis et al. (1986) brings forth the proposal that a way to have an understanding of the culture is to identify the dimensions of the variations in the culture of the organization such as Hofstede (1980). In a study including more by Geert Hofstede, it was found out there were four basic dimensions along with work-related values that differed across cultures: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and individualism/collectivism. Later on, work by Bond presented with a fifth dimension i.e. the long-term/short-term orientation. Power Distance is related to the extent to which a culture’s members accept an imbalanced distribution of power. Hofstede’s Power distance Index measures the degree to which the less dominant members of establishments and institutions accept the unequal distribution. This will almost always represent discrimination, but defined from below instead of above. It proposes that a society’s level of variation is recognised by the followers as much as by the leaders. If we look at France, we see that the power distance index is comparatively higher than the rest of the countries; around 68. This means that in the management as well as the general lifestyle of France there is a big gap between the social classes, and there are clear definitions of status involved. Uncertainty avoidance means the extent to which people are at ease in uncertain or vague circumstances. Uncertainty avoidance will with a society’s level of tolerance for vagueness and ambiguity; and it finally refers to a person’s search for the truth. It is an indication to what degree a nation will influence its members to possess the ability to either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured or unfamiliar situations. Unstructured situations are new, strange, unanticipated, and altered from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures will almost always try to diminish the likelihood of such circumstances by severe regulations and guidelines as well as safety and security measures In France, the index of uncertainty avoidance is high, positioned at the value of 86. This means that the managers in France are not too intense on vagueness; by planning and laying out everything carefully they try to avoid the uncertainty in every situation. In France, there is a society that will almost always rely on rules and regulations that are set. This is mainly because of their belief in reducing its risks to the minimum, and proceeding with variations little by little. Masculinity/femininity refers to how cultures draw a line between gender roles, support dominating male behaviour as well as stress upon economic performance. This one will focus on the extent to which a society will put pressure to achieve or nurture. Masculinity is a trait which generally puts an emphasis on ambition, acquisition of wealth as well as differentiated gender roles.  On the other hand, we see femininity as the trait which puts stress on the roles of caring and nurturing, sexual equality, environment friendliness, and more fluid gender roles. France has an index of 43 on the masculinity/femininity scale, which depicts that it occupies a medium-range position in comparison to the other countries’ management. Individualism/collectivism explores the stress put on independence, individual initiative as well as privacy versus interdependence as well as loyalty to the group. In France, the management in terms of culture possesses a high individualism index i.e. 71, in comparison to the other countries. Finally, almost all cultures have a tendency to incline towards short-term orientation or long-term orientation. Cultures that are long-term oriented will almost always place a lot of emphasis on persistence, perseverance and thrift and pay a lot of attention to status differences, while those that are short-term oriented will put emphasis on personal steadiness and stability and social niceties (Rainey, 2011). According to Hofstede, France has a very low long-term orientation index in comparison to the other countries. The culture of France as a country, and also that of the French people has been formed by profound historical events, by geography as well as by foreign and internal powers and entities. France, and specifically Paris, has played a central role as a middle of high culture and also that of decorative arts. Beginning from the late nineteenth century, France has also made its mark in fashion, cinema and cuisine. 3. Cultural Aspects of France One of the major cultural aspects of France can be is its architecture, the history of which runs in a parallel line with its European neighbours, with France being producing some of the earliest innovators in many architectural styles, and also comprising some of the finest architectural constructions of the region. Over the passage of years, France has been a witness to remarkable architectural improvement. In Southern France, there is France's Gallo-Roman legacy where tourists can discover the fragments of Gallo Roman legacy at the Pont du gard as well as amphitheatres in Nimes and Arles in addition to the theatre at Orange. A couple of centuries later the Gallo-Roman architectural basics led to creation of many masterworks. Poitier's Eglise Notre Dame la Grande is one such celebrated stroke of genius. The Romanesque Eglise Notre Dame la Grande is situated in the old city of Poitiers which was constructed in the 11th and the 12th centuries. In the 12th century, famed Gothic structures such as Avignon's enormous pontifical palace and the seminal cathedral at Chartres were constructed. Gothic architecture was seen as a form of architecture that is linked with cathedrals. In 12th century, it was prevalent as ‘the French Style’ in France. The numerous descriptions of French Gothic architecture can be categorised into Early Gothic, High Gothic, Rayonnant and Flamboyant or late Gothic style. The East side of the Abbey Church of St Denis was constructed in the Early Gothic Era. A few of the popular churches of the High Gothic era can be termed as Amiens cathedral, Reims Cathedral the central body of Chartres cathedral, Notre-Dame of Laon as well as Notre Dame de Paris. Late Gothic style is visible in the north tower of Chartres Cathedral, the south transept of the Cathedrale saint-Pierre de Beauvais, the rose window of Amiens Cathedral as well as the west façade of the Rouen Cathedral and Church of St. Maclou. Significant Gothic structures of France are Charters Cathedral, Bourges Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, Notre-Dame de Laon, Our Lady's Cathedral in Paris, Reims Cathedral, Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. (Kelly, 2001) During the 1st Century A.D., in the Roman conquest, classical architecture was familiarized in Southern France. There are initial Christian, Carolingian and Merovingian buildings. In the initial architecture, Roman Basilica form conquered the various styles of architecture. However, the Carolingian period saw numerous design revolutions. Romanesque architecture and art was dominant in Europe from 10th to the mid-12th century. In Romanesque architecture has Byzantine and Eastern origin. Classical Art and Architecture spread from Italy to France in the 15th and 16th century during the Renaissance period. In the 17th century Italian baroque style became very renowned due to Château de Maisons who had used the Italian baroque style. French architect as well as theorist Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc played a vital role in the revitalization of Gothic Art in the mid-19th century. It was during this very period when, Paris was modernised as well as remodelled under Napoleon III. Auguste Perret, François Hennebique and Tony Garnier are some of the well-known and celebrated architects of the late 19th and early 20th century. Among the various landmarks situated in France, it can be seen that The Louvre in Paris can be deemed as one of the most well-known and the chief art museums in the world, formed by the new revolutionary regime in the former royal palace in 1973. It holds a massive volume of art of French artists as well as many others such as the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, and the Greek Venus de Milo in addition to the ancient pieces of culture and art from Egypt and the Middle East. It possesses a very high level of attraction for tourists as well as art-collectors and enthusiasts. Tourist attractions also include the Eiffel Tower which was initially built as a momentary structure to memorialize and remember the centennial of the French Revolution. To the world's advantage the tower was never taken down and ever since, the Eiffel Tower is seen as a durable symbol of the city of Paris. Moreover, the Arc de Triomphe is also one of Paris’ chief tourist fascinations. It was custom-built by Napoleon directly after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1836. It was devoted to the French army and is the home to the Unknown Soldier’s grave since the year 1920. It is said to be one of the most famous arches in the world and was designed by Jean Chalgrin (Dauncey & Hugh, 2003). Among the modern tourist spots, Basilique St. Sernin is one of the most famous ones in France. Formerly known as the Benedictine abbey church, it is considered to be the biggest Romanesque structure in Western Europe. Pilgrims used to halt at the Basilique St. Sernin while on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Including an octagonal tower and spire, the basilica is also renowned throughout Toulouse for its crypt and the reliquaries. These particular aspects complement the theoretical culture in a way that as the cultural dimensions vary so do the aspects of the nation such as arts, fashion, food as well as sports. An example of this would be that as the power distance is higher among this nation; there is a tendency to divide the population into social classes. This is especially dominant in the fashion arena as the high powered clients are the ones who influence the sales of the popular brands, while the middle-class remain somewhat out of the picture. Moreover, individualism is also higher as compared to the other countries hence it is apparent in the couture as well as the lifestyles of the people in France. Everyone has a personal style, that is different than that of the others and it is actually fortified more or less in the culture that is dominant in France. 4. Suggestions for managers/employees/businesses Among some of the suggestions for business/managers/employees who are new to our country, we could enlist the follows as the most important: The French do not organize meetings just for the purpose of reaching a decision; they will also meet in order to exchange information, after which the person in charge takes the decision that is needed. For e.g. you will need to have a serious or challenging discussion with a stakeholder, after which you'll invite them for a meal, preferably a business lunch. These are an essential part of corporate communication. The French are more malleable and imaginative and they do not feel fixated to a previous decision. Unexpectedly, the productivity levels of the French, at the actual time of work, are actually higher than the productivity of the Americans in similar situations. The French do not like crystal-clear procedures and they are often insistent on wanting to maintain some sort of ‘grey zone’ and do not consider it right to use the same procedures every time for every task. The French do not believe in a win-win situation; therefore negotiations are always problematic when people do not try to reach an agreement. Only written commitments are treated as serious business; nothing oral is considered really obligatory and lying is not frowned upon. Within the corporation, the French are less inhibited by social codes such as ‘you must be obliged to play golf with your superior’, or ‘giving to charity for the company image would be beneficial’ etc. They also try to avoid mixing their corporate life and personal life; and as crazy as it sounds being invited over to one's boss' place is one of the worst possible things that may happen to an employee. The French are very much sentimentally attached and faithful to their firm. This means that they like to establish corporate relations on a personal level. The French are also seen to be highly polychronic: they are fond of doing several things at the same time and they are experts at that. While within the business, the French like to keep the doors closed, are unenthusiastic to work with a team and like to distribute information selectively. They often contemplate reporting an indication of feebleness and jeopardy to the organization (Kelly, 2001). 5. Synthesis and conclusion Hence, it can be concluded that it is very crucial for us to realize that cultural understanding is vital for survival in today’s world. Moreover, the dimensions presented by Hofstede in the various cultures are not ‘either-or’ dimensions, but are something along which a culture may be positioned near an extreme or maybe towards the centre. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that these are dimensions of culture and not of an individual’s traits or inclinations. Any one individual may be acting in agreement with the values of his or her own culture, or may differ from them in a number of ways. However, a deep understanding of these values is very important in order to ensure that communication across cultures remains harmonious and there are no ambiguities when we indulge in cross-cultural communication across the borders and that we also accept diversity in the process. REFERENCES: Brown, S (2009) Understanding cultural differences in business. Retrieved 20 April, 2011 from http://www.suite101.com/content/understanding-cultural-differences-in-business-a117469 Ralston, D., Gustaf’son, D. J., Cheung, F. M & Terpstra, R. H. (1992) Differences in managerial values: A study of U.S., Hong Kong and PRC Managers. Retrieved 20 April, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/155221 Rainey, J. C., (2011) Global Thinking Global Logistics. Retrieved 20 April, 2011 from http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=RG55_Iuu-l8C&pg=PA66&dq=Geert+hofstede+cultural+dimensions&hl=en&ei=_MB8Tcy6Os6gOorF3O0G&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Geert%20hofstede%20cultural%20dimensions&f=false Pillai, R., Scandura, T. A., Williams, E. A. (1999) Leadership and Organizational Justice: Similarities and Differences across Cultures. Retrieved 20 April, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/155344 Dauncey, H, ed. French Popular Culture: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press (Arnold Publishers), 2003. Kelly, M. French Culture and Society: The Essentials. New York: Oxford University Press (Arnold Publishers), 2001. (A Reference Guide) Rainey, J. C., (2011) Global Thinking Global Logistics. Retrieved 20 April, 2011 from http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=RG55_Iuu-l8C&pg=PA66&dq=Geert+hofstede+cultural+dimensions&hl=en&ei=_MB8Tcy6Os6gOorF3O0G&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Geert%20hofstede%20cultural%20dimensions&f=false Read More