Kenyas Culture Analysis - Essay Example

? Culture Brief Kenya’s Culture Brief Many of you are aware of the fact that our company is seeking to expand our business of sellingbicycles in Kenya. This culture brief brings to light the history, geography, political and economic systems, profile, traditions, values, and the lifestyles of Kenyans. This brief also covers common business practices, as well as strategies for promoting successful business growth, and strategies to address cultural perspectives of the Kenyan workers and customers. To understand the history of Kenya, it is important to posit the fact that Kenya’s history is categorized into three divisions. These divisions include the pre-colonial era, colonial era, and the post-colonial era. Kenya is widely known to comprise forty two tribes each with a distinct mother tongue language. Historically, each and every tribe has its own distinct history in terms of relocations and resettlements, development, communication and relations with other tribes, customs, traditions, as well as in trade and industry. On the basis of resettlements, Kenya’s population is groups into Bantus, Nilotes, and Cushites. Cushites include Somali and Borana among others. Some examples of the Nilotes include Nandi, Pokot, and the Luos. Examples of Bantus include Kikuyu, Embu, Meru, and Kambas. During the pre-colonial era, most individuals in Kenya depended on crops and animals. In 1985, Kenya was colonized by Britain. The country got its independence in 1963 (Hornsby, 2013). Geography According to Hornsby (2013), Kenya is a unique country with an extensive shoreline, a large proportion covered by vegetation, beautiful mountains, arid region, lakes, as well as home to the Great Rift Valley. The Indian Ocean touches Kenya towards the south east direction. The country has a total of five countries as its neighbors. These countries include Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Available sources assert that the country comprises of five climatic regions. These include the Coast, the Rift Valley, Semi-desert, desert, and the lake region. Only twenty percent of the country is considered appropriate for both crop growing and animal keeping. A whooping seventy percent of the country is either desert or semi desert. Political system Since independence, the country has upheld and preserved a centralized form of government. It is important to point out that this centralized form of government brought with it individualistic leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi. These rulers were above the law during their tenures as presidents. The current president is the fourth since independence. The country adapted a multi-party system in 1992. This saw the emergence of new parties unlike the time of Jomo Kenya and partly during Moi’s era whereby the country had only one political party, Kanu (Hornsby, 2013). Currently, Kenya is divided into forty seven counties each being represented by a governor and a senator. Economic perspective Economically speaking, Kenya is a developing nation. Consequently, this country can be termed as a capitalist nation in terms of the economy. It depends on a large proportion with the international markets for trade and commerce. The country gets most of its revenue through the importation of cash crops such as coffee and tea. Tourism is also well structured and coordinated in Kenya and is a source of foreign exchange. Tourist throng the country’s wildlife reserves, game parks, as well at the coastal region for its favorable and warm climate (Hornsby, 2013). Traditions and customs Kenya comprises of forty two tribes each practicing its own customs and traditions. For instance, Kambas undergo various rites of passage. They undergo initiation to become adult members of the community as early as the age of twelve. Young men are given the responsibility of upholding, preserving, as well as preservation of the community. The final stage among the Kambas is becoming an elder. The Maasai on the other hand are known for keeping animals and making ornaments. There are Hindu’s presents in this Kenya and they have their own traditions and customs in line with Hindu culture (Goldman, 1999). As is the case in other countries, customs and traditions depend on religion and place of origin. Some of the most significant traditions practices in Kenya include ceremonies to observe and commemorate the delivery of newborns, weddings, circumcision. Distinct religions include Muslims, Christians among others. Values and ethics Values and ethics are the moral principles that govern an individual or group of individuals. The actions of actions are controlled and guided by the constitution. The Kenyan constitution dictates that every individual has the right to be treated in a respectful and human manner. Any individual that acts in contravention of the guidelines laid down in the constitution is taken to court and his/her case determined. Actions of individual Kenyans are also guided by the religious beliefs (Knowles, Lander & Hawkins, 2012). For instance, Christians act in accordance with the teachings of the Bible while the actions of Muslims are guided by the Koran. It is the norm of every community in Kenya to respect and take instructions from their elders. Traditionally, as well as in Biblical perspective, senior citizens are thought to posses more wisdom as compared to the young. Based on the fact that they have more experience on life, they make the rules and regulations within the community and offenders are punished. Life styles Kenyans are known all over the world as individuals dedicated to the work. In fact, some businesses in major cities and towns operate round the clock. Most Kenyans are down to earth individuals and proud of their country. Occasionally, you will find a Kenyan donning a T-shirt with the phrase “I am Proud to be Kenyan”. As compared to individuals in the developed countries, rarely do Kenyans schedule meetings in days in advance. Meetings are arranged within hours and business is completed. Consider this funny, but most Kenyans don’t know hour to keep time and they will always show up for meetings late. Kenya, having been colonized by the British, its lifestyle has been influenced by the British way of life. Kenyans are known to be hospitable and anybody will be ready to give you directions to where you are going, for example. Though some people in the rural areas may sometimes dress in traditional attires, the way of dressing is influenced by the western culture. Common business practices A great proportion of Kenyans as well as foreigners are involved in business activities in Kenya. Despite the fact that business compete with one another, business practice are similar. In a bid to reach more customers in Kenya, almost all business invest in advertising their products and services. Advertisement is a key factor of success in business. Due to the rising demands of advertisements, companies specializing in advertisement activities have emerged. Generally, advertisement is through the word of mouth, placing adverts in the newspapers, televisions, as well as the social media. Therefore, a company seeking to introduce a new product has to advertise so as to familiarize the public with their product. New companies selling products already in the market butt different brands must also advertise and familiarize people with their products (Pressman, 2006). Businesses operate under the objective of making profits. In layman’s terms, profit is the difference between total sale and expenditure. Profits are maximized through slashing on expenditure and this can be accomplished through rationalizing activities, dismissing some workers, and also ensuring that advances on credit are promptly paid. A business must also strive to develop. Businesses have developed through commercialization of their products, and through introducing novel commodities in the market. Business development is geared towards achievement of monetary security. It is also a common practice in business to employ and lay off workers. It is also a common practice to look for experienced and talented employees and lay off lazy and ineffectual employees. Strategies for promoting successful business growth Strategies for business growth are customer oriented. First and foremost, communication and conditions of business must be designed in a way that sustains flourishing and booming implementations. Ensuring workers are motivated and ensuring that all activities are aligning with the business goals or objectives will lead to successful business growth. It is also important to identify the market for your product as well as the target group. Partnering with distributors and other companies will ensure that you cover a larger market. Keeping records of daily businesses helps in the identification of problem areas where loss can be occur within the business. Purchasing or buying off new business can also promote successful business growth. However, it is important to identify businesses that can easily be improved and those with the ability to bring in huge profits. These are the kinds of businesses to acquire (Pressman, 2006). Involving oneself in new undertakings and projects with a higher possibility of development and expansion is also a good idea in a bid to ensure a successful business growth. Strategies for addressing the cultural perspective of the new customers and employees A company seeking to expand its activities in Kenya from other countries must consider cultural issues and needs of their customers. As a manager in an American company selling bicycles in Kenya, it is important to identify and acquaint oneself with the fact that Kenyans have diverse culture. Customers and workers are ought to be treated fairly regardless of the color of their skin. Treating all workers equally will ensure business growth. Employing Kenyans in the business and engage them in selling bicycles is important as they understand the needs of their countrymen better. Holding regular evaluations and appraisals within the business will help identify supervisors and other managers with the habit of allocating certain duties to individuals of certain ethnic backgrounds and put this to a stop amicably (Lampel, Shamsie & Lant, 2006). All workers must be treated fairly and equally. In addressing the cultural perspective of the new employees, it is important to encourage communication and building relations. This will help in the detection and recognition of discrimination on the basis of race. Communication will also ensure that workers from different races learn from each other and eventually identify themselves with the new culture and as well respect it. Encouraging workers to effectively communicate with Kenyan customers will help them understand the needs of the customer. It is of significance to acquaint with the customs and traditions of Kenyans in order to have a clear comprehension of what they prefer and what they dislike. Holding training sessions for workers on cultural competence with help workers deal with customers from other races effectively. Employing culturally competent employees is also important in ensuring that customers are treated fairly (Lampel, Shamsie & Lant, 2006). In a nutshell, Kenya is a good place to expend and develop business on the basis of political, economic, and social issues. References Goldman, P. B. (1999). Monkeyshines on Cultures and Customs from Around the World. Greensboro, NC: North Carolina Learning Institute for Fitness & Education. Hornsby, C. (2013). Kenya: A History Since Independence. London, UK: J. B. Tauris & Co Ltd. Knowles, G., Lander, V., & Hawkins, S. (2012). Thinking through Ethics and Culture in Primary Education. London, UK: Sage Publishers. Lampel, J., Shamsie, J., & Lant, T. K. (2006). The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspective on Entertainment and Media. UK: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pressman, A. (2006). Professional practice 101: Business strategies and case studies in architecture. Michigan, USA: University of Michigan. Read More