CCM - Corporate Culture, Chapter 3&4(Anglo-Saxon, Asia, Africa, Middle East)

• The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group form another (Hofstede)

• Includes systems of values, norms, and behaviors

—> Culture shapes how we interpret and interact with the world around us

Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Controlling

Leadership is a process whereby and individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal

Corporate culture

• Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact.

• Corporate culture is also influenced by national cultures and traditions, economic trends, international trade, company size, and products.

• Corporate cultures, whether shaped intentionally or grown organically, reach to the core of a company’s ideology and practice, and affect every aspect of a business.

» Individualism vs. Collectivism

» Uncertainty Avoidance

» Power Distance

» Humane Orientation

» Future Orientation / Short Term v. Long term

• How people interact

  (independent vs. interdependent)

• How people respond to change

  (flexibility vs. stability)

Independent vs. Interpendent

flexibility vs. stability

Yes

• Hofstede: Individualism vs. Collectivism

• GLOBE: Collectivism (1&2)

• Model of Culture: Structure

• Hofstede: Uncertainty Avoidance

• GLOBE: Uncertainty Avoidance

• Model of Culture: n/a

• monocultural vision

• multicultural vision

optimistic and homogeneous process of integration

representing the co-existence of a mosaic of cultures which each maintain their own particularities

• pragmatic approach

• focuses more on action than analysis -> more on the culture of ‘how’ than of ‘why’

• Hofstede

  • less power distance

  • lower uncertainty avoidance

  • more individualistic

  • more ambitious/aggressive than their counterparts on the continent

• relaxed approach contrasts strongly with the Latin and Nordic approach

• job is a job, regarded as separate from one’s personal life

• selection process: extent to which the individual concerned can contribute to the tasks of the organisation -> intelligence and skills are measured, assessment center

  
  

1. “guanxi”

• relationships are key to business success -> building up a strong network

• trust & confidence are key elemants -> transactions do not need to be made in contractural form

1. “mianzi” = “face”

• need to maintain your own dignity and that of others

• personal and public reputation needs to be maintained -> used to influence other people in their decision-making

• non-discriminatory and does not promote prejudice -> readiness with which africans embrace reconciliation in politics and business

• mentality on inherent trust and belief in the fairness of human beings

• high standards of basic morality, based on historical precendent

• hierarchical political ideology, but based on an inclusive system of consultation

• perpetual optimism is an integral part of the African, mainly due to strongly held religious beliefs

• family as basis of the social structure -> welfare of the family is the primary concern

• family is run in a disciplined way by an authoritarian father

• discipline is maintained by a leader having strong control and a strict hierarchy

• considerable awareness of the social and economic environment

• highly sensitive towards traders -> may turn down a lucrative business deal because they dont like the people they are dealing with, especially if these people do not enhance their personal reputation

• deep-rooted beliefs in predestination and fatalism

• extreme sensitive towards discussions

• take account of the intonation and body language

• admiration and success are sought after as much as, if not more than, financial success