Chapter 11 Cultural Characteristics and Effective Business in China
Maria Fernanda Pargana Ilhéu
ISEG/UTL, PORTUGAL
Abstract For firms in the international market the cultural characteristics of host country societies, where their managers are going to deal and work, must be learned, absorbed and adopted. A person’s perception of market needs is framed by his or her own cultural experience. More than factual knowledge of Chinese culture the interpretative knowledge is very important and difficult, since it comes from a matrix of philosophic, religion and political explanations which are completely different of the western one. Chinese “guanxi”, emphasizes personal trust building, the use of social bonds in dealing with partners,
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“Individualism versus collectivism” (IDV), the value of individual’s identity and rights, compared with those of the group, cultures high in collectivism are group oriented. Members of more collectivist cultures tend to protect one another more and threat out-group members more harshly than do individualistic cultures. The relational emphasis in collectivist societies justifies for instance strong network ties between businesses and customers (Nakata and Sivakumar, 2001). Network forms of organization, have been developed, most exclusively, in the so-called collective social and economic cultures, and China is a good example of it (Kao, 1993, Fukuyama, 1995, Achrol, 1997, Yeung, 1997, Ritcher, 1999). 2. “Uncertainty avoidance”(UAI), which basically measures tolerance for risk, cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tends to seek ways to create closed protective ways to control their environments. To reduce uncertainty SMEs engage in coalition activities such as alliance formation (Steensma et al., 2000). 3. “Masculinity versus femininity”(MAS), high masculinity cultures favor material achievements; femininity cultures value quality of life and relationships. 4. “Power distance”(PDI), indicates the tolerance for social hierarchy and class structures, high power distance cultures, exhibit class and power differences by
11 Cultural Characteristics and
The Salem witch trials of 1692 caused much confusion and chaos. A total of 19 were executed for supposed witchcraft. For such a travesty to occur and to end, there must be certain people that catalyze the event and others that speak out against it. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, specific characters contribute to the rising hysteria of witchcraft and the disapproval of the convictions. Reverend Hale is a unique character that provides attributions to both sides. Although Reverend Hale is a catalyst to the beginning of the witch trials because he protects the authority of the court with a strict interpretation of its laws, he later realizes the falsehood of the court's accusations, and he makes a dramatic shift in his dependency on
There are cultural differences within all the communities that make up the world, we are constantly surrounded and reminded of these other cultures. In this paper cultural differences will be discussed from the film “Why Did I Get Married?” which is an African-American movie about the hardships one goes through in marriage, friendships, and trust. This paper is going to give specific examples of Hall’s perspective of culture on the screen and Hofstede’s five dimensions that are reflected in a particular pattern. Examples of both verbal and non verbal intercultural communication and how they relate to particular intercultural
A connection I saw through this was the difference between a normal map of our countries and contents to this one. The differences were very clear and made me wonder. As a noticed this I saw that the smaller countries that were not as populated were in the shape and same spot as Africa. The larger countries that I am used to seeing in the same spot shifted to different parts of the map. Unlike, a normal map China, Indonesia, Russia, India, and the United States had a star next to them to show that these were some of the more settled areas. Well, I saw a ton of differences as I explained I also saw some similarities such as all the countries were labeled and there were still blue to represent the bodies of water that remain around them.
Men and women who lived in Norway during the 1800’s both were restricted to specific roles in and outside of the household. However, rarely in the 1800’s did Victorian men and women share the same responsibilities. If they did, you may have seen the “women working alongside husbands and brothers in the family business” (Hughes, Gender roles in the 19th century). This makes women seem as if they are compared to men as “physically weaker” during the time period of the Victorian era (Hughes, Gender roles in 19th century). Also, this demonstrates how women supported men and built them up so that men could fully use all of their capabilities to be successful at their jobs. Without this supporting system underlying the men, their businesses may have
Culture is a very vital part of the world as we know it today. There are very many different cultures all around the world. In the USA, we have a mix of all the different cultures and and family values. From the original Native Americans that inhabited America to the Middle Eastern people in Afghanistan. These people groups have brought their language, food, values, and customs with them.
In modern society, much like any before it, there always exist a duality when it comes to the constructs and events of human civilization as a whole. This is especially true of knowledge and technology. Its very understanding and creation can be perceived as a challenge to the current 'status quo'. It presents the opportunity for evolution and possibly, even revolution. So just as there would be as many to embrace it, there would an an equal force to deter it. This can even be seen in generational works, going as far back as the Ancient Greek tales of Prometheus. Prometheus, represented by the works of Aeschylus (Prometheus Bound) and Hesiod (Theogony/Works and Days), is demonstrated in light and dark differences between the two author's
Often, I consider whether there are other living creatures around that we have not yet found. A while prior I had a thought to investigate the universe all the more intently. In light of my interest, I recently went by an irregular planet called Earth. As I landed on Earth, everything was extraordinary; it was as though I was trapped in a snow globe all my life and did not know anything past. Consequently, I felt ecstasy as I walked through a narrow pavement exploring the nature around me. Our own particular planet varies in a wide range of viewpoints. In addition, there are frequent significant differences in other living creatures. I observed a common species and examined them well; they refer to themselves as humans, more specifically Americans.
Another value that is very important in Chinese culture is trust. Trust lies at the heart of successful long-term intercultural business relationships. Therefore, Oldtown employee must be prepared in gaining the Chinese Manager in China trust to deal with business. In China, the cross-cultural business relationships, trust plays an indispensable role since partners from different cultures don’t always have the same values or assumptions about how business works. When trust is developed, partners can navigate difficult issues over time by fostering a candid exchange of ideas, issues and agendas. Developing trust can significantly reduce what Westerners often complain of in their dealings with Chinese counterparts: unpredictable behavior and a lack of transparency. As a Chinese executive at Google put it, “In China, your success depends on how well a person trusts you.”
The rare but beloved by all but one, aspic gelatin that shows up during certain “Russian parties.”
Everyone has a different way of life, whether it be by the way you talk, dress, or eat. Or maybe how you dance, sing, and perform. These aspects of everyday life is called culture. Everybody in the world has a culture, but not all cultures are the same from person to person. In the book, The Miles Between, a group of teens, who attend a boarding school, have a different way of life than I do. Even though there is many differences between our cultures, there are still some similarities peeping through all the differences.
The discussion around the achievement gap has varied from socioeconomics and parent education levels to teacher quality and course offerings. Despite the variables that exist, the problem still remains. Riegle-Crumb and Grodsky (2010) illustrate in their study how racial differences impact course taking and student achievement. The study goes on to say that white students whose parents have completed a master’s degree have a predicated probability of .67 of being in advanced math classes, compared to that of African American students at .57 and Hispanic/Latino students at .48 . In addition to these statistics, studies indicate that schools with high populations of African American and Hispanic/Latino students tend to employ teachers who have
Race is described as genetic differences due to phenotypic characteristics such as specific physical features (Sheets, 1999). Not only do individuals of different race have specific identifiable features but also internal growth mechanisms vary. This paper will explore several areas in which racial differences influence growth and development. Growth differences between races are of importance since individuals are often compared to norms. However, it is evident that everyone has unique characteristics, and these characteristics can be attributed to race.
This paper aims to explore the cultural barriers that GM encounters while doing business in China especially in terms of language and Asian mind difference. As a matter of fact, we cannot examine all the cultural barriers due to the scope of the paper. On the other hand, some differences emerging from different thinking behavior between US and China are exemplified in the second part of the paper. In the first part, the company information and the SWOT analysis of GM are given before going further with the Asian operations of the company.
In this paper I will discuss Cultural Relativism and argue that the cultural difference argument is not a sound one, because its premise does not prove or disprove its conclusion. Further, I will use this to prove that morals can be objectively true and do not have to change on a culture to culture basis. Cultural Relativism theorizes the nature of morality and whether moral truths are correct even if they are not agreed on across all cultures.
The importance of ‘guanxi’ has their origins deep and profound impact on Chinese culture. In the Chinese culture, guanxi not only can observe through business markets, but also evaluated and studied in the contemporary social background. The Chinese word of relationships is guanxi. The word of guanxi is literally includes a concept which is different in Western view of relationship. Leung et al. (1993) stated that the concept of guanxi in the business context as being cultivated through personal interactions with other people and always involve a reciprocal desires. He believed that guanxi is developed through a person’s network of connections, as well as developing with ingenuity, creativity and flexibility.