24. Oct. 06, 15:36
Cultural Criss-Cross
[p.23]
Hofstede defines culture to be a mere concept which is useful to anticipate reactions and behaviors. It is a construct which reveals itself in speech and behavior but cannot be observed directly.
[p.26]
Hofstede takes the metaphor of a forest to describe culture. Just like the different plants and animals in a forest the individuals of a culture can be very different from each other. "National cultures differ primarily in the fundamental, invisible values held by a majority of their members, acquired in early childhood."
Hofstede furthermore differentiates into organizational cultures. "Organizational cultures are a much more superficial phenomenon residing mainly in the visible practices of the organization, acquired by socialization of the new members who join the company."
In both quotes, I'd like to take out the the ways of how culture in both cases is acquired. It seems a little too rigid to limit cultural learning to childhood. And to assume workers to start at a young age in one company and stay there for long-term employment seems rather old-fashioned.
Nevertheless I think it to be important to think of cultures in different fields. And it is certainly true that not two companies work the same way. The question is how a company which operates in two different cultures transfers its image/culture. Which influence does the particular culture have.
The process of cultural adaption is well known from cases in advertisement: Coca-Cola adresses its customers in India quite different than those in the States. But which philosophies are celebrated within organizations?
This reminded me that I still wanted to organize some self-image brochures portraying the same company in different countries
Geert Hofstede: Cultural Constraints in Management Theories
in: D.C.Thomas: Readings and Cases in International Management; Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003.
Hofstede defines culture to be a mere concept which is useful to anticipate reactions and behaviors. It is a construct which reveals itself in speech and behavior but cannot be observed directly.
[p.26]
Hofstede takes the metaphor of a forest to describe culture. Just like the different plants and animals in a forest the individuals of a culture can be very different from each other. "National cultures differ primarily in the fundamental, invisible values held by a majority of their members, acquired in early childhood."
Hofstede furthermore differentiates into organizational cultures. "Organizational cultures are a much more superficial phenomenon residing mainly in the visible practices of the organization, acquired by socialization of the new members who join the company."
In both quotes, I'd like to take out the the ways of how culture in both cases is acquired. It seems a little too rigid to limit cultural learning to childhood. And to assume workers to start at a young age in one company and stay there for long-term employment seems rather old-fashioned.
Nevertheless I think it to be important to think of cultures in different fields. And it is certainly true that not two companies work the same way. The question is how a company which operates in two different cultures transfers its image/culture. Which influence does the particular culture have.
The process of cultural adaption is well known from cases in advertisement: Coca-Cola adresses its customers in India quite different than those in the States. But which philosophies are celebrated within organizations?
This reminded me that I still wanted to organize some self-image brochures portraying the same company in different countries
Geert Hofstede: Cultural Constraints in Management Theories
in: D.C.Thomas: Readings and Cases in International Management; Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2003.
