Nature Of Culture

0 In narrow sense , refers to such activities as dance

,drama ,music and festivals. 0 In true sense is referred to such activities which includes knowledge ,belief ,art ,morals ,law , customs and other capabilities acquired by an individual as a member of a society. 0 Cultures change gradually, picking up new ideas and dropping old ones.

Characteristics
0 Learned not inherited or biologically based ,it is acquired by learning 0 0 0 0 0

and experience. Shared it is not specific to individuals ,but shared by group , organisation or society. Trans generational passed from one generation to the next. Symbolic based on human capacity to symbolise or use one thing to represent another. Patterned has a structure and is integrated ,i.e a change in one part will bring changes in another. Adaptive based on the human capacity to change or adapt.

LEVELS OF CULTURE National Culture

Business Culture

Organisational Culture

Occupational Culture

Multinational Management

National culture
It is normally seen that each country has one culture , but

some countries like India, Canada, Singapore, have more than one culture .
Its not only the language that influences business

transaction but also nature and type of law that governs.

Business culture
0 This is the most important aspect , where every country has

its own business culture what they follow . 0 Business culture tells people the correct and adaptable ways to conduct business in that country. 0 Eg: business etiquette , norms , values and believes.

Organisational Culture:
0 Also known as Corporate culture. 0 This basically refers to philosophies, ideologies,

values , assumptions , beliefs , expectations, attitudes and norms that bind an organization together and are shared by its employees.

0 Eg: IBM ,P&G , Google ,Toyota etc.

Occupational Culture
0 Different occupational groups such as physicians,

professors , lawyers , accountants and craftspeople have distinct cultures ,called occupational cultures.

0 They are the norm , beliefs and expected ways of

behaving of people in the same occupational groups.

Elements Of Culture
Supernatural Beliefs

Language

Education

culture
Customs & manners

Religion

Attitude

Aesthetics

Language And Culture

0 Language organizes the way members of a society think

about the world.

0 It filters observations and perceptions, and thus affects

unpredictably the messages that are sent when those individuals try to communicate

0 Culture influences language and language impacts culture in

several ways.

Religion And Culture

0 Religion refers to a specific and institutionalised set of

beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. 0 There are nearly 1,00,000 religions across the globe, but the major ones are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. 0 Religion has considerable impact on ones life, irrespective of the country to which the individual belongs. 0 Religion has its impact on the economy of a country too.

Customs And Culture

0 Customs are common or established practices. They

dictate how things are to be done; manners are used in carrying them out.

0 For example , in Arab countries it is considered bad

manners to attempt to shake hands with a person of higher authority unless the individual makes the first gesture to do so, unlike in the US a person would not hesitate to shake his hands regardless of the persons rank.

Attitudes and Culture

0 Attitudes comprise the actions, feelings, and thoughts

that result from the values. 0 It includes opinion about individual freedom , democracy ,truth and honesty ,the role of the sexes , justice, love ,marriage etc. 0 Culture of the land determines its peoples attitude towards business.

Education and Culture

0 Economic progress of a country depends on the education

of its citizens. 0 Economic implications : -Countries rich in educational facilities attract high-wage industries. -The market potential of a country depends on education.(market for computers and high-tech equipment's) -The literacy level determines the nature of advertising , packaging and quality of market research available in the country.

Aesthetics and Culture

0 It relates to artistic tastes of culture. 0 For example, in India values of Indians are different

from those of Canadians as reflected by the art , literature ,music and artistic tastes.

Supernatural Beliefs
0 It affects the conduct of business by shaping attitudes

about work , savings ,consumptions efficiency ,individual responsibility and decision making . 0 Eg: Followers of Hinduism believe in vastu , Islamic religion believe in charity .,etc

Implications For International Business

0 Spreading Cross-cultural literacy

Eg: McDonalds in India 0 Removing Cross-cultural illiteracy A company and its managers should realise that there are cultures different from their own, and must learn and adapt them. 0 Culture and Competitive advantage 0 Managing Diversity It means to establish a diverse workforce to perform to its potential in an equitable work environment where no member has an advantage or a disadvantage. 0 Culture-Strategy Compatibility Eg: McDonalds meat prepared after halal is printed on the label before exporting meat to Saudi Arabia, Nokia Introduced Hindi SMS for Indian users of cellphones.