Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh: International Management, Sixth Edition

II. The Role of Culture

4. The Meanings and Dimensions of Culture

© The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2005

PART TWO
THE ROLE OF CULTURE

Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh: International Management, Sixth Edition

II. The Role of Culture

4. The Meanings and Dimensions of Culture

© The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2005

Chapter 4

THE MEANINGS AND DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
A major challenge of doing business internationally is to adapt effectively to different cultures. Such adaptation requires an understanding of cultural diversity, perceptions, stereotypes, and values. In recent years, a great deal of research has been conducted on cultural dimensions and attitudes, and the findings have proved useful in providing integrative profiles of international cultures. However, a word of caution must be given when discussing these country profiles. It must be remembered that stereotypes and overgeneralizations should be avoided; there are always individual differences and even subcultures within every country. This chapter examines the meaning of culture as it applies to international management, reviews some of the value differences and similarities of various national groups, studies important dimensions of culture and their impact on behavior, and examines attitudinal dimensions and country clusters. The specific objectives of this chapter are: 1. DEFINE the term culture, and discuss some of the comparative ways of differentiating cultures. 2. DESCRIBE the concept of cultural values, and relate some of the international differences, similarities, and changes occurring in terms of both work and managerial values. 3. IDENTIFY the major dimensions of culture relevant to work settings, and discuss their effect on behavior in an international environment. 4. DISCUSS the value of country cluster analysis and relational orientations in developing effective international management practices.

The World of