IP intercultural proficiency
Book: intercultural sensitivity
4/9/19
Handig om hierna het boek door te lezen.
What is culture? Example to explain:
• Collective programming of the mind that distinguishes
one group of people from another.
• Shared beliefs and values, norms and rules.
Three layers/union from Schein
1. Artefacts of culture (voorwerp wat door de mens
gemaakt is wat karakteristiek is voor de cultuur)
The first things you notice when entering a new country.
Bicycle lanes, larges windows, tall people and how they
dress. What they eat for lunch, company logo, company
interior style etc.
2. Norms and values
They are written and unwritten standards of correct, desired
behaviour. (Is it the norm to arrive in class a few minutes
early, on time or is it the custom to be a few minutes late?)
Values express what we thing is good or right. For example,
is it good to stand up for an elderly person on a crowded bus?
Norms and values are harder to notice than artefacts and
take a while to know them. But they can be learned.
3. Basic assumptions
They are abstract and invisible and we learn them very
young. The perception of the world around us, and the
judgements we make bout others, are very much shaped or
distorted by the basic assumptions. Extra info: p. 15
,Cultural values examples:
•freedom
•belong to something (sport groups, friends, family etc.)
•equality
Ways to look at culture:
• National
- Family, religion, education
- Mass communication media (own a fb acc, in some countries
it’s not allowed)
•Subculture
- Hippies, goths, fans of hip hop, bikers etc.
•Corporate
- Culture in an organization. (difference between Utrecht
university and Utrecht Applied sciences)
Value systems of society
• Traditional society
• Rational society
• Society where materialism is predominant
• Post-modern society
Culture can develop at different levels:
1. Culture and nation
2. National culture
3. Organizational culture > all forms of organizations
4. Corporate culture > profit organizations
5. Professional culture
6. Culture and management
National culture
Elements that contribute to creation national culture:
•History of the nation
•physical environment
Institutions that contribute to establishment of national
culture:
•Family, religion, education
•Mass communication media
•The multinational company as culture-building institution.
Influence of culture/nation on organizations:
, •Macro level: laws, economic institutions
•Micro level: employer-employee relationship, behavior
among employees.
Organizational culture
Culture affects the way:
• Strategy is determined
• Goals are established
• How an organization operates
Personnel of the organization:
• Are influenced by their cultural backgrounds
• Share their own values and perceptions
Corporate culture
A combination of
• Organisational
• National/regional
Internal factors play an important role
Professional culture
• Operators
• Engineers
• Executives
Culture and management
• Explains the behavior of people in organizations around
the world
• Describes/compares organizational behavior across
countries and cultures
• Seeks to understand/improve the interaction of co-
workers, managers, clients, suppliers
Onion
