Culture can be defined in several ways, it is a concept that is integrated by many elements such as language, religion, cousine, sports, music and others; but in few words culture can be defined as the behavior of each person . As Nick B. Mayer analized on his conference " dealing with cultural differences" Doing international business, has different strategies and tactics, but the knowledge of the impact of cultural differences, is the key not only for success, but also a respectful behavior.
Greer Hofstede, calls culture the " software of the mind" ( taken from understanding culture and cultural differnces, online, http://blue.butler.edu/jfmcgrat/culture.htm), and that really is an intersting definition, beacuse even though now days globalization makes as a world community, there is no "world culture". Because everyone have messages to transmit but different ways to do it.
Mr. Mayer in the conference analized the five dimensions developed by Hofstede, not only the concept but also with clear examples.
One dimension that really caught my attention is the power distance, it means that the power is distributed inequality, so how does this affect business?, doing business, you must have in mind how power is distributed not only in societies but also on organizations because this affect the way of thinking, so you must find the way to caught their attention. For example: In countries like Luxembourg the feel of inequality is very low, because every one has education opportunites, better life conditions, better job opportunities. Their culture knows how to work in teams, share triumphs and delegated responsabilites. And that is reflect in life style. Mean while in countries like Colombia only the rich ones has all type of opportunities, so maybe doing business in a country like Colombia is more complex because you must have more contacts to get to the superior. In a country with a low power distance the job evironment will be more pleasurable, beacuse the relation between boss and employees is closer.
For me this is an excellent help when youre doing business beacuse you can predict how decitions are taken.
During the conference Mr. Mayer also talk about the dress code so in this area i really have an intersting example, the last semester in my fashion marketing course i had a very intersting conference of the line clothe " Onda de Mar", in this conference the marketing director told us how in the photo shootings of each collections must done very carefully, because the sell their beathingsuits in other parts of the world, like Dubai, that must be careful beacuse on the photos the models cant be drinking anything, beacuse alcohol is not accepted, and they must had photos with clothing beacuse there they are very extricted in showing the body, why? beacuse of the religion. So they used the photos of bikinys in countries that are allowed and the photos of the clothing in Dubai. It shows how a company can be recursive and find ways to get in cultures that are more complex than others, but been aware of cultural differnces.
Finally i will like to end with a very good quote. Ernest Gaines, "Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing to men holding guns, than holding hands" ( taken from culture quotes, online, www.thinkexist./quotations/culture/2.html)
The image is called " The colors of the world" (taken from, www.3viajesaldia.com)
The power distances is a thing that really influence the way of think in the world because the differences between people is evident starting from the education, it means that the culture is affected in this way when a group of people has education, this group would have more opportunities to have quality life but the group that doesn’t have education won’t have the same opportunities. In the countries that has the possibility to be educated the gap is small; it means that the GDP or the quality life isn’t a problem of cultural differences. In this thing is really important say that may be the governments could help in education more that they have been doing and if the education rise the levels in each country the quality of life will be better and the security could rise the levels.
ResponderEliminarSaris, I like very much your deffinition of culture and I agree when you say that the knowledge of the impact of cultural differences is the key not only for success but also for a respectful behaviour.
ResponderEliminarUnderstanding that we are all different, that we think differenta and that we act different is the key for good relationships, and good relationships are the key for a positive working environment.
Studying culture is important for the success of a not only for good relatinships but also for success in going international. Understanding differences in tastes, meaning of colours, religion, beliefs, weather, seasons, and other aspects that make part of culture as you said when you defined it, can be the key to determine if a product can be sold in other places as you do inn your ome country or not.