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Posted on April 4, 2008 by Robert II Smith | Posted under Management
Managing Across Cultures
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Values are useful in explaining and understanding cultural similari-ties and differences in behavior; thus, understanding values and their cultural basis is helpful to international managers. If international managers understand how values can vary from culture to culture, they are more likely to accept and interpret correctly behavioral dif-ferences. This acceptance and correct interpretation, in turn, enable managers to interact effectively with others whose values and be-haviors are unfamiliar. It is helpful to define the concept of cultural values, as well as to distinguish it from and relate it to other concepts. This serves to delineate the domain of cultural values, and to underscore their importance to international managers. The following discussion begins with cul-tural values, and then examines needs, attitudes, and norms. These latter concepts are all similar to that of cultural values, but each contributes somewhat differently to behavior. Values have been described as enduring beliefs those specific modes of conduct or end states of existence are socially preferable to their oppo-sites (Rokeach 1973); a value system is seen as a relatively permanent perceptual framework that influences an individual's behavior (England 1978). Values establish the standards by which the importance of every-thing in society is judged. Throughout these definitions, the important issue for international management appears to be the role of social val-ues in behavior. In a general sense, values and norms are societal, while needs and attitudes are individual. Values interact with needs, attributes, and norms, as the following discussion explains. Needs are described as forces motivating an individual to act in a certain way; once satisfied, needs no longer have an impact on behavior. For example, a need for food motivates people to seek food; once people have eaten; they normally no longer seek food (unless motivated by other needs). Cultural values interact with individual needs because they in-fluence how people choose to satisfy their needs. It is generally accepted that two of the most basic and universal hu-man needs are the need for food and the need for sex, yet satisfaction of these needs differs because of societal values. In most societies the value of human life precludes cannibalism. Societies often have accepted times for eating, and even when people are hungry, they observe these timeframes. Similarly, social customs regarding sexual partners limit satisfaction of sexual needs. Many societies practice restrictions regarding food, often associated with religious rituals. During Lent, Christians may forgo favorite foods or limit their intake of meat. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast completely during daylight hours. Some sects eat no meat, some do not allow beef, and others prohibit shellfish or pork, and still others proscribe certain combinations of foods. Individual needs are put aside to observe these restrictions. About The Author: Robert Smith was born in New York in 1956. He has spent more than 12 years working as a professor at New York University. He likes assisting students with writing papers and essays. At this time he spends most of his time with his family and shares his education experience in writing papers He is a right person to ask about how to write my paper. He is a right person to ask about where to findessays for sale. |
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