What Is “Culture”? - Uni Trier

[Pages:24]What Is "Culture"?

Culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture while also distinguishing those of another group

? Center for Culture and Language Learning University of Minesota

What is "Culture"?

Culture: earned and shared human patterns or models for living; day-today living patterns. These patterns and models prevade all aspects of human social interaction. Culture is mankind's primary adaptive mechanism

Addison-Wesley, Fifth Dimension on the Language Classroom

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What is "Culture"?

Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another

Hofstede, G. (1984). National Cultures and Corporate Cultures

09.06.2009

What is "Culture"?

Culture is a set of beliefs or standards, shared by a group of people, which help the individual decide what is, what can be, how to feel, what to do and how to go about doing it

Goodenough, Ward (1971), Culture, Language and Society

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What is "Culture"?

Culture is the collective fingerprint of our identity . . . Cultural differences exist, but no culture is globally superior or inferior to another

Jean-Claude Usunier and Julie Anne-Lee (2009), Marketing Across Cultures

09.06.2009

What is "Culture"?

Heaven is where the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the policemen are English, the lovers are Italian, and it is all organized by the Italians. Hell is where the policemen are German, the mechanics are French, the cooks are British, the lovers are Swiss and it is all organized by the Italians

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Elements of Culture

Language Nationality Education Profession Ethnic group Religion Family

Sex Social class Corporate culture

09.06.2009

Question for Discussion

Discuss the case of multilanguage/multi-region countries (e.g. India, Canada, Switzerland); how can people in these countries share a common culture? On which segments of culture?

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What is "Culture"? From a Business Point of View

Culture is about different ways of doing business and different client expectations in different business communities

Barry Tomalin and Mike Nicks (2007), The World's Business Cultures and How to Unlock Them

09.06.2009

International Business: Why General Philosophical Reasons

Absolute advantage: a condition in which a country can produce a product exclusively, or nonexclusively but more cheaply than others, and therefore possesses an absolute advantage for that product

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International Business: Why General Philosophical Reasons

Comparative advantage: the principle that asserts that countries should specialize in producing those products in which they have the greatest advantage or the least disadvantage in relationship to other countries. It is job specialization on the international level

09.06.2009

Question for Discussion

Explain the following statement:

Companies exploring comparative advantage should be aware that it rarely lasts for very long

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International Business: Why Specific Reasons

Desire to expand markets Search for natural resources Global marketing Proximity to consumer Labor savings

09.06.2009

International Business: How

Exporting: General export license/validated export license

Foreign licensing: A company in the parent country (licensor) gives the right to a company in the host country (licensee) to make use of an exclusive patent, trademark, process or technology. The license in granted in exchange for money: a fixed fee or a percentage of profits

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International Business: How

Foreign assembly: A company exports parts from the parent country to the host country, where final product assembly takes place. Foreign production subsidiaries: a company actually establishes a factory in the host country.If it is in conjunction with a foreign company it is called a joint venture

09.06.2009

International Business: Problems

Communication (see study cases) Cultural differences (see study cases) Protectionism and trade barriers

Tariff: a tax levied against an import Quota: the government limits the quantity of foreign goods allowed to enter the country Embargo: a government prohibition against the entry of foreign goods

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