Cultures

1. Cultures Perceptual Orientations & Nonverbal Communication

2. Culture defined • A learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, norms, social practices, which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people. • *Social behaviors and practices also are found in insect and animal worlds

3. Why culture exists? • History • Wars, religious practices, economic consequences, disease • “Black Death” • Technology • Barbwire, paperclips, Post-it Notes, microchips • Ecology • Weather patterns, water & land formations, availability of food • Biology • Adaption to environmental forces

4. Hofstede’s Taxonomies • Taxonomies – “classification system” or “perceptual orientations” • Individualism vs. collectivism • Uncertainty avoidance • Power distance • Masculinity vs. Femininity • Time Orientation

5. Individualism vs. Collectivism • Encourage members to be unique and independent or conform and interdependent • Allegiance to the self or the group

6. Individualism vs. Collectivism • Collective • Guatemala, Indonesia, Pakistan • Require absolute loyalty to the group • Dependence to the group • Even the organization which a person works • What benefits the group? • We • Individual • Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, USA • Take care of self • Autonomy • Privacy • Decisions made are for the good of the individual • I

7. Nonverbal connection… • Economic development – artifacts, body and eye • Wealthy cultures tend to be individualistic • Poor cultures tend to be collectivistic • Climate – proxemics, haptics, artifacts • Colder climates tend to be individualistic • Warmer climates tend to be collectivistic • Psychological distance - territory • Collective tend to have large distance building in- & out-grouping . In-group require unquestioning loyalty • Individual do not perceive a large distance – in-group members are not close

8. Uncertainty Avoidance • Concern of all cultures and how they adapt to change and cope with ambiguity or unpredictability • Cultures differ in the extent they tolerate • Level of comfort with change • Anxiety awareness • Uncertain situations

9. Uncertainty Avoidance • Denmark, Jamaica, Ireland, Singapore experience LOW level of uncertainty avoidance • enjoy high tolerance to uncertainty • believe in minimizing rules and rituals that govern social conduct an human behavior • accepting and encouraging dissent among members • O.K. with unpredictable and unstable • Nonverbal Connection – haptics, olfactics, chronemics, artifacts, proxemics

10. Uncertainty Avoidance • Greece, Guatemala, Portugal, Uruguay all have high uncertainty avoidance • Prefer avoiding uncertainty • Demand consensus • Do not tolerate dissent or deviation in behavior • Extensive set of rules, regulations, & rituals • Tend not to predict, but plan for future (need predictable) • Nonverbal Connection – haptics, olfactics, chronemics, artifacts, proxemics

11. Power Distance • Human equality or inequality • Who holds power? • How many hold power? • All people do not have equal levels of status or social power

12. Low Power Distance • Austria, Denmark, Israel, New Zealand low power distance • Prefer small distance • Importance in minimizing social or class inequalities • Questioning or challenging authority figures • More have a say

13. High Power Distance • Arab, Guatemala, Malaysia, Philippines high power distance • Few have power or status • Each person has a rightful and protected place in the social order • Actions of authorities should not be questioned

14. Power Distance • Climate plays a major role in the development of power distance • Colder, more extreme climates, human survival requires more protection against hardships • In turn requires more innovative, independent thinking, thus questioning each other and authority (low PD) • Warmer climates far less dependent on nature, need for technological solutions isn’t great, more traditional problem-solving • People will turn to their elders, consequently less questioning of authority

15. Nonverbal connection • Questioning – paralanguage, eye, facial communication • Distribution of wealth – artifacts • Population size – larger the pop., the greater power distance - territory, proxemics • Large PD cultures have been taught it’s impolite and rude to ask for more information – silence, eye

16. Masculinity vs. Femininity Masculinity • Achievement and assertiveness • Acquisition of wealth Femininity • Nurturance and social support • Care for others & quality of life

17. Masculinity-Femininity • Austria, Italy, Japan and Mexico – High MAS • Achievement and ambition in judging people on the basis of their performance • The right to display the material goods that have been acquired

18. Masculinity-Femininity • Chile, Portugal, Sweden, Thailand – High FEM • Importance of life choices • Improve intrinsic aspects of the quality of life • Service to others • Sympathy for the unfortunate • Equality between sexes, less prescriptive role behaviors • Acceptance of nurturing roles for males and females

19. Chronemics or Time Orientation • Long-term vs. short-term • A person’s point of reference about life and work.

20. Long-term Orientation • Cultures promoting long-term orientation • admire persistence • Thriftiness • Humility • a sense of shame • status differences within IPC relationships • Chinese typically have a long-term – tendency to mark time in year-long increments (Year of the Dragon)

21. Short-term Orientation • Cultures promoting short-term time orientation • Have deep appreciation for tradition • personal steadiness and stability • maintaining the “face” of self and others • balance or reciprocity when greeting others • giving and receiving gifts and favors • expect quick results following one’s actions. • Europeans typically have a short-term – aggregate time in month-long intervals (Aries, Gemini, Pisces or Aquarius)