The Cultural Context of Ihrm

Chapter 2
THE CULTURAL
CONTEXT OF IHRM
Chapter 2
For use with International Human Resource Management 6e ISBN-10: 1408032090
By Peter J. Dowling, Marion Festing, and Allen D. Engle. Sr. © Cengage Learning
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THE CULTURAL
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of contents.
CONTEXT OF IHRM
 Vocabulary
 Objectives
 Definitions of culture
 Intro to cross-cultural management research
 The Hofstede study
 The GLOBE study
 The Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner study
 Hall & Hall’s cultural dimensions
 The development of cultures
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Vocabulary
 Culture as defined by: Kluckhohn & Kroeber, Hansen, Schein
 artefacts, values, underlying assumptions
 cross-cultural management
 Hofstede:
power distance, uncertainty avoidance, femininity vs. masculinity,
individualism vs. collectivism, long-term orientation
Confucianism, Confucianism dynamics
 GLOBE:
ingroup, in-group collectivism vs. institutional collectivism
organizational culture, national culture, gender egalitarianism,
assertiveness, performance orientation, humane orientation
 Trompenaars, & Hampden-Turner:
universalism vs. particularism, communitarianism, neutral vs.
emotional, diffuse vs. specific, ascriptive vs. achievement,
sequential vs. synchronic time, internal vs. external control
 Hall & Hall:
high vs. low context, spatial orientation,
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polychrome vs. monochrome time
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Objectives
Learn these key findings and themes:
1. Definitions of culture
2. Cultural concepts
3. Results of various intercultural mgmt. studies:
Hofstede, GLOBE, Trompenaars, & others
4. Reflections on cross-cultural mgmt. research
5. Development of cultures
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Definitions of culture
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Kluckhohn & Kroeber def. of culture
Culture consists in patterned ways of  Thinking
 Feeling
 Reacting
acquired & transmitted mainly by symbols,
constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups,
including their embodiments in artefacts;
The
essential traditional ideas &
consists of
core of their attached values
culture
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Hansen’s 4 elements of culture:
Standardization of 1. Communication
2. Thought
3. Feeling
4. Behavior
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Schein’s concept of culture
A culture has 3 levels:
1. Artefacts - visible
2. Values – intermediate level of consciousness
3. Underlying assumptions – invisible,
unconscious
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Schein’s 6 underlying assumptions
1. Nature of reality & truth
2. Time dimension
3. Effect of spatial proximity & distance
4. Nature of being human
5. Type of human activity
6. Nature of human relationships
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Intro to cross-cultural mgmt. research
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Goals of cross-cultural mgmt. studies
 Describe organizational behavior
 Compare between countries & cultures
 Explain & improve interaction between

employees, customers, suppliers or
business in different countries & cultures
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The Hofstede study
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Hofstede’s 5 culture dimensions
1. Power distance
2. Uncertainty avoidance
3. Femininity vs. masculinity
4. Individualism vs. collectivism
5. Confucianism or long-term orientation
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Long-term cultures characterized by:
 Great endurance, persistence in pursuing goals
 Position of ranking based on status
 Adaptation of traditions to modern conditions
 Respect of social & status obligations within limits
 High savings rates & high investment activity
 Readiness to subordinate oneself to a purpose
 The feeling of shame
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Short-term cultures characterized by:
 Personal candor & stability
 Avoiding loss of face
 Respect of social & status obligations without
consideration of costs
 Low savings rates & low investment activity
 Expectations of quick profit
 Respect for traditions
 Greetings, presents & courtesies based on
reciprocity
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Figure 2.1
Hofstede study: Power distance & individualism vs. collectivism
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Table 2.1
Impact of the cultural context on HRM practices
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Future Hofstede-style research issues
 Realization of cross-level studies
Consider groups, organizations, & country levels
 Inclusion of cross-cultural differences

Consider intracultural variance
 Inclusion of theoretically relevant moderators

Consider sex, class affiliation, etc.
 Interaction between variables
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The GLOBE study
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The GLOBE study questions
 Are there leadership behaviors, attributes & org. practices
effective across all cultures?
 Are there leadership behaviors, attributes & org. practices
effective in some cultures only?
 How much do leadership attributes affect the effectiveness
of specific leadership behavior & its acceptance by
subordinates?
 How much do behaviors & attributes in specific cultures
influence the well-being of members in the researched
societies?
 What is the relationship between these socio-cultural
variables & an international competitive capacity
of the various sample societies?
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GLOBE’s 8 culture dimensions
1. Institutional collectivism
2. In-group collectivism
3. Uncertainty avoidance
4. Power distance
5. Gender egalitarianism
6. Assertiveness
7. Performance orientation
8. Humane orientation
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The Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner study
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7 dimensions of Trompenaars & H-T study
a
Relationships 1. Universalism vs. particularism
between 2. Individualism vs.
people communitarianism
3. Emotional vs. neutral
4. Specific vs. diffuse
5. Ascription vs. achievement
Concept of time 6. Sequential vs. synchronic
concept of time
Concept of nature 7. Internal vs. external control
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Hall & Hall’s cultural dimensions
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Hall & Hall’s 4 dimensions
1. High vs. low context communication
2. Spatial orientation
actual distance between people when communicating
3. Monochrome vs. polychrome time

sequential processes vs. parallel actions
4. Information speed
high or low information flow during communication
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The development of cultures
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Cultures change
There is increasing
1. International connectedness
2. Global economy coordination
3. Harmonization of laws & regulations
4. Migration
Cultures are not confined to given territories.

This means new challenges for HRM.
 How resistant are cultures to change?

 Generation Y are fast, self-organized & absorbed learners
with distinct work-life balance preferences
 Entire society workforces are aging
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Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Click on an item to

 Explain & improve interaction between

 Inclusion of cross-cultural differences

 Inclusion of theoretically relevant moderators

 Interaction between variables

Concept of nature 7. Internal vs. external control

3. Monochrome vs. polychrome time

Cultures are not confined to given territories.

 How resistant are cultures to change?

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