The way of life of a group of people

What we and others know about the shared values and

practices
Includes all learned and acquired behaviors
(transmitted from one generation to the next)

What is culture?
 David Matsumoto and Linda Juang (2004) define culture as;
A dynamic system of rules, explicit and implicit, established by
groups in order to ensure their survival, involving attitudes,
values, belief, norms and behaviours, shared by a group but
harboured differently by each specific unit within the group.
Communicated across generations, relatively stable but with the
potential to change across time
 Kroeber and Kluckholn (1952) ;

Culture as patterns of and for behaviour acquired and

transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinct achievements of
human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts
 Rohner (1984) ;
the totality of equivalent and complementary learned meanings
maintained by a human population, or by identifiable segments of
a population, and transmitted form one generation it be next
 Hofstede (1991)

if the mind is the hardware, culture is the software

Teach the rules of how to behave appropriately

How we are programmed to think and behave in
everyday lives.
 Multiculturalism is a system of beliefs and
behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence
of all diverse groups in an organization or society,
acknowledges and values their socio-cultural
differences, and encourages and enables their
continued contribution within an inclusive cultural
context which empowers all within the
organization or society.

What is
Multiculturalism?
 Recognition- of the rich diversity in a given society or
organization.
Respect -Process whereby the Other is treated with
deference, courtesy and compassion in an endeavor to
safeguard the integrity, dignity, value and social worth
of the individual.
Acknowledging -validity of the cultural
expressions and contributions of the various groups.
Encourage and enable - the contribution of the various
groups to society or an organization.
 Culture has a significant influence- determine how
Malaysians communicate
It determines norms, of interaction- what can be said,
how and by whom
Accurate interpretations is needed!!

Managing diversity
 To effectively communicate, the sender is often required to
frame the content of a message to take into account the
feelings of the recipient

It is not about what the sender want to say, but on how it is being
said and its likely impact on the other party
 In Malaysia, each ethnic group has its own set of values
Values and culture are often interlocked and inseparable-
it guide our selection and evaluation on behavior
Malaysian values have gone through different processes
of diffusion and acculturation

Malaysia Cultural
Assumption
 There are numbers of common assumptions that can be used to
describe the culture of group of people in the way they relate
with nature, people and God.
These assumptions influence our way of life and determine the
symbols and rituals we observe in our daily activities.
 People in most Asian cultures believe that it is important
to live in harmony with nature and co-exist with it.
Malaysians are more inclined to be in harmony with the
non-physical aspects of the unseen world
Harmony is a core value for all Malaysians who
recognize its importance in protecting & preserving
relationship and tolerance

1. More Harmony than

control of the
environment
 Malaysians believe that harmonious relationship will be
maintained if children show these values such as:
do not challenge their parents, students
do not argue with teachers and subordinate obey their
superiors.
They seek compromise and avoid open public critism- to
preserve long-term relationship
 Related concept to harmony is the importance placed by
members in some cultures on establishing good and
friendly relationship with others
They believe that it is only by understanding and having a
feel for the other party that they are able to live and
work with them.

2. More Relationship than

Task Orientation
 Malaysians of all ethnic groups are often satisfied with their
lives if they are able to develop and maintain good relationship
with their immediate circle
They value cooperation and prefer to relate with those who are
tolerant, show a give and take attitude
The values are manifested in group activities of gotong royong
 Members in culture which are more group oriented regard
themselves as affiliated to a group based on some
common ground
They tend to be concerned about the impact of their
behaviour on others
In contrast members in individualistic cultures regard
themselves as unique and independant

3. More Group than

Individual
 Malaysia is collectivist society of Kita
They tend to identify themselves with a family,
community or organization.
Their membership will continue throughout their lives-
provide emotional support
Malaysians derive their identities through many
significant others
 Malaysians demonstrate their sense of social sensitivity by
showing care and concern for the feelings of others and
listening to what they to say
They are also less open and guarded in stating their views- fear
of being labeled
 The value of reverence and respect for elders and those in
positions of power are often observed in a hierarchical
society.
In this culture members are more tolerant of differences
in status and wealth as they believe that those at the top of
the social hierarchy entitled to more privileges.

4. More Hierarchical than

Equal
 They accept inequality in power and consider it normal .
Work and responsibilities are distributed according to
seniority
Members are more likely to receive instructions from
their elders or superior
 According to Hofstede :
Malaysia ranks high on the dimension of power distance
People expect and except that power is distributed unequally.
The value is demonstrated in the manner Malaysians show
respect for their elders and superior
 It is illustrated in the ritual of salutations at most Malaysian
ceremonies.
Protocol dictates that the master of ceremony has to
acknowledge everyone in order of their seniority, reflecting the
values of respect for elders

Make sure you know his titles

 In shame driven culture members are expected to
demonstrate an acute sense of social sensitivity towards
others in the group.
For most Malaysians the concept of shame or malu
teaches us to be externally driven or influenced by apa
orang kata nanti
Our behaviours are often judged and assessed by our
peers and elders

5. More shame driven

than Guilt -driven
 Malaysians in general want to feel proud of their family
members, possessions, achievements and standing in the
society
To be openly ridiculed and punished will bring shame to the
person and members of his immediate family
On the other hand, if one of their children has achieved
honours this will give them face
 Hall states that in high context cultures tonal qualities,
modes of non-verbal channels, family status, age
differences, social setting and the use of imprecise and
ambiguous language carry a lot of meaning.
What is not spoken may be just as important as the
spoken word.
What you see is not what you get
6. More high context than
low context
(communication)
 Malaysians tend to value high context form of communication
They attach meaning to many of the stimuli and circumstances
surrounding an explicit message- patterns are never direct
Both the meaning of the spoken and the unspoken words have
to be interpreted correctly
 According to Edward hall- cultures with polychronic time
orientation are likely to tolerate constant interruptions as
time is flexible.
Time is not a concrete commodity, punctuality and
deadlines are not absolute. ( it can be adjusted)

7. More Polychronic than

Monochronic in time
orientation
 Malaysians tend to regard time as more fluid without ant fixed
points.
They are flexible in managing the use of their time, are more
likely to be multi-track and circular and carry on multiple tasks,
priorities and conversations simultaneously.
They are less hurried, perhaps less stressed and more
accommodating to time changing.
 Religion plays an important role in the life of Malaysians.
Regardless of ethnicity Malaysians identify with a
particular religion, a belief in a supreme being.
It gives them meaning, purpose and mission in life and
helps instill discipline, good behaviour and peace

8. More Religious than

Secular