AND

CULTURE
CHAPTER
Instructor: VIRGENCITA ANCOG-ABUHAN, PH.D, RPSY, RPM
Objectives
• To explain the complex interactions among
people in a social system – the behavior of
the individual and his relation to any other
individual, since all parts of a system
affects all parts, even though its impact may
be slight.
 Equilibrium in the Social System
• A social system is a state of equilibrium when all the
variables in an organizational system operate in a
dynamic working balance with its interdependent parts.
• The system can be compared to a sea: there is continuous
motion and disruption occasionally from storms, but the
sea’s basic character, even with violent and rugged
waves, change very little and goes back to normal.
• When minor changes occur, in a social system
usually they are absorbed by adjustments sub-system
within the system which eventually regains its
equilibrium state.
• A major single change, though – the untimely death
of a key executive, or a series of smaller but fast
changes may throw an organization out of balance:
and consequently, impede its progress until it
reaches a new equilibrium. When an organization is
in disequilibrium. Its subpart are not working in
harmony. It is important that the entire system and
Culture and organizational development
• One definition of culture is by taylor, an English
anthropologist, who defined culture as a complex
whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, law,
art, morals, customs and other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of society.
Culture and organizational development
• Culture is indispensable to an organization which is
composed of workers who share a common culture or one that
is made up of different people who are interacting on the basis
of shared beliefs, customs, values, and activities.
• As an organization becomes more established, its
organizational culture becomes more developed and stable.
This is so, because, as the workers realize the importance of
preserving their cultural values and beliefs, the more
cooperative they become and consequently, become more
cohesive.
 Characteristic of
Organizational Culture
• Culture enables workers to enter into stable,
constructive, humanizing and fulfilling relationships
with fellow human beings. It is both a cause and an
effect of development as it enables workers to advance
and continuously transcend themselves with a sense of
fulfillment. Culture is a means of development as its
major components, such as language and law which
are vital for organizational transformation.
 Socialization of Workers
• As the process whereby the individual is
converted into the person. As a process, the
individual learns to conform with the norms of
his social group acquires a status and plays a
corresponding role.
 Socialization of Workers
• Socialization as an educational process greatly
influences the shaping of a workers personality
which is an accordance with the standard values
and norms of his work environment. Knowledge
of socialization of workers is important because
managers will have an opportunity to understand
better their workers beliefs and backgrounds.
 Values and Social responsibility
• Values are the expressions of ultimate goal, or
purpose of social action : these involve the quality
of power of expressing one’s attitude and emotion
towards thing.
• Social responsibility is the recognition that
organizations have a significant influence be
properly considered and balanced in all
organizational transactions.
 Philippine Value System and
Social acceptance
• Filipinos attach a great value to “pakikisama” or
smooth interpersonal relations (SIR) . persons
resort to SIR patterns by using polite language,
soft voice, and persuasive and gentle manners to
avoid open disagreement with others even under
difficult circumstances. These are three ways of
training SIR.
 Social culture values
• Over the years, the culture of many western
countries has emphasized the importance of work
as an effort directed to produce or accomplish
something as a desirable and fulfilling activity.
This expression of an action is also strong in
some part of Asia, especially in Japan.
 Cultural adaptation
• An expatriate manager usually meets several obstacles
is to smooth adaptation to a new culture. To overcome
such obstacles is to acquire cultural awareness. Culture
differs in terms of language, religion, food, personal
orientation, social behavior and other customs and
tradition of the place. There are cultures that can be
classified as high context, which means that people
from these countries use situational cues to develop a
complete picture of a visitor.
Paradigm of inhibiting forces
and Cultural adaptation
Individual
differences
 Individual differences
• It is said that even identical twins are different
from each other. The complex set of norms and
values function as built in mechanisms that make
an individual learn in early life. Among the
behavior norms are reciprocal exchange of foods
and services, emphasis one word of honor, self-
esteem and other super naturally oriented forms
of social controls.
Ethnocentrism
 Ethnocentrism
• Is the predisposition to use oneself and ones own
culture as the criterion for judging others. This is
one another potential problem to easy adaptation
to another culture that occurs when people are
predisposed to believe that their homeland
conditions are the best.
Cultural Distance
 Cultural Distance
• Is the range of difference between two social
systems. The range of cultural distance may
affect, to a great extent, the responses of the
workers and other people to business related
issues. Migrant tend to be somewhat with no
centric and to judge conditions in a new country
according to the standards and practices of their
homeland.
 Cultural Shock
• Is the range of difference between two social
systems. The range of cultural distance may
affect, to a great extent, the responses of the
workers and other people to business related
issues. Migrant tend to be somewhat with no
centric and to judge conditions in a new country
according to the standards and practices of their
homeland.
 Cultural Shock is Universal
• It occurs in response to • Some factors that
dramatic differences in contribute to culture shock
language, religion, are :
customs, tradition and 1. Different management
cultural orientation. philosophies
ULI NAKO 2. An unfamiliar language
MA!
3. New foods, styles of
dress, modes of social
patterns and driving
patterns.
 Guidelines to overcome barriers
to cultural adaptation
1. Careful selection
- Workers who may be low in ethnocentrism can
be chosen. The desire to go to other places and to
experience another culture may be an important
prerequisite attitude worth considering. Potential
workers may be considered on the learning
attitudes they demonstrate during the selection
process.
 Guidelines to overcome barriers
to cultural adaptation
2. Compatible assignments
- Workers who are likely to be assigned to a new
work environment similar to their culture, may
find adjustment easier. Some cultures are
relatively similar can be grouped together.
 Guidelines to overcome barriers
to cultural adaptation
3. Predeparture training and orientation
- Many organizations try to hasten adjustment to a
host country by encouraging their workers to learn
the local language. The host country offers
language training prior to the assignment. The
ability to learn the language seems to pay off,
because it helps avoid misunderstanding that may
arise due to a communication problem.
 Guidelines to overcome barriers
to cultural adaptation
4. Orientation and support in the new country
- when the workers arrive in the country, adjustment is
encouraged. A special and determined effort is made to
help the migrant worker adapt to the new equipment.
Assistance includes housing, transportation, shopping,
recreation, and the provision of a mentor. The mentor
who is a local national working for the same organization
is available to answer some questions from the migrant
workers and can provide advice regarding culturally
accepted behavior.
 Guidelines to overcome barriers
to cultural adaptation
5. Preparation for reentry
- Contract workers usually return to their home
country after working in another country for one
of four years, and need to be repatriated. The
observation is that they often tend to suffer a
cultural shock in their own homeland. After
adjusting to the culture of another country, while
he was working there enjoying its uniqueness, it is
quiet difficult for the expatriates to readjust to the
 Assignment
1. Have you experience culture shock?( I will
post this assignment in our g class.)