Culture in Business ContextCulture in Business ContextInger Askehave, Malene Gram and Birgitte Norlyk

Presented by

Md. Abdul HamidEuropean Master in Tourism managementEuropean Master in Tourism management

University of Southern DenmarkMahamid.biz@gmail.com

Global or Local!!!Global or Local!!!

Understanding CULTURE!!!Understanding CULTURE!!!

Culture…Culture…“Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transferred by symbols, q y y ,constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts;including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and specially their attached values;traditional ideas and specially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be consider as products of action, and on the other as conditioning elements of further action.”

(Krober & Kluckhohn, 1952)

“Culture is

h ll i i f h h i dthe collective programming of the human mind 

th t di ti i h th b fthat distinguishes the members of 

one human group from those of anotherone human group from those of another. 

Culture in this sense is a system ofCulture in this sense is a system of 

collectively held values.”collectively held values.  

(Geert Hofstede)

Traits of culture…

• SYSTEM…shared human behavior, Ideas, Values and rules of living.

• RESULT… a learning process

• CREATED… social context

• EXPRESSED… symbolic form

• TAKEN…granted and assumed natural

Approaches of understanding culture…

Functionalist approach

‐ Very user‐friendlyy y

‐ Patterns of expected behavior

Structured framework‐ Structured framework

‐ Material valuesMaterial values

Interpretive approachC ti l i‐ Continuous leaning system

‐ Use ‘sense’ to react

E i & Di l‐ Experience & Dialogue

‐ Do not rely onDo not rely on preconceived opinion

d d h k‐ Understanding is the key to success

Hofstede’s dimensionsHofstede s dimensions…

Hall’s  Context approaches…ppHigh context… Low context…

Criticism of functionalist approach…Determinism

Ethnocentrism

Interpretive approach…G t ’ W b f Si ifiGeertz’ Webs of Significance

If one doesn’t work timely…!!!y

Ways of understanding Interpretive approach… 

Emic way: From inside

Criticism of Interpretive approachCriticism of Interpretive approach…Utility might be lessUtility…might be less

Relativism…may focus on different points

Idealism…willingness to review and adjust continuously

So…..Get ready to understand multicultural  aspects to work with them !!!