ASSIGNMENT ON CCM TOPIC: DIMENSIONS, CHARACTERISTICS, ELEMENTS, HUMAN AND CULTURAL VARIABLES OF ORGANISATION

SUBMITTED TO: PROF. YOGINDER KATARIA

SUBMITTED BY: TANMOY HAZARIKA (ROLL NO. 114)

Culture is a definition highly misunderstood and misused, thus the need for an explanation: Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to: Language: the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of expression. Arts & Sciences: the most advanced and refined forms of human expression. Thought: the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them. Spirituality: the value system transmitted through generations for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and actions. Social activity: the shared pursuits within a cultural community, demonstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events. Interaction: the social aspects of human contact, including the give-and-take of socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions. All of the above collectively define the meaning of Culture. HOW CULTURE AFFECTS MANAGERIAL APPROACHES: CENTRALISED DECISION MAKING VS DECENTRALISED DECISION MAKING:

In some societies, top managers make all important organizational decisions. In others, these decisions are diffused throughout the enterprise, and middle- and lower-level managers actively participate in, and make, key decisions. SAFETY VS RISK: In some societies, organizational decision makers are risk averse and have great difficulty with conditions of uncertainty. In others, risk taking is encouraged, and decision making under uncertainty is common. INDIVIDUAL REWARDS VS GROUP REWARDS: In some countries, personnel who do outstanding work are given individual rewards in the form of bonuses and commissions. In others, cultural norms require group rewards, and individual rewards are frowned on. INFORMAL PROCEDURES VS GROUP BEHAVIOUR: In some societies, much is accomplished through informal means. In others, formal procedures are set forth and followed rigidly. HIGH ORGANISATIONAL LOYALTY VS LOW ORGANISATIONAL LOYALTY: In some societies, people identify very strongly with their organization or employer. In others, people identify with their occupational group, such as engineer or mechanic. CO-OPERATION VS COMPETITION: Some societies encourage cooperation between their people. Others encourage competition between their people STABILITY VS INNOVATION: The culture of some countries encourages stability and resistance to change. The culture of others puts high value on innovation and change.

CULTURAL DIMENSIONS:
1) POWER DISTANCE: A) Extent to which less powerful members of

institutions and organizations accept that power is distributed unequally B) High power distance countries: people blindly obey the orders of their superiors, centralized and tall organization structures C) Low power distance countries: flatter and decentralized organization structures, smaller ratio of supervisors UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE: A) Extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid such situations. B) High uncertainty avoidance countries: people have high need for security, strong belief in experts and their knowledge, structured organizational activities, more written rules, less risk taking by managers C) Low uncertainty avoidance countries: people are more willing to accept risks associated with the unknown, less structured organizational activities, fewer written rules, more risk taking by managers, higher employee turnover, and more ambitious employees. INDIVIDIUALTY / COLLECTIVISM: Individualism: Tendency of people to look after themselves and their immediate family only Countries high in individualism: tend to be wealthier, support protestant work ethic, greater individual initiative, promotions based on market value

COLLECTIVISM: Tendency of people to belong to groups or collectives and to look after each other in exchange for loyalty. Countries high in collectivism: tend to be poorer, less support for protestant work ethic, less individual initiative, promotions based on seniority. MASCULINITY / FEMINITY: Masculinity: a culture in which the dominant social values are success, money and things. Countries high in masculinity: great importance on earnings, recognition, advancement, challenge, and wealth. high job stress. Femininity: a culture in which the dominate social values are caring for others and the quality of life. Countries high in femininity: great importance on cooperation, friendly atmosphere, employment security, group decision making, and living environment. low stress and more employee freedom. CHARACTERISTICS OF CCM: To discover the characteristics of other cultures, remember that cultures vary internally and are changeable. There are usually many cultural differences within a single race or nationality. It will be useful to keep the following principles in mind:

Firsthand experience is necessary to understand many subtleties of any culture. Feelings of apprehension, loneliness or lack of confidence are common when visiting and experiencing another culture. Differences between cultures are often experienced as threatening.

What is logical and important in a particular culture may seem irrational and unimportant to an outsider. In describing another culture, people tend to stress the differences and overlook the similarities. Stereotyping due to generalizing may be inevitable among those who lack frequent contact with another culture. Personal observations of others about another culture should be regarded with skepticism. Many cultures often exist within a single race, language group, religion or nationality, differentiated by age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, and exposure to other cultures.

All cultures have internal variations. Cultural awareness varies among individuals. One's own sense of cultural identity often is not evident until one encounters another culture. Cultures are continually evolving. Understanding another culture is a continuous process. One should understand the language of a culture to best understand that culture.

ELEMENTS OF CCM: Many people feel disconnected from others because communication is not as sensitive' or effective' as it could be. Experience shows that misunderstandings and difficulties arise not only through language but also through the impact of culture.

To ensure you are effective in cross culture communication, remember these five essential elements when communicating interculturally. They are the keys to overcoming difficulties and avoiding misconceptions:
1) Questions: be courageous and ask incisive questions.Because many

people feel stupid when they need to ask questions - as though they were not clever enough to understand. Courageous because many people are wary of being politically incorrect; they feel inhibited about asking the kind of questions that could be interpreted wrongly. Take courage and ask because only questioning will drive understanding to help to make connections and forge good working relationships. In reality you are testing your understanding.
2) Attention: give full attention with all your senses. Be alert to the

nuances of verbal and non-verbal communication which have vast and varied differences across cultures. Listen with your eyes and hear with your heart.
3) Clarification: check for understanding by summarising what you think

you have heard or understood, even at the risk of someone being affronted (or thinking you're stupid). Remaining silent and being faced with the consequences of being misinformed or uninformed is worse. If necessary, consult other people for clarification. Most people are only too pleased to help when someone shows a genuine interest to learn.
4) Limitations: openly acknowledge your relative ignorance or

limitations about other people's beliefs, values and cultural norms and explain how this might make you appear clumsy in your communication. If you don't, you're either hoping that your ignorance

doesn't exist or it won't be noticed! Experience dictates that neither will be the case. Most people will accept and respond to your discomfort with consideration and respect and will use the situation to illustrate something about their culture.
5) Value: recognize that diversity is a source of abundance and a cause

for celebration. To create synergy and value from cross-cultural interactions is the approach of all effective intercultural dialogues. There is no communication in a dialogue until each party understands the other. Effective cross culture communication is about testing understandings and assumptions, and about managing each others expectations. It is a craft, a skill, that can be learned, which is about relating to people in a respectful way, no matter what their roots or where they come from. It's important to be able to really look at a company's specific needs when it comes to cross culture communication and implement a very specific plan to develop the right communication.