Cultures, Generations, Communications

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Cultures, Generations, Communications

• MICM LectureUtrecht October 5, 2007
• Henk Vinken
• www.henkvinken.nl

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This Lecture

• Definitions and relations of dimensions
• of cultures Hofstede Inglehart
• Break
• Dynamics cultural change and generations
• Culture and communications
• End

Before, during, after this lecture Interrupt,
question, criticize as often as possible !!!
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Cultures

• Culture belongs to a collective
• a group, an organisation, a nation
• Culture is transferred from generation to
  generation
• it is not congenital, but learned
• Culture is a guiding principle it influences
  peoples behaviour

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Cultures

• Core element values (change slowest)
• Also heroes, symbols, rituals (change faster)
• Value fundamental tendency to prefer a
• certain state of affairs over another
• the desired (vs. the desirable)
• that what is regarded good, beautiful, true

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Cultural dimensions
Latent (non-observable) collections of several
interrelated values with which to compare groups,
etc. Researchers seek to find the smallest set
of dimensions (7, 5 or 2) with which to explain
biggest set of behaviours
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Hofstede

• Hofstedes five dimensions of national cultures
• 1 Power distance (pdi) equality or inequality
  ?2 Uncertainty avoidance (uai) ambiguity or
  certainty ? 3 Collectivism/Individualism (idv)
  together or solo ?4 Femininity/Masculinity
  (mas) caring men and women or caring women and
  assertive men ?5 Short/Long-term orientation
  (lto) rewards now or later ?

hierarchy
truth
identity
gender
virtue
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(No Transcript)
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FIGURE 1 mas uai in europe fem  Well-being Quality of life Modesty caring compromise mas  Achievement Material growth Ambition assertiveness
uncertainty tolerant  What is different is interesting Tolerance more truths Easy with rules
  uncertainty avoidant What is different is dangerous Xenophobia one truth Respect for rules
den
swe
ire
gb
nor
sla
nl
swi
fin
est
wg
aus
ita
spa
fra
hun
cze
bul
tur
pol
bel
rus
rom
por
gre
Source Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001
500-502.
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FIGURE 2 mas idv in europe (in work domain) fem empathy Instrumental work values Promotion by achievement Quality of Life Separation work-private life Service mas challenge Material work values Promotion by protection Wealth and getting ahead Mix work-private life Leadership
idv  individual What I want is what all want Task above relationships Work relations business-like Success Personal excellence
  col group Group needs unique Relationship above task Work relations moralistic Success Conformism
den
swe
ire
gb
nor
sla
nl
swi
fin
est
wd
aus
ita
spa
fra
hun
cze
bul
tur
pol
bel
rus
rom
por
gre
Source Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001
500-502.
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FIGURE 3 pdi idv In europe low pdi equal treatment Decentralized power Student centered Pragmatic relations Rejection privileges / status symbols Boss resourceful democrat high pdi obedience / authority Centralized power Teacher centered Emotional relations Privileges and status symbols popular Boss well-meaning autocrat (father)
idv  individual What I want is what all want Task above relationships Work relations business-like Success Personal excellence
  col group Group needs unique Relationship above task Work relations moralistic Success Conformism
den
gb
swe
ire
gb
nl
hun
ita
bel
swe
den
fra
nor
nor
swi
sla
ire
nl
wg
swi
fin
pol
est
fin
cze
wd
aus
est
sla
aus
spa
ita
spa
fra
hun
cze
rus
bra
tur
bul
gre
tur
pol
bel
rus
rom
bul
rom
por
por
chi
gre
ido
Source Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001
500-502.
Source Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001
500-502.
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Inglehart
Modernization from traditional to
secular-rational authority Postmodernization
from survival to self-expression (postmaterialis
m) Plotting an increasing numberof nations on
these 2 dimensions with the World Values Survey
(wvs)
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FIGURE 4 inglehart ineurope survival  Economic and physical security Unhappy Have/would not sign petitions Homosexuality unjustifiable Low personal trust self-expression quality-of-life Happy Have/would sign petitions Homosexuality justifiable High personal trust
sec-rat authority God unimportant indepen-dence and determination Weak national pride Permissiveness Less respect for authority
  trad authority God important obedience and faith Strong national pride Strict moral rules More respect for authority
od
wd
est
swe
czs
lat
nl
rus
fin
blr
nor
bul
slo
den
lit
swi
ice
bel
gb
fra
hun
aus
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por
rom
spa
tur
pol
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nir
Source Own analyzes based on estimates derived
from Inglehart, 1997 93.
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Summary
pdiindividual controlsurvival/self-expression gap east-west west value self-determination, need for autonomy uai, masgroup integrationtrad/sec-rat authority gap north-south south normative, favour big, all-encompassing organisations
Dekker e.a. 2006Europese Verkenningen 4
European Outlook 4The Hague Sdu/Ministery of
Foreign Affairs
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Dynamics

• Impression cultures change, e.g., in NL

higher mas uai less empathy quest for one truth(assertive macho call for integration adaptation to a monoculture)yet emotional debate less self-expression, more traditional authority (limit public nuisance, more law enforcement, defense of old securities)
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Dynamics

• Assumptions cultural diversity

is stable across time (distances between cultures are stable) Hofstededata likely for pdi uai,unlikely for idv mas is changing over time (distances decrease and/or increase) Inglehartdata no simple, uni-directional change
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Generations

• Vehicles of cultural change Generations
• Generations emerge when conscious
• of novelty of shared history ánd destiny
• (members remain different when growing old)
• New generations provide new answersto newly
  arising problems / challenges
• Cultures change by generational replacement
• (old die, new take over)

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The pace of change

• Generation formation relates to pace of change
• 1 Slow Continuation of tradition
• (no new answers needed / no new generations )
• 2 Moderate New cultures
• (new answers / generations )
• 3 Fast Constant innovation
• (new answers do not spread / no new generations )
• In the midst of phase 3, orall youth merge in
  one superculture ?

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The rise of a McWorld generation ?

• Globalization yields one similar global culture
• Presupposes acceptance of globalization
• (other responses rejection, coexistence,
  synthesis)(e.g., Davos culture in
  business/academic world)
• The McWorld generation
• (participation in global modernity)(engagement
  in pop culture / media)(similar in values and
  choices)
• Evidence ?(young generations from different
  cultures should be more similar)

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whole population
young people (born 1970-1987)
source world values survey/european values study
1999-2000
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whole population
young people (born 1970-1987)
source world values survey/european values study
1999-2000
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Preliminary conclusions

• Across the board Young people close to national
  responses
• Which are very different in both Western and
  Asian societies
• Especially so on values of child rearing
• Less so on gendered values of combining work and
  family life
• Young generation NOT clear forerunner of value
  convergence
• Preliminary survey studies have limitations
• Preliminary repeat analysis with dimensions
• Preliminary use repeated surveys to see if
  generations change

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Communications

• Focus on individualism / collectivism (idv /
  col)
• On self-expression / survival ?
• idv sample cues inside persons
• (personal beliefs, attitudes, values)
• behavior shaped by attitude
• (individual traits fixed change situation)
• col sample cues about events/groups
• (norms, roles, situations agreements)
• behavior shaped by duties
• (situation fixed adaptable self)

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Communications

• idv sample content of communication (verbal)
• col sample context (level of voice, eye
  contact, emotional expression, the non-verbal)
• The self (I am busy)
• The other (my co-students think I am busy)
• Beware of prejudice and stereotyping !
• Statements on cultures are not on individuals

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Discussion

• All people want the sameout of life culture
  doesnt matterI am different than othersin my
  culture of origin, c.q.my cultural origin is not
  telling you who I am
• Understanding cultural diversity doesnt help
  much in communication