国际商务的环境chapter-6-Cultural-environment-facing-inter

Chapter6CulturalEnvironmentFacingInternationalBusinessLearningobjectivesRealizethechallengeofcrossingculturalboundariesUnderstandwhyculturemattersininternationalbusinessIllustratekeydimensionsofculturelearnmanagerialguidelinesforcross-culturalsuccessText:TheChallengeofCrossingCulturalBoundariesIncross-borderbusiness,westepintodifferentculturalenvironmentscharacterizedbyunfamiliarlanguagesanduniquevaluesystems,beliefs,andbehaviors.Weencountercustomersandbusinesspartnerswhodisplaydifferentlifestyles,normsandconsumptionbehaviors.Thesedifferencesinfluencealldimensionsofinternationalbusiness.Culture&cross-culturalriskCulturereferstothelearned,shared,andenduringorientationpatternsinasociety.Peopledemonstratetheirculturethroughvalues,ideas,attitudes,behaviors,andsymbols.Cross-culturalriskisdefinedasasituationoreventwhereaculturalmiscommunicationputssomehumanvalueatstake.Cross-culturalproficiencyUnlikepolitical,legal,andeconomicsystems,culturehasprovenverydifficulttoidentifyandanalyze.Itseffectsoninternationalbusinessaredeepandbroad.Cultureinfluencesarangeofinterpersonalexchangeaswellasvalue-chainoperations.Mostcompanieswanttheiremployeestoleantaboutotherculturesandacquireadegreeofcross-culturalproficiency.Ethnocentricvs.polycentricManagersengagedincross-borderbusinessshouldgiveuptheirethnocentricorientationsinfavorofapolycentricorgeocentricorientation.Ethnocentrictendenciesareacharacteristicofvirtuallyeverysociety,andentailthebeliefthatone’sownrace,religion,orethnicgroupissomehowsuperiortoothers.Polycentricorientationreferstoahost-countrymindsetwherethemanagerdevelopsagreateraffinitywiththecountryinwhichsheorheconductsbusiness.Geocentricorientationreferstoaglobalmindsetwherethemanagerisabletounderstandabusinessormarketwithoutregardtocountryboundaries.Cross-culturalintegrationUnfamiliarculturesmaybeeverpresentindomesticaswellasinternationaldealings.Thecross-culturalintegrationisyetanothermanifestationofglobalization.Butglobalizationisleadingtoconvergenceofculturalvaluesaswell.Commonnormsandexpectationsofbehavioraregraduallyemerging.Inaddition,manyuniversalvaluesapplytocross-culturalencounters.MiscommunicationalertCross-culturalmiscommunicationcanruinbusinessdeals,hurtsales,orharmthecorporateimage.Today,developinganappreciationof,andsensitivityfor,culturaldifferenceshasbecomeanimperativeforanymanager.Managerialguidelinesforcross-culturalsuccessManagerscanachieveeffectivecross-culturalinteractionbykeepinganopenmind,beinginquisitive,andnotrushingtoconclusionsaboutothers’behaviors.Theyundergoculturaltrainingthatemphasizesobservationalskillsandhumanrelationstechniques.Variousresourcesareavailabletomanagersfordevelopingskills,includingvideotapecourses,cross-culturalconsultants,andprogramsofferedbygovernments,universities,andtraininginstitutes.Guideline1Acquirefactualandinterpretiveknowledgeabouttheothercultureandtrytospeaktheirlanguage.Sincereinterestinthetargetculturehelpsestablishtrustandrespect,layingthefoundationforopenandproductiverelationships.Evenmodestattemptstospeakthelocallanguagearewelcome.Higherlevelsoflanguageproficiencypavethewayforacquiringcompetitiveadvantages.Guideline2Avoidculturalbias.Culturalbiascanbeasignificantbarriertosuccessfulinterpersonalcommunication.Self-referencecriterion:thetendencytoviewotherculturesthroughthelensofone’sownculture.Criticalincidentanalysis(CIA)referstoananalyticalmethodforanalyzingawkwardsituationsincross-culturalinteractionsbydevelopingempathyforotherpointsofview.Itisanapproachtoavoidingthetrapofself-referencecriterionincross-culturalencounters.Guideline3Developcross-culturalskills.Cross-culturalproficiencyischaracterizedbyfourkeypersonalitytraits:ToleranceforambiguityPerceptivenessValuingpersonalrelationshipsFlexibilityandadaptabilityCulturalintelligence(CQ)isaperson’scapabilitytofunctioneffectivelyinsituationscharacterizedbyculturaldiversity.KeytermsCulture文化Cross-culturalrisk跨文化风险Ethnocentricorientation种族取向Geocentricorientation地心取向Polycentricorientation多中心取向Self-referencecriterion自我参考标准Criticalincidentanalysis(CIA)关键事件分析Culturalintelligence(CQ)文化智商SummaryofkeypointsCulturereferstothelearned,shared,andenduringorientationpatternsinasociety.Cross-culturalriskisdefinedasasituationoreventwhereaculturalmiscommunicationputssomehumanvalueatstake.Threemaintypesofcross-culturalpatternsareethnocentricorientation,geocentricorientation,andPolycentricorientation.Therearesomeguidelinestohelpachievecross-culturalsuccess.ComprehensionQuestionsDefinecultureandcross-culturalriskIllustratewithexampleshowcultureaffectsdailygreetingsindifferentcountries.Whydoestheauthorsaythatunlikepolitical,legalandeconomicsystems,culturehasprovenverydifficulttoidentifyandanalyze.Explainwhyculturemattersininternationalbusiness.Inwhattypesofcontextscancross-culturaldifferencescauseconcernsformanagers?Summarizethethreemajorguidelinesforsuccessincross-culturalsettings.ApplyyourunderstandingDescribeasituationwhereyouencounteredculturaldifferencesandhowyoure