Posted: March 11th, 2023

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Nahavandi (2022) indicates that culture is “stable and long-lasting while also being adaptable and dynamic” (p. 10). What are your thoughts on this statement? Please provide any examples to support your response.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary.

MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 1

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Compare and contrast intercultural management and multiculturalism.
1.1 Discuss challenges of maintaining central control and local integration for an international

business.
1.2 Discuss benefits and challenges of having managers from only one culture.
1.3 Explain how leadership’s cultural mindset (CM) influences business success.

Course/Unit

Learning Outcomes
Learning Activity

1.1

Chapter 1
Unit I Essay

1.2
Chapter 1
Video: What is Culture?
Unit I Essay

1.3
Unit Lesson
Chapter 2
Unit I Essay

Chapter 1: The Impact of Culture on Managing Organizations

Chapter 2: The Cultural Mindset

In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

Promedion/American Multimedia (Producer). (2004). What is culture? (Segment 1 of 14) [Video]. In Culture,

identity, and behavior. Films on Demand.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl
aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=115831&loid=424530

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films
on Demand database.

Unit Lesson

Culture

There was a time that one would need to travel to another country to experience a culture different than their
own. Today, we are surrounded by diverse culture, irrespective of the environment. That could also bring the
question about whether any individual country could still portray a distinctive business culture. In this course,
we will address cultural issues and how these cultural issues could impact business interactions, both
positively and negatively.

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
The Concept of
Culture

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MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

Characteristics of Culture

(Nahavandi, 2022)

Culture makes individuals a member of a society. It shapes how we think and behave. Nahavandi (2022)
states that culture is a system that includes “assumptions, beliefs, values, and behaviors combined in a
coherent, logical, and organized system where parts work together to meet the needs of the group” (p. 10).
The concept of culture is based on seven characteristics; it is (1) an organized system, (2) complex and
multifaceted, (3) unique to a group, (4) stable and dynamic, (5) transmitted from one person to another, (6) a
tool to make sense of the world, and (7) a guide to behavior (Nahavandi, 2022).

Levels of Culture

Every country has its own culture that is complied with, even in a business setting. Understanding and
complying with the business culture would hopefully have a positive impact. Conversely, not appreciating the
dynamic role that culture plays could be quite devastating to any international business. This is because
culture represents different views and mindsets of different people in the same society and even the country
at large. Culture can be quite complex.

The core elements of culture include belief systems, language, values, norms, symbols, and dress. You could
also look at surface culture such as food and art. Even within one country, culture can be divided into national
culture, regional culture, and group culture. Group culture can be examined even further as it relates to race,
gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic factors (Nahavandi, 2022).

Some countries may have different cultures depending on the region or geographical location. These
differences could be so vast that one may wonder whether it is the same country. For example, the cultural
beliefs followed in the Northern United States would be different to those from the Southern United States.
Developing a cultural mindset would require paying close attention to these subtle elements within the greater
society.

Impact of Culture on Managing Organizations

Can you imagine how the merchants in ancient Persia and China managed to trade with such limited
knowledge of language, cultural values, or the application of technology we use today to facilitate our

MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 3

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

business transactions? Chapter 1 focuses on the complexity and diversity of the world we live in and the
impact that culture has on managing organizations.

Nahavandi (2022) describes culture as “a complex system of long-lasting and dynamic learned assumptions,
beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by members of a group that makes the group unique and that is
transmitted from one person to another, allows the group to interpret and make sense of the world, and
guides its members’ behaviors” (p. 9). This gives us an idea of the challenges faced by global managers in
multinational organizations. What is considered customary for an American company may be unacceptable in
a foreign country. For any organization to thrive in a diverse and complex business culture, it must have a
thorough understanding of its customer base and the global marketplace. This includes an in-depth mastery
of intercultural communication. Your patterns of communication and behavior—both personal and
professional—are all governed by the norms, customs, and rules of culture. You must consider the culture in
which you operate, the culture from which you come, and the cultural expectations of your audience. For
example, Japanese businesspeople may choose to never say “no” even when the response calls for it. They
would rather give the impression that a situation is still a work in progress rather than give an indication that it
could not be done.

National, Regional, and Group

This unit also examines the levels of culture, which are national, regional, and group. The national level is
anchored in the belief system, which is the most fundamental component of our values. These are rooted in
us at a very young age and come from highly trusted sources, such as parents, educators, religious teachers,
and so on. As explained, the second level, which is the regional level, it means that even within a country,
different regions may have different cultures. The third level, group, includes demographics and status within
the society. Apart from the example of the United States, we can dig deeper and see this play out in different
countries as well.

Different Views on Culture

Nahavandi (2022) introduces different views of culture: parochialism, ethnocentrism, and
multiculturalism/pluralism. Before discussing these views in detail, let us first look at the questions that help us
have a better understanding of why the views are relevant. Consider the following questions.

1) Do you believe that culture is irrelevant and not a major factor in human interactions or that people
are the same across the world regardless of their culture?

2) Are you primarily interested in your own community and believe that your values and beliefs are
superior to those of others?

3) Do you consider all cultures, including your own, to be of equal value?

Everyone looking at these questions would respond according to their own view of culture. Now, apply the
different views in order to answer these questions.

MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 4

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

1) Parochialism answers the first question and believes that the world is narrow and limited to our own
backyard.

2) Ethnocentrism, on the other hand, believes that one’s own culture is superior to that of others.
3) Multiculturalism and pluralism believe that since all cultures serve a purpose and function for their

members, then all must have equal value.

The Cultural Mindset

Culture is learned and universal to human society. All societies have their own culture and values that they
hold dear to their hearts. All cultures, to one degree or another, have the tendency to evaluate an outsider’s
behavior by its own culture’s standards; however, the success or failure of a company abroad will depend on
how effectively the employees are able to understand and adapt to foreign ways of thinking and acting,
hence, having the right cultural mindset. A cultural mindset (CM) is based on personality factors, knowledge,
and cognitive factors. These factors are the design of who we are, how we think, and how we react. CM
provides context to interpreting others and the world around us.

Nahavandi (2022) explains how it is positive for an organization when managers develop a cultural mindset;
however, it should be expected that everyone within the business should be part of this experience. Having
everyone with a cultural mindset (CM) will become relevant within business operations. Renewing our mind
and embracing new ideas and perspectives as we incorporate culture in business operations will change the
way employees think and act. Taking time to observe others from different cultures will paint a clearer picture
for us to understand and appreciate why an individual or a group may display a unique approach in the
workplace. The four characteristics that are presented to helps us better understand CM are depicted in Table
2.2 of Chapter 2 of the textbook. These are transformative, irreversible, integrative, and troublesome.

Nahavandi (2022)

Taking time to understand and accept the cultures of others provides a better working environment in which
all cultures are respected. This, of course, cannot be easily achieved without exerting effort. It is a shift that
will help us understand “how culture is one of the foundations of social interaction and how it provides a meta-
context in most situations” (Nahavandi, 2022, p. 57).

Research on Culture

Having intercultural knowledge and awareness in today’s diverse business world is important. According to
Fang (2010) and Lloyd and Härtel (2010), cultural differences can often impact employee morale, job
performance, and lead to conflict because of differences in cultural norms and communication styles. Cultural
diversity and acceptance in organizations can be strengthened through extensive interactions and cultural
exposure. Hammer et al. (2003) explain intercultural competence is demonstrated by a person who can think
and act appropriately interculturally. The authors further explained that intercultural competence could be
attained through cultural exposure such as international travel or foreign education. You will notice that the
more you engage and take time to understand another culture and value, the more you will refrain from
imposing yours as the best culture.

The beauty of today’s business environment also is that we do not need to travel to other countries to be
impacted by another’s culture, which is due to an increase in migration. According to Brannen and Thomas
(2010), migration will increasingly lead to people with bi- and multicultural identities. Consider a situation
where a woman, Jane, was born and raised in Clinton, Maryland, and her husband, Jonathan, was born and
raised in Orange Beach, Alabama. Because of their careers, they were stationed overseas and lived in Dubai,

Transformative Irreversible

Integrative Troublesome

MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 5

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

Nepal, Turkey, Malawi, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. Jane and Jonathan will always be American no matter
where they live. The same may not be said for their three children born and raised under different cultures,
educational systems, values, dress, food, and so on. It would be difficult for these children to identify with one
culture, including their accent. Sackmann and Phillips (2004) concluded that such multicultural identities
would result in multicultural workforces, as we can see in this case.

Conclusion

As business operations become more global, culture will also undergo change, though some cultures change
more quickly than others. We must also understand that some cultures are simpler in their patterns of
organization, behavior, and beliefs than others. This is due, in part, to size, geography, and distance. In
business, you must understand the culture, customs, norms, and beliefs of the people that you hope to do
business with.

References

Brannen, M. Y., & Thomas, D. C. (2010). Bicultural individuals in organizations: Implications and

opportunity. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 10(1), 5–16.

Fang, T. (2010). Asian management research needs more self-confidence: Reflection on Hofstede (2007) and

beyond. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 27, 155–170

Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The Intercultural

Development Inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 421–443.
doi:10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00032-4

Lloyd, S., & Härtel, C. (2010). Intercultural competencies for culturally diverse work teams. Journal of

Managerial Psychology, 25, 845–875. doi:10.1108/02683941011089125

Nahavandi, A. (2022). The cultural mindset: Managing people across cultures. SAGE.

Sackmann, S. A., & Phillips, M. E. (2004, December 1). Contextual influences on culture research: Shifting

assumptions for new workplace realities. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 4(3),
371–392. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470595804047820

In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

The following article reviews intercultural competence.

Dias, D., Zhu, C. J.,& Samaratunge, R. (2020). Examining the role of cultural exposure in improving

intercultural competence: Implications for HRM practices in multicultural organizations. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(11), 1359–1378.
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ct=true&db=bsu&AN=143223868&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

Complete the Self-Assessment 1.2: Your Values in Chapter 1 of your textbook. After you have calculated your
score, read the three interpretation questions. Note your responses for each question in a personal journal.

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I

Required Unit Resources

Unit Lesson

Culture

Characteristics of Culture

Levels of Culture

Impact of Culture on Managing Organizations

National, Regional, and Group

Different Views on Culture

The Cultural Mindset

Research on Culture

Conclusion

References

Suggested Unit Resources

Learning Activities (Nongraded)