Que Es Cultura

Introduction

There are written a many definitions about culture. This work intends to compile various definitions about culture, trying to englobe the point of views around this word. I also make research about the components of culture and how they are connected. Also making a review of Hofstede study and dimensions he establishes to analyze each country and its culture. We will realize that culture influence management styles, and we could understand why we must consider different cultures when we are getting a new job in another country or when we deal with buyers or sellers worldwide.

And culture is linked to negotiation, almost all people negotiates something daily. I have researched about negotiation and issues to consider and will help us to have effective negotiations. Both culture and negotiation have weight in our daily globalized decisions and experiences.

Culture

What is culture?

There are many definitions of culture because the term is very complex. It could be seen by different perspectives. As a state of mind when an individual is someone who has goals and an idea of perfection, as an idea of civilization when some societies are seen as superior than other ones. It also could be seen also as the arts and intellectual work of a society and the most common perspective as a whole way of life.

The first one who first used the term was Sir Edward B Tylor’s (1871) . His definition of culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a human as a member of society”. Robert M. MacIver (1931) defines culture as “the higher expressions of group life, such as art, religion, science, literature and philosophy”(p226). Culture is all forms of group life, comprising institutions, artifacts, mores, customs, rites, ceremonies, and behavior patterns. Wilson D. Wallis (1930) defines culture as “the organic unity or dynamic ethos of a social group in its growth and development” (p11).

Components of culture

As culture is a way of doing things and it involves talking about behavior. Helmy Baligh, an Egyptian who has a master and a PhD in business administration, in his journal Components of Culture (1994) describes each one of the components of culture.

1. Truth. Fundamental dimensions of truth are its exclusivity and absoluteness. He explained that in some cultures truth is exclusive in the sense that a statement of fact that is true cannot also be not true.

2. Beliefs. Things held to be true at some level. They can be originated from experience, faith, tradition, or scientific method.

3. Values. They refer to ideas which support or justify norms. They are general conceptions of desirable things which people should look for and which will guide human behavior.

4. Logic. Reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.

5. Rules. Set of decision rules that people use in choosing actions to be taken and in taking actions.

6. Actions. A thing that is done, an act. A process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim.

The components of culture are connected to one another. Believing in something is accepting something as true. So truth and beliefs are logically connected. Different cultures have different truths. Every person has different upbringing, their evaluation of facts will be relative to what they have experienced in life, justifying that there are different values attached to everyone’s beliefs due to cultural multiplicity. Without concepts of truth and belief, logic has no meaning; they have logical dependence each other. Values specify what a person wants the world to be.

This group of components is not unique, is not the best or the normally accepted. There is another list of components of culture which are:

1. Symbols, they confer meanings to things and events

2. Language. Language conveys the beliefs and values of a culture.

3. Values. Ideas.

4. Norms. Concrete terms of how we should behave.

How to classify/group cultures?

The Anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1976) help us better understand about a classification he made in basis of a key factor in his theory that is context. He classifies cultures in two:

1. High context cultures. These cultures are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. People emphasize interpersonal relationships and developing trust. Words are not son important as context, which might include tone of voice, facial expression, gestures and posture. High context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Flowery language, humility, and elaboration of apologies are typical.

2. Low context cultures. People from these cultures value logic, facts and directness. Discussions end with actions. People tend to be absolutely clear, they strive to use precise words and intend them to be taken literally.

We can show at Table 1 a little resume about high context and low context cultures. What we can learn about this classification is also detecting in what kind of culture we are on? Detect how our behavior have been and if it match with low or high context profiles. Also if we are doing business or relationships with people all over the world we have to take into advantage this tool, because it will give us the orientation of how we could close a deal, request for something, and take care of our friends.

LOW CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXT

Example Countries US, UK, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Norway Japan, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, Spain

Business Outlook Competitive Cooperative

Work Ethic Task-oriented Relationship-oriented

Work Style Individualistic Team Oriented

Employee Desires Individual achievement Team achievement

Relationships Many, looser, short term Fewer, tighter, long term

Decision Process Logical, linear, rule - oriented Intuitive, relational

Communication Verbal over Non verbal Nonverbal over verbal

Planning Horizons More explicit, written, formal More implicit, oral, informal

Sense of Time Present/Future oriented Deep respect for the past

View of Change Change over tradition Tradition over change

Knowledge Explicit, conscious Implicit, not fully conscious

Learning Knowledge is transferable Knowledge is situational

Table 1

The famous sociologist W.F. Ogburn divides culture into two types such as material and non-material culture.

1. Material culture. Consists of human activity which is concrete, tangible and observable. Material culture is invented for

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