Discovering the Myth of Culture

Lecture Outline

The definition of culture The level of culture Related terms of culture

The difficulty of definition

The difference between social sciences and physical sciences.

The complex of culture, the pervasiveness of culture

古代文化，现代文化，官方文化，民间文化，精英文化，大众文化，神话文化、诗歌文化、戏剧文化、曲艺文化、音乐文化、绘画文化、影视文化，饮食文化、花鸟文化、体育文化、酒文化、茶文化、服饰文化，丧葬及婚嫁文化、居住文化、园林文化、建筑文化、网络文化、科技文化、服饰文化、节事文化、武术文化

What Is Culture ？

Culture is the total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions and communication patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people. (Hall, E. 1977)

Culture is a collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (Hofstede, 1997).

Culture is like an onion

Symbols are words, gestures, pictures, or objects that carry a particular meaning which is only recognized by those who share a particular culture. New symbols easily develop, old ones disappear. Symbols from one particular group are regularly copied by others. This is why symbols represent the outermost layer of a culture.

Heroes are persons, past or present, real or fictitious, who possess characteristics that are highly prized in a culture. They also serve as models for behavior

Rituals are collective activities, sometimes superfluous in reaching desired objectives, but are considered as socially essential.

(ways of greetings, paying respect to others, religious and social ceremonies, etc.).

The core of a culture is formed by values. They are broad tendencies for preferences of certain state of affairs to others (good-evil, right-wrong, natural-unnatural). Many values remain unconscious to those who hold them. Therefore they often cannot be discussed, nor can they be directly observed by others. Values can only be inferred from the way people act under different circumstances.

Symbols, heroes, and rituals are the tangible or visual aspects of the practices of a culture. The true cultural meaning of the practices is intangible; this is revealed only when the practices are interpreted by the insiders.

concrete abstract

visible invisible

onstage backstage

Symbol Hero Ritual Value

My understanding of culture

Culture is the invisible rules that a group of people follow unconsciously when they think, communicate and do things.

Culture can answer the questions of “how” and “why”

衣服不属于文化的范畴，但人们如何穿衣，为什么这么穿衣属于文化范畴。

我认为文化主要是指精神层面的东西。

How to differentiate

Politics (rules and regulations issued by the governments, visible)

Economy (numbers and figures that show the wealth condition, visible)

Society ( institutions and organizations that connect as a whole, visible)

Culture (norms and rules, invisible)

Characteristics of Culture

Culture is collective Culture is learned Culture is transmissible Culture is dynamic Culture is ethnocentric

Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism: people tend to evaluate everything they see and experience on the basis of their own background and act on their evaluation accordingly. Those with little experience of other cultures especially believe that their own culture is normative, at the center of human experience.

Some related terms

Culture and culture ( 大写，小写） Culture one and culture two （第一

种文化，第二种文化） Culture in narrow sense, culture in

broad sense （狭义，广义）

Japanese Business Culture

What are the hidden rules that Japanese people follow when doing business?

Background

Relationship-oriented Don’t expect to start doing business

with a Japanese company in a haste.

Business structure

Japanese companies, like Japanese society, are hierarchically organized with individuals knowing their position within a group and with regard to each other.

Japanese hierarchy is based on consensus and co-operation rather than the top-down decision making process.

Decision making

Bottom-up Consensus

Leadership style

The key task for a Japanese manager is to provide the environment in which the group can flourish. In order to achieve this he must be accessible at all times and willing to share knowledge within the group. In return for this open approach, he expects team members to keep him fully informed of developments. This reciprocity of relationship forms the basis of good management and teamwork

Communication style

No direct instruction to the subordinates.

The Japanese subordinate will second-guess the boss’s wishes and react accordingly.

Meeting

Start on time, but end up late Consensus, avoid direct

confrontation

Meeting Cards are presented at an early stage in a

formal manner. Present and receive the card with two hands. (Present your card Japanese side up.)

Treat your Japanese contactor’s card with respect — the card is the man. Don’t write on it or leave it behind, as this would show disrespect. During the meeting, place the cards carefully on the table in front of you with the senior person’s card on the top.

Meeting

Gift GivingGift giving is an endemic part of Japanese business life and should not be confused with notions of bribery and corruption. Gifts should not be too lavish but should always be of good quality. It is important to take a number of small gifts to Japan to distribute to new and existing contacts.

Gifts should always be wrapped. Avoid giving gifts in quantities of four or nine as these are unlucky numbers. Anything sharp could signify the desire to end a relationship.

Alcohol, especially good single malt whiskey, is always an appreciated gift.

Team Work

It is also important that group members maintain ‘face’ in front of other group members, which amongst other things means that people must be seen to be modest and humble. Self-promotion in the western sense is seen as childish and embarrassing behaviour.

Dressing code

The business convention of dark suit, shirt and tie is very much the norm in Japanese mainstream business and although other colors are seen more often nowadays than in the past, it is probably safest to maintain a conservative approach.

For women, business dress should be restrained and formal – women do not commonly wear trousers in business in Japan. Accessories should be upmarket but not ostentatious.

Case study 1

A Japanese manager of Toyota (China) said that the Chinese employees are quite individualistic comparing to the Japanese ones. They think of their own interests much more than the company’s .They don’t really listen to their supervisors and leave if better offer provided. They compete with each other and lack a sense of team work.

Question

Can you explain why the Japanese manager could have such a feeling?

( 参见 : 从中日文化差异看在华日企之人力资源管理 .作者 : 罗文卿 )

Case study 2

Once, an American company in Japan had installed a suggestion system much as they have in the U.S. Individual workers were encouraged to place suggestions to improve productivity into special boxes.

For an accepted idea the individual received a bonus amounting to some fraction of the productivity savings realized from his or her suggestion.

After a period of six months, not a single suggestion had been submitted.

Can you explain why? How should the American

company change this suggestion system?