Culture

Posted by Emmy Rub on July 18th, 2019

Ferraro defines culture as a notion that comprises everything that humans have, reflect and do as a part of their society. The three verbs covered in Ferraro’s definition (have, reflect and do) may assist one in the identification of the three main structural components of the term culture. In such a manner, for an individual to have something, there has to be some material things present. When individuals think, values, attitudes, beliefs and ideas are present. When individuals do, they behave themselves in certain ways that are prescribed by the society. Therefore, culture is comprised of material things or objects, attitudes, ideas and values, and expected or normative behavior patterns. Ferraro’s final phrase of his working definition, “as members of their society”, means that people should be reminded that culture is shared by a minimum of two persons. Actual societies are naturally bigger than that. This means that there is nothing that can be compared to the culture of a solitary. If a lonely person thinks or behaves him- or herself in a particular manner, that thought and conduct are personal, not cultural. For a notion, an object or a conduct to be regarded cultural, it has to be shared by some form of social group or society.

Culture is forms the fundamental aspects of a person’s life. Through culture, people are able to perform the basic functions of their lives. However, there is a difference in the cultures of various peoples. In this sense, if in a culture, one of its particular aspects is considered as vital, in another culture, this aspect may not be paid much attention to. Culture can be exhibited through the social relations and expressive communication. These assume the common means, through which information is processed among the interrelating persons. With the existence of a shared dependence of the persons involved, there is an establishment of a connected structure of meanings. This translates into a common meaning of a situation by a group, and thus the basic meaning of culture. Culture is not something tangible, but it is defined through the interactions of people thus simultaneously defining further interaction. In order to establish a meaningful interrelation among persons of a particular culture, there must be mutual anticipations. A person’s expectations are dependent on their origin and the meanings that they offer as they experience various situations. For Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, culture is underneath awareness as it is virtually impossible to verbalize, but it forms the basis of actions among certain people. It is not natural, but it is formulated by men, and upon its confirmation, it is passed down to subsequent generations. It is through culture that people are capable of meeting in a meaningful setting so that they may reflect about themselves and face the outside world.

In common with other organizations, business organizations need effective communication for the purpose of operating effectively and meeting their objectives. Global business organizations need effective communication at different levels. A firm needs to communicate with its suppliers, employees, customers and host-government officers. Effective communication among representatives of the same culture is often hard. However, when trying to communicate with foreign language speaking persons who share different views, outlooks, suppositions, perceptions and means of doing things, the likelihood of miscommunication rises massively. Communication occurs in two ways. First, by means of language, that is using terms with meanings that are mutually understood and are connected together into sentences in accordance with rules that are consistently followed. Secondly, by use of nonverbal communication or what may be referred to as the silent language. To maximize the success of an international entrepreneur, a close acquaintance with the language and culture of potential business partners cannot be substituted. Due to the intimate relationship between the language and culture, it is almost not possible to learn about one while learning the other. Effective communication remains the central precondition of any fruitful international business. Along with any other business, international businesses have to be based on trust and mutual respect. Devoting time and energy to learn the language of another person instead of using translators can be the perfect way of gaining their trust and respect. Theodore Huebener says that a business person who is able to speak the foreign language fluently and who can comment intelligently on the literature and art of the nation he or she deals with achieves business success. They also gain respect of the individual they are communicating with. Therefore, proficiency in another language helps an international entrepreneur in understanding the communication patterns in their correct cultural context.

Culture has presented a setback to business. It has led to a slackened sense in the conduct of businesses in various aspects. This has majorly been presented in the sector of the human resource culture. Some cultures have made it difficult to translate the concept of human resource management to them. The main reason for this is that the human resource management has borrowed from the economical view of human beings as resources. This leads to people being made to match monetary and touchable possessions. The concept makes an assumption of virtually unlimited capacities for personal growth and advancement. However, this is not a common holding for every culture. In nations where such concept as the unlimited personal development is not embraced by the culture, the human resource concept is less likely to succeed. In other cultures, according to Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, it is difficult for people, especially managers, to execute the intended universal uses of the management concept by international corporations. This mainly occurs due to the different cultures that are upheld by the managers. They may particularly entail such matters as rules regarding the structure and scheduling of rewards and promotional opportunities. In the field of communication, culture makes it extremely easy for persons sharing the same culture to relate understandably. However, it is almost impossible to understand communication between persons of different cultures. It is difficult for persons from diverse cultures to understand what the other is trying to say. This majorly happens due to the fact that a culture sets its own particular way of communications. It offers meaning to every single situation in a way that its people easily comprehend. It is the aspect of a commonality in culture that defines every situation that is encountered by the people from that specific culture. Due to this, different cultures may impose different meanings to a similar situation. As a result, people from diverse cultures may experience difficulties while communicating because of their different situation definitions.

Culture is what brings people together. It is about what people have agreed upon and is practiced as a norm. People have different cultures, and it is important to learn about different cultures, especially for those who engage in international business transactions as this majorly implies dealing with people from different cultures. Culture may be expressed through language, which forms the essential part in most transactions. Instead of using interpreters, entrepreneurs should learn the language of the people they are transacting with. All cultural groups have symbolic organizations that are equally effective at communicating, whether verbally or non-verbally. With this in mind, all business persons should appreciate the role played by other cultures and acknowledge that English should not be considered as the superior language.

The article was written by - Emmy Rub - writer at qualityessay.com