reflect essay
ccc777
Week9Presentation.pptxWeek 9
BUSI7280 Cultural and Ethical Environments
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Three factors have changed international trade – but policy responses are slow
Mass migration is a new international reality – governments need to adjust to this.
Tradeable services and digital revolution have already changed face of international trade – but policies are lagging.
Populist reactions against globalization require proactive response.
This week’s work
How does culture impact on international management?
Why do managers need to be able to deal with cultural difference?
What should international managers do about cultural difference?
1. Impact of culture on international management
This week’s work
Why are ethical considerations important for managers?
How do ethical considerations change in international contexts?
What do international managers need to do about ethical conduct?
2. Impact of ethics on international management
KISS – what’s wrong with the simple solution?
Drucker: for every complex problem there is a simple solution which is wrong
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v= rJ4IbhXrqnc
Small group discussion – what’s wrong with the 3Rs?
How do you personally define culture?
Small group exercise
What culture do you most identify with?
Upon what is this identification based?
What is culture?
Hofstede: the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another
Shine: the learned response of the group to problems
Hess: ideas and things members of an identifiable group take for granted
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Critical thinking about ‘culture’
Culture is about group behaviour – but what is the group?
In any nation/community/organization - there will be a dominant culture and sub-cultures
Role of sub-cultures as modes of resistance to dominant
Culture can be manipulated to control behaviour
Is it really that simple?
National culture
Norms of ‘home’ culture can impede organizations’ ability to internationalize.
How much does a regulatory regime assume shared values?
Will a ‘new’ market require adjustments in how products are presented?
Impacts on organisation, regulation, market
Dimensions of culture
Power distance
Individualism vs collectivism
Masculinity vs femininity
Uncertainty avoidance
Long-term vs short-term orientation
Indulgence vs restraint
Hofstede Centre (2016) Dimensions of National Cultures, http://geert-hofstede.com
According to Geert Hofstede
Typology of National Culture
Universalism –v- particularism
Individualism –v- communitarianism
Specific –v- diffuse
Neutral –v- emotional
Achievement –v- ascription
Sequential time –v- synchronous time
Internal direction –v- outer direction
Trompenaars’
dimensions of national culture
How does culture matter?
Specific tasks requires specific forms of communication
Do specific cultural contexts also call for specific forms of communication?
Should we leave inter-cultural communication to intuition?
communication
How does culture matter?
Notions of time
How the individual fits into society
Beliefs about human nature
Rules about relationships
Importance of work
Motivations for achievement
Role of adults and children within the family
Tip of the iceberg
How does culture matter?
Tolerance for change
Expectation of macho behavior
Importance of face, harmony
Preference for leadership systems
Communication styles
Attitudes about men’s/women’s roles
Preference for thinking style – linear or systemic
Tip of the iceberg
Determinants of culture
Political philosophy
Economic philosophy
Religion
Education
Language
Social structure
What influences cultural norms and value systems?
Understanding the effects of culture
on organizational behaviour
on strategic thinking
on assumptions of meaning and understanding
for international management
Developing cultural intelligence
Knowledge about cultures
Awareness of yourself and others
Behavioural skills
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Your cultural characteristics
What do you see as the cultural characteristics impacting on your behaviour/understanding?
Where do these characteristics come from?
To what extent do you think they are shared with folk from different backgrounds?
5 minutes to note your answers.
Pair up with someone from a different background – compare notes.
What about ethics?
Ethics is the accepted principles of right or wrong that govern the conduct of a person, profession or organization
Ethical dilemmas are situations in which none of the available alternatives seems ethically acceptable
In what senses do businesses/organisations need to be ethical?
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Ethics, sustainability and management
Remember the GFC – collapse of financial systems
Caused by clever people acting unethically
Is climate change THE current challenge to global markets?
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Businesses don’t need ethics
The law embodies many of a country’s moral principles
The law provides a clearly defined set of rules
The law contains enforceable rules that apply to everyone
The law reflects careful and wide-ranging discussions
The law is obejctive and independent
They just need to obey the law because
But the law is also limited
Some things that are unethical are not illegal
Laws are slow to develop in emerging areas of concern
Laws may be based on imprecisely defined moral concepts
The law often needs to undergo scrutiny by the courts
The law is not very efficient and may be biased
Areas of organizational life in which ethical issues arise
regulatory compliance
employment practices
human rights
environmental pollution
corruption
the moral obligation of multinational companies
Debate: the purpose of business is profit NOT ethical behaviour
Random groups
Debate – for and against proposition
Each group decides
Class discussion
Examples of unethical behaviour
What have you seen in your career that you’d classify as unethical?
Why do you think it was unethical?
What could have been done about it?
5 minutes to make notes.
15 minutes in small groups to share stories.
Report back on the most interesting example
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