What is culture Group number 113-20

Manners and Customs

• Potential ways in which negotiators may not be prepared:
• the understanding of different ways of thinking
• attention to the necessity to save face
• knowledge and appreciation of the host country
• recognition of the decision-making process and the role of personal relations and personalities
• the allocation of time for negotiations

Material Elements

• Material culture refers to the results of technology and is directly related to how a society organizes its economic activity.
• It is manifested in the availability and adequacy of the basic economic, social, financial, and marketing infrastructure for the international business in a market.

Material Elements Chart

transportation
energy
communications
health
banks
research firms
Economic
Infrastructure
Social
Infrastructure
Financial and
Marketing
Infrastructure
Material Culture
education
housing

Aesthetics

• Good taste is expressed through colors, form, and music.
• The meanings of colors and symbols vary from country to country.

Social Institutions

• Social stratification is the division of a particular population into classes.
• Reference groups provide the values and attitudes that influence behavior. Primary reference groups include the family and coworkers.
• Social organization determines the roles of managers and subordinates and how they relate to each other.

Education

• Education, either formal or informal, plays a major role in the passing on and sharing of culture.
• International firms need to understand the varying emphases on particular skills and the overall level of education provided.