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  • Essay / Cultural Dimensions in People Management - 1971

    Cultural Dimensions in People ManagementFor any international organization, it is extremely important to understand cultural differences and make good use of them in the global context. Through insight from a cultural perspective, the article analyzes the role and impact of culture. It begins by introducing the prior concept of socialization and then discusses four cultural dimensions at the national level. Finally, it adapts to the corporate culture. SocializationSocialization, mentioned here, is the way in which a person is conditioned by their environment(s). It is the process by which individuals engage in society, communicate and learn with each other. Before being socialized in a company, people are influenced by family and school. This process, called pre-socialization, has more impact on personal behavior than socialization. The four elements of socialization are symbols, heroes, rituals, and values. 1) Symbols, serving as bridges between feelings, thoughts, and actions, help people communicate. and share their thoughts. This can be illustrated in a case study of nurses in a hospital rehabilitation unit who had requested a change in dress code. Pratt and Rafaeli (1997) found that nurses' social identity was central to the discussion. When nurses talked about street clothes versus medical attire, they were actually talking about underlying philosophies related to their patients, their work, and their professional identity. Nurses used the symbol of organizational dress to represent and talk about conflicting identities.2) Heroes, at the organizational level, this could be the ideal manager or the founder. These people always have the greatest influence on the company. The selection of ideal managers depends on the organizational culture. If the company is conservative, there is no need to find an ambitious manager; rather he will find a cautious person.3) Rituals are always fixed over a long period of time and seem to vary greatly by culture. For example, in the taskless negotiation phase, Americans generally spend less time than Mexicans and Japanese. In these countries, the cultural norm that establishing good interpersonal relationships with business partners is likely to determine the conclusion of a deal leads to the non-task stage playing a critical role. When it comes to contracts, Americans tend to prepare a long and detailed one, while in Japan it would be short and rough. Additionally, contracts are always signed in a formal setting like an office or conference room in the United States, while in Japan it is possible for a deal to be reached over dinner or a game. golf..