This document summarizes a study on cultural dimensions in business organizations. It discusses business anthropology and anthropologists like Dr. Gillian Tett and Genevieve Bell who study culture in corporations. It also lists many companies that employ anthropologists. The document then examines models of culture by Schein and Hofstede, including Hofstede's cultural dimensions of power distance, individualism vs collectivism, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long vs short term orientation. Tables provide descriptions of each dimension. The document presents results of a study on these dimensions conducted in West Bengal and compares the findings to Hofstede's scores for India. Models of organizational culture, leadership, communication, creativity and flexibility
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A Study of Cultural Dimensions in The Business Organizations
1. A Study of Cultural
Dimensions in The
Business Organizations
ROLL NO- 91/ANT/121023
REGISTRATION NO- 142-1121-0067-09
EXAMINATION- M.SC. 4thSEMESTER EXAMINATION 2014 IN ANTHROPOLOGY
DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA
4. Who Employs Anthropologists?
Intel
Citicorp
AT&T
Kodak
Sapient
Hauser Design
Boeing
Motorola
Walt Disney
Microsoft
General Mills
Hallmark
Travel One
Hanseatic Group
Manchester Memorial
Palisades Pharmaceuticals
Celanese Corporation
Samsung
…and the list goes on
information taken from www.aaanet.org
5. CULTURE
• Anthropological Origins of “Culture”
• a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation
and internal integration, that has worked well enough to
be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new
members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in
relation to those problems. Edgar Schein (2006,p.17)
• ”Collective programming of the mind that distinguishes
the members of one group or category of people from
another.” Greet Hofstede (2001, p.9)
6. CULTURE
• Diagram developed by
Hofstede represents
humans as onions. The
outer layers (Symbols-
Heroes-Rituals) reflect
external practices.
• Hofstede discovered that
Values and etiquette, on
the other hand, are
programmed according to
one’s own culture.
• Values are at the core and
thus internal.
Figure 1 Manifestations of culture: From shallow to deep.
7. ORGANISATIONAL
CULTURE
• Definition.
• Models given by
• Edgar Schein
• Greet Hofstede
Defination taken from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-
culture.html
8. Levels of Organizational Culture
Schein's organizational culture
model
Figure 2 Levels of Organizational Culture
9. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL OF
CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
• Long-term vs. short-term orientation
• Femininity vs. masculinity
• Power-distance
• Collectivism vs. individualism
• Uncertainty avoidance
16. What is Leadership?
•Ability to
persuade others to do things for the
good of the organization
make difficult decisions
make unpopular decisions
deliver results
create long-term commitments
17. Why is the Leader Important?
• Establishes vision
• Develops and implements strategies
• Allocates and controls resources
• Chooses key employees
• Shapes culture
• Affects organizational performance
• Projects image to the public
18. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• Where does West Bengal fit in on Hofstede’s cultural
dimensions?
• The main objective of this thesis was to study the degree
to which Organizational Cultures differ in west Bengal?
20. Data Analysis
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Female 20-
24
Female 25-
29
Female 30-
34
Male 25-29 Male 30-34 Male 35-39 Male 40-44 Male 45-49 Male 50-54 Male 55 or
above
Distribution Questionnaires by Age and Gender
Table 6 Distribution Questionnaires by Age and Gender
23. Data Analysis
• GREET HOFSTEDE CULTURAL DIMENSIONS SCORE OF
PRESENT STUDY
Dimensions Present
Findings
Hofstede’s estimates
on India
PDI 62.45 77
UAI 88.35 40
IDV 35.89 48
MAS 83.05 56
LTO 53.7 -
Present Data
Greet Hofstede's Scores
0
20
40
60
80
100
Pdi UAI IDV MAS LTO
Cultural Dimension Index Score
Present Data Greet Hofstede's Scores
Table 9 Cultural Dimensions Index Scores
24. Data Analysis
• Communication
Power Manupulation
Expression Negotiation
Communication
Figure 3 What effective communication means for Organization
25. Data Analysis
• Creativity
Individual Organization
Ideas Strategy Structure
Behaviour that
encourages
innovation
Productive
Easy to apply
Easy to
comply
Vision and
mission
Purposefulness
- Flexibility
- Freedom:
Autonomy
Empowerment
Decision making
- Cooperative teams
and group
interaction
– Mistake handling
– Idea generating
–Continuous learning
culture
- Risk taking
– Competitiveness
– Support for change
– Conflict handling
Creativity
And
Innovation
Figure 4 Influence of organizational culture on creativity and innovation
29. Data Analysis
• Interview analyses:
Symbols – Values –
Heroes – Rituals
Present study
Symbols
Think Less,
Cheap labour
Values
Competitiveness ,
Responsible,
Manipulative
Team work,
Heroes
Managers
Directors
Rituals
Award ceremony
Durga Puja
Mistakes
Egocentric Personality
Bad behaviour
Stealing
Lethargic
30. Discussion & Conclusion
• Present score differs from Hofstede’s score of India.
• Main factors influencing leadership in the studied organization
are communication, initiative, flexibility, creativity.
Communication Initiative Flexibility Creativity
Information
Technology(IT)
Marketing Banking Marketing
Marketing Engineering IT IT
Banking IT Marketing Banking
31. References
• Baba, M. 2006. “Anthropology and Business.” In Encyclopedia of Anthropology, by H. James Birx, 83-117. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
• Hofstede, G. 1980. Culture’s consequences: international differences in work related values. Beverly Hill, CA: Sage.
• Hofstede, G. 1998. Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimensions of National Cultures. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Hofstede, G. 1980. “Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American theories apply abroad? .” Organizational
Dynamics (Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American theories apply abroad?
Organizational Dynamics, 9(1): 42-63. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from Ebsco database.) 42-63.
• Hofstede, G. 1983. “The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories.” Journal of International Business
Studies, 75-89.
• Jones, A. M. 2005. “The Anthropology of Leadership: Culture and Corporate Leadership in the American South.”
Leadership, Vol 1(3) 259–278.
• Schein, E. 1990. “Organizational Culture.” American Psychologist 109-119.
• Yukl, G.A. 1994. Leadership in organizations (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.