Oc Class Review Questions

1. Discuss the "onion model" for illustrating the layers of culture. Discuss beliefs, values, and behaviors/artifacts. Provide examples of each layer.

Culture is just like onion consisting of layers that can be peeled off. It has three layers, i.e. the outer layer, the middle layer and the inner layer. The outer layer of culture is the level of explicit culture and it deals with the expressed manifestations of culture, such as behaviors and artifacts or other visible products we observe. However, these behaviors are not the simple ones, always containing some cultural elements in them. Therefore, it is of great significance to further understand the meaning of culture. The middle layer refers to the norms and values that a company or an organization holds. Values are usually connected with something good or bad, which are the shared orientations of a group of what people define as the things they like and desire. The inner layer means the level of unquestioned and implicit culture. It contains assumptions, beliefs and other kinds of methods in solving problems. Understanding the core of the cultural onion is the key to successfully working with other cultures and achieving successful alliances and cross-border collaboration.

2. Define universal and particular values. Explain this cultural dimension.

Universal and particular values could be treated as a cultural dilemma. Universal value indicates that people in the organization tend to follow standardized rules and believe that the standards they hold dear are the right ones and they attempt to change the attitudes of others to match. Scientific research shows that Northern Americans and Northern Europeans are almost totally universalistic in their approach to the problem. On the contrary, particular value prefers a flexible approach to unique situations, which means particular circumstances are more important than the set standards and rules. Bonds of particular relationships (family, friends) are...