Ethnocentrism

1. Define ethnocentrism, and explain what Hofstede concluded about applying American management theories in other countries.

Ethnocentrism is a prejudicial belief that one's native country, culture, language, behavior, and traditions are better than all others. (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).

Hofstede argues that societies differ along four major cultural dimensions: power distance, individualism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. This cultural typology is based on the findings of several studies (i.e. Hofstede, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984). Due to the wide variations in key dimensions Hofstede found among cultures, he warned against directly applying American-made management theories to other cultures without adapting them first. He said there is no one best way to manage across cultures. (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).

Hofstede, G.: 1984, ‘The Cultural Relativity of the Quality of Life Concept’, Academy of Management Review 9(3), 389-398

Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational behavior: key concepts, skills and best practices. (Customized 4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies

2. Demonstrate your knowledge of these two distinctions: high-context versus low-context cultures and monochronic versus polychronic cultures and provide specific examples of each.

People in high-context cultures (such as China, Japan, and Mexico) derive great meaning from situational cues, above and beyond written and spoken words. Low-context cultures (including Germany, the United States, and Canada) derive key information from precise and brief written and spoken messages. In monochronic cultures (e.g., the United States), time is precise and rigidly measured. Polychronic cultures, such as those found in Latin America and the Middle East, view time as multidimensional, fluid, and flexible. Monochronic people prefer to do one thing at a time, while polychronic people like to tackle multiple tasks at the same time. (Kinicki, & Kreitner, 2009)

3. Explain the...