Culture Types

Related cultures

Haire et al (1966) surveyed 3,500 managers in 14 different countries and estimated that 28% of discernible differences in management attitudes were culturally based. They identified 4 main cultural groups: Nordic-European, Latin-European, Anglo-American and developing nations. This started a trend to try and divide the world's complex pattern of cultures into neat, analytical groupings - with all the attendant risks of historical inaccuracy and gross sensitivity.

 Psychology and culture

Classification difficulties aside, there is no denying that cultural differences can be deeply imbedded. Chung used the psychology of thinking styles to explain differences between business cultures, arguing that Europeans are taught to think in a linear way, whereas Asians see things as a whole. According to Chung, Europeans value rational logic while Asians think intuitively in circles and leaps (This section of Human Resource Management in a Business Context provides a table of comparison based on Chung's views). (...) Despite the additional insight this model provides, however, we have (once again) a case of two groups of very diverse cultures being lumped together to suit an argument.

Culture and business behaviour

This section uses Asia as an example. Western observers have recently come to appreciate the diversity of cultures in Asia. (...) The case included in Human Resource Management in a Business Context shows that:

* national cultures vary widely within the region

* courtesy and politeness are valued highly in all these cultures

* business structure is family-based in some, but not all, of these countries

* there is widespread contact and cooperation between Chinese communities throughout the region

* business practices are changing because younger people are being trained in western-style business schools

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