A Scaffolded Approach to Teaching National Culture: From Hall to Hofstede to GLOBE

Abstract

This chapter shares the background of a scaffold approach in teaching the GLOBE (global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness) cultural dimensions. The student learns how to develop a GLOBE cultural lens that can be applied to the cross-cultural factors involved with doing international business. The nine GLOBE cultural dimensions become a soft set of business tools that consciously increase the effectiveness of cross-cultural management.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Foreign to Familiar Reading Comprehension Quiz on High/Warm and Low/Cold Culture Context

Foreign to Familiar Reading Comprehension Quiz

Each question is worth 2 points for a total of 50. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate answer per the Foreign to Familiar book reading.

Which of the following countries are considered Cold or Warm cultures?

• 1. The Northern States of the U.S. ___________________

• 2. Southern Brazil__________________

• 3. Saudi Arabia__________________

• 4. Canada______________________

• 5. The Southern States of the U.S.______________________

• 6. The Pacific Islands______________________

• 7. Northern Europe_________________________

• 8. The Philippines__________________________

• 9. Russia_______________________

• 10. Nepal__________________

• 11. A relational or familial behaving culture would be associated with__________________cultures.

• 12. A time is money culture would be associated with _________________________cultures.

• 13. Because Switzerland is an old culture and established in their ways, Switzerland is considered to be ________________________________________by the author (use the anthropological term).

• 14. Because the U.S. is a relatively young country and culture and not as established in cultural practices, the U.S. is considered to be ______________________________ (use the anthropological term).

• 15. Warm cultures are known for their_____________________________ communication style.

• 16. Cold cultures are known for their ______________________________ communication style.

• 17. Identify two points to remember when dealing with different concepts of time and planning in Warm Cultures 1.__________________________________________

• 18. 2.___________________________________

• 19. Identify two points to remember when dealing with different concept of time and planning in Cold Cultures 1._________________________________

• 20. 2.________________________________________

• 21. In what type of culture are you going to decline the offer to have cup of coffee or tea politely once or twice implying you don’t want to put them out but would enjoy the conversation __________________________________.

• 22. Describe a Cold or Warm culture greeting (beyond the U.S.) and what the meaning behind the greeting is:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• 23. If you are an American in your home country hosting someone from a Warm Culture and you go out for ice cream or dinner, what should you culturally do for your invited guest?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

• 24. The BaFa’ BaFa’ Alpha culture would be associates with the_________________________ style.

• 25. The BaFa’ BaFa’ Beta culture would be associated with the________________________________________________ style.

Appendix 2: Cultural Skills Assessment Exercises

The following are the Cultural Skills Assessment exercise requirements and cases provided to the students as an in-class written assignment as well as some answer background/explanations for each case provided to the assignment assessors (with keywords/phrases in bold):

Case Exercise: For each of the following cases, spot and explain the GLOBE dimension cultural concepts taking place in each country’s context:

• 1. Highlight the keywords/cues/phrases that point to the cultural differences.

• 2. Identify and explain the primary GLOBE Cultural Dimensions taking place in this situation/case. Next, describe your rationale for this identification.

• 3. Explain ‘why’ you have culturally interpreted the specific dimension. Remember, there are sometimes both Highs and Lows are involved, but not always. Each case illustrates at least two GLOBE Dimensions in each country, sometimes three. Correctly identifying the dimensions and corresponding High or Low attributes (if applicable) will earn full points. BE THOROUGH ABOUT YOUR EXPLANATION.

• 4. Recommend managerial action based upon your analysis. BE THOROUGH ABOUT YOUR EXPLANATION.

Case 1: A German Corporate Shareholder Meeting

The CEO of a German-headquartered conglomerate in Frankfurt delivered a state of the business speech at the annual shareholders meeting in Frankfurt, Germany. The German CEO Mr. Gundhalder spoke at length and in detail about the innovative technologies that Siemens had invented and introduced into the global market, assuring shareholders that they had focused on quality and every detail. He announced that the company was about to launch a new aircraft engine that could operate under a high level of air particles, so the engine could operate in the recent volcanic dust experienced by Europe and keep businesses going. An Irish shareholder introduced herself as Head of Irelands Air Traffic Controllers Union and asked the question ‘Wouldn’t it have been better to address the market perception that your company lacks concern for a comprehensive employee benefit package instead of spending research funds on such a rare event, trying to control rare and extreme acts of mother nature?’ The CEO responded ‘It is critical for the reputation of our brand that we are ahead of the curve in aeronautical technology’.

Answer Explanation. The GLOBE cultural dimension juxtaposed here is uncertainty avoidance. Germany has a high certainty avoidance seeking to control outcomes, avoiding surprises, focusing on quality, reliability and detail. Ireland has a lower uncertainty avoidance, the thought of controlling responses to mother nature are senseless, they are less concerned with risk. The other present cultural dimensions are a high-performance orientation for Germany seeking to advance and innovate technologies in order to compete and stay ahead of the curve. The Irish culture tends to demonstrate concern for employees over research, thereby, emphasizing a high human orientation, a dimension that Germany score much lower in.

Case 2: Argentinean Natural Resources for Singapore

A high tech Singaporean firm recent purchased a precious metal mining company in Argentina for vertically integrating direct natural mining resources for producing their sophisticated technology. The Singapore CEO had requested a benchmark report on similar mining operations. In a meeting in Singapore, the native Argentinean GM of the mining company asked why they requested such a benchmark study when we are the only mine of this kind in the world. Why would such report matter? The Singaporean CEO responded ‘He had confidence in the mining company, which was one of the main reasons they were attracted to the acquisition’. The Argentinean GM asked again about the benchmark study. The CEO responded, ‘Do you know our organization offers our retirement savings and profit sharing plans to all our employees around the world, your miners could double their retirement investment plans with us’. The Argentinean GM responded ‘That is generous but our miners are proud of the risky work they do and have an attitude of living for today and being paid well for their dangerous work’.

Answer Explanation: Singapore is demonstrating high-performance orientation through its acquisition of the precious metal mining company and requesting a benchmark. Singapore demonstrates a high future orientation in planning for the future through this acquisition as well as planning for employee’s futures through retirement. One could also say Singapore demonstrates a high institutional collectivism by including all employees worldwide in the retirement and profit sharing plans. The Argentina GM shows indifference to being part of the company retirement plan that reflects two Argentina GLOBE dimension characteristics. Argentina demonstrated a low future orientation, a culture that prefers to live in the present and be paid timely for their risky work. Additionally, Argentina demonstrates a low institutional collectivism culture, they prefer to be accountable and compensated as individuals, not part of a large organization group plan.

Case 3: A Japanese Bank Offshores in New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand has accumulated a significant number of Japanese national immigrants over the past 20 years, specifically women. These women felt career tracks in Japan favored men. While these New Zealand Japanese learned to speak fluent English, they maintained their fluent Japanese. The Japan Bank executives have come to Auckland to assess whether they could build a customer service center in Auckland that would service their customers in Japan. If so, there would be a labor cost savings in having 150 employees in Auckland, New Zealand versus the higher costs in Tokyo, Japan.

The Japan Bank advertised some positions to be explained at an upcoming job fair. The bank conducted an initial company information and job screening fair that over one hundred New Zealand Japanese women attended with job interest.

The first three speakers were male executives that verbally identified their association with such an institution as Japan Bank, each spoke in Japanese about Japan Bank and what the job is like. Notably about 30% of the Japanese New Zealand female attendees left after the second Japanese male speaker, this unnerved the third speaker.

The third Japanese male speaker decided to emphasize the connection and prestige of being an employee of the Japan Bank and being associated with such a good reputable bank. He went on to give examples of how the bank takes care of their employees and is concerned about their career development. He also emphasized the importance that employee input contributes toward process improvements and achievement of organization goals. He said the New Zealand market is new to them and they would need to learn how best to operate from this new market and that he was pleased with how many potential candidates came to show interest. After he finished speaking, he noticed that no one had left and the New Zealand Japanese women began to line up in order to submit their application.

Answer Explanation: In this case, Japan stands out as a low gender egalitarian scoring culture that can limit women’s career potential. New Zealand was an attractive country with open immigration laws and a high scoring gender egalitarian culture desired by these Japanese women. Since the Japan Bank is trying to improve costs of service through off shoring, it could be noted that Japan is demonstrating a high-performance orientation. The last part of the case demonstrates a Japanese male executive underscoring the institutional collectivism qualities of the organization and their concern for employees and their development. The New Zealand Japanese women responded favorably by not walking out. Japan is demonstrating attributes of high institutional collectivism that is practiced in Japan and New Zealand. Additionally, the speaker addresses a sense of human orientation that is highly practiced, desired and culturally scored in New Zealand.

Appendix 3: Cultural Skills Assessment Rubric

Learning Objective: We want our students to be well-versed in global perspectives. Learning Goal: Students can explain differences in cross-cultural management practices.
	Assessment
Criteria	Advanced	Developed	Beginning
Cultural competence—Identification	Student thoroughly identifies the relevant cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.	Student partially identifies some relevant cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.	Student does not adequately identify relevant cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.
Cultural competence—Analysis	Student thoroughly applies appropriate cultural models to analyze cultural differences in a management scenario.	Student partially applies appropriate cultural models to analyze cultural differences in a management scenario.	Student omits application of appropriate cultural models to analyze cultural differences in a management scenario.
Cultural competence—Recommendations	Student suggest highly developed culturally appropriate recommendations in response to cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.	Student suggest adequately culturally appropriate recommendations in response to cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.	Student does not provide recommendations or the recommendations provided are not culturally appropriate in response to cross-cultural issues in a management scenario.

Appendix 4: International Market Selection Project Survey Rubric

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