Cross Cultural Management Midterm Study Guide
REVIEW FOR ADM 3319 Final Exam (<= 50 questions; TIME: 2 hours) 1. Globalization: The good, the bad, & the ugly: a. What are the provocative views of the +/- antecedents and consequences of globalization (different perspectives)?
Three Perspectives on Relationship between Culture and Globalization 1. Cultural Homogenization * resulting from increased communication, technical convergence * transformation of other regions, cultures, nations, societies by the culture of the economically dominant west - McDonaldization * contributing factors … A) global transformation of local culture * mass marketing on international level displaces strategies built around national, regional, cultural differences * but products that are outwardly uniform may be seen differently by consumers B) emergence of consumer mentality * shopping and spending as ends themselves * consumers are bombarded by merchandising and messaging that promotes the consumption of a good that frequently is a ‘homogenized’ version of an internationally fashionable product C) impact of elite culture * homogenization and globalization as the realm of the elite – those capable of buying the products (BMW, Rolex) * the elite interact within a westernized cultural paradigm, the western culture symbolizing affluence and power – unity among the elite D) influence of internet * facilitates communication between diverse people * much faster speed of cultural diffusion, potentially increasing the level of cultural homogeneity 2. Polarization * cultural, regional, national distinctiveness that flues in the face of homogeneity * a people’s defense of their traditions and way of life * technology can facilitate polarization * when social change is broad, sweeping, and rapid, people sometimes retreat to the familiar and local, occasionally with resentment at the globalized businesses around them 3. Hybridization *
Three Perspectives on Relationship between Culture and Globalization 1. Cultural Homogenization * resulting from increased communication, technical convergence * transformation of other regions, cultures, nations, societies by the culture of the economically dominant west - McDonaldization * contributing factors … A) global transformation of local culture * mass marketing on international level displaces strategies built around national, regional, cultural differences * but products that are outwardly uniform may be seen differently by consumers B) emergence of consumer mentality * shopping and spending as ends themselves * consumers are bombarded by merchandising and messaging that promotes the consumption of a good that frequently is a ‘homogenized’ version of an internationally fashionable product C) impact of elite culture * homogenization and globalization as the realm of the elite – those capable of buying the products (BMW, Rolex) * the elite interact within a westernized cultural paradigm, the western culture symbolizing affluence and power – unity among the elite D) influence of internet * facilitates communication between diverse people * much faster speed of cultural diffusion, potentially increasing the level of cultural homogeneity 2. Polarization * cultural, regional, national distinctiveness that flues in the face of homogeneity * a people’s defense of their traditions and way of life * technology can facilitate polarization * when social change is broad, sweeping, and rapid, people sometimes retreat to the familiar and local, occasionally with resentment at the globalized businesses around them 3. Hybridization *