Managing Across Cultures

What Is Culture? Culture shapes how you think, feel, and act every day—often in ways you don't even notice. Anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn defined culture as *"patterned ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting, acquired and transmitted mainly by symbols,"* with its essential core consisting of traditionally derived ideas and the values attached to them. You belong to many social groups simultaneously—each with its own culture. These include your gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, profession, industry, and organization. The combination of these group memberships affects every individual differently, which means that while cultural characteristics provide a useful starting point for understanding someone, they can never be applied uniformly to every member of that group. Culture in the Workplace As a manager, you already consider individual attributes—introversion vs. extroversion, learning styles—when leading your team. Culture is another critical lens. When an employee's cultural background differs significantly from your own, it may require additional patience and understanding on your part. Specific workplace elements that can vary across cultures include: The meaning of words like "yes" and "no" and when it's appropriate to use them Strictness of deadlines and urgency of time Customs around meetings Importance of preserving relationships and maintaining harmony Orientation toward the individual vs. the collective good Concepts of equality, fairness, and social hierarchy In-Groups and Out-Groups One of the core concepts of