CULTURE SCAN FOR CROSS­CULTURAL MANAGEMENT © M.E. Phillips, Ph.D., Pepperdine University, N.A. Boyacigiller, Ph.D., San José State University, & G.L. Rossy, California State University Northridge, 2002 FREE WILL • Control ­  Can environment be controlled?  ­  Is behavior controlled by self, social norms,  rules, or by whims of others? ­  Is harmony important? ­  Can circumstances change?  how?  • Uncertainty avoidance ­ How much do people strive to limit  uncertainty in their lives? ­ How important are rules and procedures? Control ●  Technical domination ● Based on standards; state of art knowledge ● In harmony with other “life forms” Change ● Does occur, but can be studied & understood  ● Can learn Low Uncertainty Avoidance ● Uncertainty is recognized  ● Change scares individuals ● Trust and morality are key Control ● Harmony with surrounding environment very  important High Uncertainty Avoidance ● Each person has a rightful and protected place in  the social order, that the actions of authorities  should not be challenged or questioned, that  hierarchy and inequality are appropriate and  beneficial. SOURCES OF TRUTH • Origins of truth ­ Where do people go for directions/answers? ­ Who do they go to? • Universalism ­ What can be questioned and what can’t? ­ Are rules situation­specific or generally  applied? ­ Is context important when judging  right/wrong? Origins of Truth ● Experts for truth ● Investigative culture ● Information is freely available Universalism ● Everything can be questioned ● Common law puts emphasis into situation­specific  rules ● (Context in judging right/wrong?) Universalism ● Willing to follow office regulation and work  guidelines made by the owner. ● Employees do not want to challenge their senior  workers or supervisors and just want to obey the  decisions or orders their superiors make; order of  rank is strongly anchored. TIME  • Is attention paid to ­  past?  present?  future? ­  Which is most important? • Do people do ­  many things at once? ­  one thing at a time? ● Time is money ● Past is in the past, live in the present, must seize  the future ● Monochronic society (1 thing at a time)  ● Hate wasting time ● Protecting freedom is a priority ● Individuals are prompt and frown upon tardiness  ● Worried about the future.  ● High levels of anxiety and are highly resistant to  change   develop many rules to control social  behaviors. ● Time is fluid. ● Punctuality is important, but allow 30 minutes of  leeway.           • How are priorities set?  • What is considered “prompt”? ● Respect for others’ busy schedules. ● Monochronic society (1 thing at a time). HUMAN NATURE • Are others viewed as individuals or as  members of a homogeneous group? • What are expectations about other people? ­  are they positive?   Can “good” people  change? ­  are they negative?   Can “bad” people  change?  • How are strangers treated?  ● Individuals are seen as part of the whole  group/melting pot .

1. CULTURE SCAN FOR CROSS-CULTURAL MANAGEMENT
© M.E. Phillips, Ph.D., Pepperdine University, N.A. Boyacigille
r, Ph.D., San José State University, & G.L. Rossy, California St
ate University Northridge, 2002
FREE WILL
• Control
- Can environment be controlled?
- Is behavior controlled by self, social norms,
rules, or by whims of others?
- Is harmony important?
- Can circumstances change? how?
• Uncertainty avoidance
- How much do people strive to limit
uncertainty in their lives?
- How important are rules and procedures?
Control
● Technical domination
● Based on standards; state of art knowledge
● In harmony with other “life forms”
Change
● Does occur, but can be studied & understood
● Can learn
Low Uncertainty Avoidance
● Uncertainty is recognized
● Change scares individuals

2. ● Trust and morality are key
Control
● Harmony with surrounding environment very
important
High Uncertainty Avoidance
● Each person has a rightful and protected place in
the social order, that the actions of authorities
should not be challenged or questioned, that
hierarchy and inequality are appropriate and
beneficial.
SOURCES OF TRUTH
• Origins of truth
- Where do people go for directions/answers?
- Who do they go to?
• Universalism
- What can be questioned and what can’t?
- Are rules situation-specific or generally
applied?
- Is context important when judging
right/wrong?
Origins of Truth
● Experts for truth
● Investigative culture
● Information is freely available
Universalism
● Everything can be questioned
● Common law puts emphasis into situation-specific
rules

3. ● (Context in judging right/wrong?)
Universalism
● Willing to follow office regulation and work
guidelines made by the owner.
● Employees do not want to challenge their senior
workers or supervisors and just want to obey the
decisions or orders their superiors make; order of
rank is strongly anchored.
TIME
• Is attention paid to
- past? present? future?
- Which is most important?
• Do people do
- many things at once?
- one thing at a time?
● Time is money
● Past is in the past, live in the present, must seize
the future
● Monochronic society (1 thing at a time)
● Hate wasting time
● Protecting freedom is a priority
● Individuals are prompt and frown upon tardiness
● Worried about the future.
● High levels of anxiety and are highly resistant to
change develop many rules to control social
behaviors.

4. ● Time is fluid.
● Punctuality is important, but allow 30 minutes of
leeway.
• How are priorities set?
• What is considered “prompt”?
● Respect for others’ busy schedules.
● Monochronic society (1 thing at a time).
HUMAN NATURE
• Are others viewed as individuals or as
members of a homogeneous group?
• What are expectations about other people?
- are they positive? Can “good” people
change?
- are they negative? Can “bad” people
change?
• How are strangers treated?
● Individuals are seen as part of the whole
group/melting pot
● High concentrated population rude individuals
● Low concentrated population friendly
individuals
● Religion is key (basis of country)
● Strangers tend to be treated well (due to diversity)

5. ● Viewed as members of a homogenous group
● Human nature is good, but original nature
becomes evil when his wishes are not fulfilled
(Mencius)
● Strangers met with reserve; observe extreme
politeness
WORK RELATIONSHIPS
• Do people work individually? in groups?
• Does workspace (e.g., location, size, objects)
reveal status?
• Are most interactions based on
- the formal hierarchy?
- informal relationships?
● How important are family ties as
opposed to achievement in
determining an individual’s status.
• Who do people admire/envy/fear?
● “Stand up and be counted”
● Individuals prefer to work in groups
● Workplace reveals status
● Family ties are very important
● Common for individuals to sacrifice family time to
achieve individual status
● Individuals fear rights being taken away; envy the
elite and admire the self-made

6. ● “The protruding nail gets hammered down”
● Teamwork most important; individuals
contribute to the face of the company
● Interactions based on formal hierarchy
● Working spaces often cramped; large office
indicates high status
● Managers are more controlling, less
approachable, less trusting, and less likely to
delegate to subordinates than their low-
avoidance counterparts.
● Fostering close relationships very important in
conducting business; obligation to do business
with their friends first.
PURPOSE OF WORK
• Do people value
- aggressiveness, competitiveness, and
material rewards?
- social interaction and attempts to improve
quality of work life?
- learning and growing on the job?
● Individuals are aggressive and competitive
● Prefer immediate feedback from management
● Prefer social recognition over tangible
● Focused on work/life balance
● Loyalty to companies diminishing
● Prefer fun work environment
● Innovative individuals who are not fond of change

7. ● Hard work/long hours are accepted way of life
● Making money is key driver, not the means to a
better life
● Leisure viewed as lazy
COMMUNICATIONS
• To what degree is information explicitly stated
and details spelled out?
• Are communications
- fast and concisely stated? (e.g.,
headlines, bullet points, voicemail)
- slow?
(i.e., requiring interpretation, attentive to
relationship building)
• What non-verbal behavior
(e.g., body language, eye contact, tone
of voice)
- helps you understand what someone
tells you
- is contrary to information you are being
told?
● Individuals are very direct
● Details are very important
● Generations make distinction between
prefered communication methods (?)
● Communication tends to be concise (due to time
constraints)

8. ● Non­verbal communication is very important; can
tell you more than verbal communication
● Context very important; often implicit and
nonverbal
● Non­verbal communication is very important;
can tell you more than verbal communication
Posture, volume of voice, distance
● Often say what people want to hear, even if not
true
● Slow communication style
● Attentive to relationship-building
Me: what do you actually do in your position?
Henry: I run and operate a online web development, design,
and marketing business.
Me: what was your career path to this position?
Henry: I started my career in supply chain management, sales,
and lastly to purchasing before starting my own business. I’ve
held these roles in regions such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen China,
and Taiwan.
Me: What advice would you give to someone who aspired to
your position?
Henry: It is extremely important to be sensitive to people of
various backgrounds especially the Chinese since the Chinese
economy is growing and they will become one of the biggest

9. economies in the future.
Me: How does the national culture affect the design and
management of your organization?
Henry: As a business owner with a Chinese background, it is
important to be sensitive to your customers at all times. A look,
a sign, or a comment may mean many different things during a
conversation. It is extremely important to not miss those signs
during a conversation. Another important thing to be watchful
for is the value of relationships. Harboring great relationships
is the key to success with any Chinese organization, the Chinese
value the relationships greatly and it is important to take your
time in building up relationships with your clients.
Me: What is the difference between Chinese clients versus
American clients?
Henry: Through my experience, I have come to find that
American customers have often valued the nature and basis of
business contracts while the Chinese customers definitely have
taken a heavier emphasis on relationships as a whole. Trust is a
big deal in the Chinese society and in business; it was no
different as well.
Me: what specific skills do you believe a global executive
needs, and how would you suggest
Developing them?
Henry: It is important to have basic international etiquette
training before doing businesses with the Chinese. International
travels are definitely a huge plus since knowing something in
your head is one thing, it is definitely another to experience the
culture and to see how people interact with one another.
Through my experience in dealing with the Chinese, it was
definitely very helpful in observing my clients and by seeing

10. how they interact with one another provides great insight as to
clues as to how I would need to deal with them.
Me: What is one example on the difference in business dealings
between the Chinese and American?
Henry: For an example, during a business meal it is common
for the Chinese to wait until the food is on the table for
everyone before starting a meal. The stress on the importance
of eating together symbolizes the oneness in unity on business.
It is also common for Chinese businessmen to continue business
dealings throughout the meal. Meanwhile, American businesses
this is not as emphasized on importance versus the content of
the conversation itself.
Me: how long did you live in china and what was your position?
I have lived in Shenzhen China for about half a year as the
APAC Sales Manager and I have travel between Hong Kong,
Donguan, Shanghai, Beijing, and Taiwan totaling 4 years
throughout various roles in my career including my own
business.