This document summarizes a study on cultural dimensions in business organizations. It discusses business anthropology and anthropologists like Dr. Gillian Tett and Genevieve Bell who study culture in corporations. It also lists many companies that employ anthropologists. The document then examines models of culture by Schein and Hofstede, including Hofstede's cultural dimensions of power distance, individualism vs collectivism, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long vs short term orientation. Tables provide descriptions of each dimension. The document presents results of a study on these dimensions conducted in West Bengal and compares the findings to Hofstede's scores for India. Models of organizational culture, leadership, communication, creativity and flexibility

1. A Study of Cultural
Dimensions in The
Business Organizations
ROLL NO- 91/ANT/121023
REGISTRATION NO- 142-1121-0067-09
EXAMINATION- M.SC. 4thSEMESTER EXAMINATION 2014 IN ANTHROPOLOGY
DEPT. OF ANTHROPOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA

2. BUSINESS ANTHROPOLOGY
• Is what ?
• What fall in its purview?

3. Anthropologist
• Dr. Gillian Tett
• Genevieve Bell
• Geert Hofstede

4. Who Employs Anthropologists?
 Intel
 Citicorp
 AT&T
 Kodak
 Sapient
 Hauser Design
 Boeing
 Motorola
 Walt Disney
 Microsoft
 General Mills
 Hallmark
 Travel One
 Hanseatic Group
 Manchester Memorial
 Palisades Pharmaceuticals
 Celanese Corporation
 Samsung
 …and the list goes on
information taken from www.aaanet.org

5. CULTURE
• Anthropological Origins of “Culture”
• a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation
and internal integration, that has worked well enough to
be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new
members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in
relation to those problems. Edgar Schein (2006,p.17)
• ”Collective programming of the mind that distinguishes
the members of one group or category of people from
another.” Greet Hofstede (2001, p.9)

6. CULTURE
• Diagram developed by
Hofstede represents
humans as onions. The
outer layers (Symbols-
Heroes-Rituals) reflect
external practices.
• Hofstede discovered that
Values and etiquette, on
the other hand, are
programmed according to
one’s own culture.
• Values are at the core and
thus internal.
Figure 1 Manifestations of culture: From shallow to deep.

7. ORGANISATIONAL
CULTURE
• Definition.
• Models given by
• Edgar Schein
• Greet Hofstede
Defination taken from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-
culture.html

8. Levels of Organizational Culture
Schein's organizational culture
model
Figure 2 Levels of Organizational Culture

9. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL OF
CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
• Long-term vs. short-term orientation
• Femininity vs. masculinity
• Power-distance
• Collectivism vs. individualism
• Uncertainty avoidance

10. Low/High power
distance
Table 1 Extremes of Hofstede’s ‘power distance’ dimension
Power-distance.

11. Individualism/
Collectivism
Table 2 Extremes of Hofstede’s ‘collectivist/individualist’ dimension
Collectivism vs. individualism.

12. Femininity vs. Masculinity
Table 3 Extremes of the ‘masculine/feminine’ dimension
Femininity vs. Masculinity

13. Low/High Uncertainty
avoidance
Table 4 Extremes for Hofstede’s ‘uncertainty avoidance’ dimension
Uncertainty avoidance.

14. Long-term vs. Short-term
Orientation
Table 5 Hofstede’s fifth dimension
Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation.

15. LEADERSHIP

16. What is Leadership?
•Ability to
persuade others to do things for the
good of the organization
make difficult decisions
make unpopular decisions
deliver results
create long-term commitments

17. Why is the Leader Important?
• Establishes vision
• Develops and implements strategies
• Allocates and controls resources
• Chooses key employees
• Shapes culture
• Affects organizational performance
• Projects image to the public

18. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• Where does West Bengal fit in on Hofstede’s cultural
dimensions?
• The main objective of this thesis was to study the degree
to which Organizational Cultures differ in west Bengal?

19. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• SAMPLING AND ACCESS
• THE STAGES OF DATA COLLECTION
• THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER
• LIMITS
• ETHICS

20. Data Analysis
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Female 20-
24
Female 25-
29
Female 30-
34
Male 25-29 Male 30-34 Male 35-39 Male 40-44 Male 45-49 Male 50-54 Male 55 or
above
Distribution Questionnaires by Age and Gender
Table 6 Distribution Questionnaires by Age and Gender

21. Data Analysis
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Postgraduate/Doctorate
Postgraduate/Doctorate
ProfessionalDegree
Graduation
Postgraduate/Doctorate
ProfessionalDegree
Graduation
Matriculations
ProfessionalDegree
ProfessionalDegree
PhD
ProfessionalDegree
Postgraduate/Doctorate
ProfessionalDegree
Postgraduate/Doctorate
ProfessionalDegree
Graduation
Female Female Male Female Male Male Male Male Male Male
20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55 or
above
Distrubution of samples according age gender and Education
Table 7 Distribution of samples according age gender and Education

22. Data Analysis
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Officeworkerorsecretary
Academicallytrainedprofessional
orequivalent(butnotamanagerof
people)
Craftsperson,technician,IT-
specialist,nurse,artistorequivalent
Managerofoneormore
subordinates(non-managers)
Officeworkerorsecretary
Academicallytrainedprofessional
orequivalent(butnotamanagerof
people)
Craftsperson,technician,IT-
specialist,nurse,artistorequivalent
ManagerofoneormoreManagers
Managerofoneormore
subordinates(non-managers)
ManagerofoneormoreManagers
Managerofoneormore
subordinates(non-managers)
Teaching&Research
ManagerofoneormoreManagers
Academicallytrainedprofessional
orequivalent(butnotamanagerof
people)
ManagerofoneormoreManagers
ManagerofoneormoreManagers
Managerofoneormore
subordinates(non-managers)
20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55 or above
Distribution According to Designation and Age
Table 8 Distribution According to Designation and age

23. Data Analysis
• GREET HOFSTEDE CULTURAL DIMENSIONS SCORE OF
PRESENT STUDY
Dimensions Present
Findings
Hofstede’s estimates
on India
PDI 62.45 77
UAI 88.35 40
IDV 35.89 48
MAS 83.05 56
LTO 53.7 -
Present Data
Greet Hofstede's Scores
0
20
40
60
80
100
Pdi UAI IDV MAS LTO
Cultural Dimension Index Score
Present Data Greet Hofstede's Scores
Table 9 Cultural Dimensions Index Scores

24. Data Analysis
• Communication
Power Manupulation
Expression Negotiation
Communication
Figure 3 What effective communication means for Organization

25. Data Analysis
• Creativity
Individual Organization
Ideas Strategy Structure
Behaviour that
encourages
innovation
Productive
Easy to apply
Easy to
comply
Vision and
mission
Purposefulness
- Flexibility
- Freedom:
Autonomy
Empowerment
Decision making
- Cooperative teams
and group
interaction
– Mistake handling
– Idea generating
–Continuous learning
culture
- Risk taking
– Competitiveness
– Support for change
– Conflict handling
Creativity
And
Innovation
Figure 4 Influence of organizational culture on creativity and innovation

26. Data Analysis
• Flexibility
Flexibility
Handle
Rejection
Overcome
Obstacles
Ability to Adapt
Confidence
Figure 5 Flexibility Model came out from Data

27. Data Analysis
• Initiative
• Initiative drive

28. Data Analysis
• Leadership
Communication Creativity
Flexibility Initiative
Leadership
Figure 6 Leadership model

29. Data Analysis
• Interview analyses:
Symbols – Values –
Heroes – Rituals
Present study
Symbols
 Think Less,
 Cheap labour
Values
 Competitiveness ,
 Responsible,
 Manipulative
 Team work,
Heroes
 Managers
 Directors
Rituals
 Award ceremony
 Durga Puja
Mistakes
 Egocentric Personality
 Bad behaviour
 Stealing
 Lethargic

30. Discussion & Conclusion
• Present score differs from Hofstede’s score of India.
• Main factors influencing leadership in the studied organization
are communication, initiative, flexibility, creativity.
Communication Initiative Flexibility Creativity
Information
Technology(IT)
Marketing Banking Marketing
Marketing Engineering IT IT
Banking IT Marketing Banking

31. References
• Baba, M. 2006. “Anthropology and Business.” In Encyclopedia of Anthropology, by H. James Birx, 83-117. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
• Hofstede, G. 1980. Culture’s consequences: international differences in work related values. Beverly Hill, CA: Sage.
• Hofstede, G. 1998. Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimensions of National Cultures. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Hofstede, G. 1980. “Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American theories apply abroad? .” Organizational
Dynamics (Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American theories apply abroad?
Organizational Dynamics, 9(1): 42-63. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from Ebsco database.) 42-63.
• Hofstede, G. 1983. “The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories.” Journal of International Business
Studies, 75-89.
• Jones, A. M. 2005. “The Anthropology of Leadership: Culture and Corporate Leadership in the American South.”
Leadership, Vol 1(3) 259–278.
• Schein, E. 1990. “Organizational Culture.” American Psychologist 109-119.
• Yukl, G.A. 1994. Leadership in organizations (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

32. Thank You