Managers encounter problems when they treat ‘culture’ in the same way they treat hard and comparable data.
When they do, they would probably see culture as ‘software of the mind’, a set of characteristics shared by compatriots that instil certain unchangeable values. Managers expect this software inevitably leads to specific behaviour. But I believe that managers are better off treating culture as a repertoire of actions from which people can choose depending on the situation in which they find themselves.
In the video below, produced by RSM Discovery, I elaborate on this point.
To continue reading the article, visit the RSM Discovery website.