The ability to appreciate diversity, communicate effectively and interact with individuals from different cultures is a valuable business skill, and understanding the cultures involved is important. Culture is an integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of the members of any given society. Simply explained, it is what people have, think and do. Culture is inherited, and it can only be changed evolutionary. A country is not a culture, because there are many nationalities with their own cultures living in the same country, e.g France. When we think of culture we think of stereotypes, but do we really need them? Many philosophists have classified culture in different ways. For example, Herskovits divided culture into: material (economy, technology), social institution(political), people and universe(beliefs), esthetics(dramas, dances) and tradition and language. One of the most famous dimensions is Hofstede's 4 dimensions, which include: .
- Individualism vs Collectivism: Individualistic countries care about Self interests, Self and immediate family, Leadership is the ideal, survival of fittest, "I " and "me " cultures where individual freedom and choice are given priority. Examples are U.S.A and Denmark. Collectivistic countries show the opposite, they have group interests. Examples are China and Indonesia. .
- Masculinity vs Femininity: Masculine countries care about material success, men are seen as ambitious and tough. Examples are Mexico and Japan. Feminine countries are countries where everybody should be modest, and men and women both deal with facts and feelings. An example is Scandinavian countries. .
- Hierarchy (Power Distance): This is the extent to which society accepts the fact that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally. Therefore, countries with high power distance like Russia and China accept hierarchy in these institutions.
