Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture

Introduction

How one chooses to dress, the physical distance one keeps from others, speech patterns, where one looks while talking, and similar factors are taken into consideration when identifying what composes a certain culture. In order to distinguish right from wrong, culture provides the individual with boundaries of acceptable behavior. According to one definition, "culture is the set of learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that are characteristic of a particular society or population" (Ember & Ember, 402). These accepted behaviors are learned in all cultures (Ember & Ember 20). Specific cultures dictate behaviors for certain environments ranging from massive countries to small organizations. Each culture provides the individual with the comfort of knowing what is expected from him or her, which in turn allows the society or group to function.

Certain theories developed through anthropological research about culture may be applied to developing a culture within an organization. Comprehending what differentiates groups of human beings is useful because such clarity helps to avoid misunderstandings between people. Exposure to anthropological theory [co-cultures, constraints (established through norms), action chains and culture shock/adaptation] can help alleviate some of the misunderstandings that arise from unconscious between people of different cultural groups (Ember & Ember, 11). By recognizing the role that culture has upon the individual as well as the group, the members of a group could apply these principles to create a stable community.

In cultural anthropology, there are theories and terms that explain why people act the way that they do and what actions elicit ...

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