Session 5Session 5

Understanding and Understanding and Discovering ValuesDiscovering Values

•Values: definition and Values: definition and functionfunction

•Cultural value patternsCultural value patterns•Discovering valuesDiscovering values•Self-assessmentSelf-assessment

OutlineOutline

Concept of ValuesConcept of Values•What is good or bad?What is good or bad?•What is right or wrong?What is right or wrong?•What is fair or unfair?What is fair or unfair?•What is important or What is important or unimportant?unimportant?

•What is desirable or What is desirable or undesirable?undesirable?

Functions of Value Functions of Value SystemsSystems

Anchor pointAnchor point

•““Who are we?” and “Who are Who are we?” and “Who are they?”they?”

•““What to do and what not to do?” What to do and what not to do?” •““What makes sense and what What makes sense and what

doesn’t?”doesn’t?”

Definition and Functions of Definition and Functions of Cultural ValuesCultural Values

ValuesValues:: shared ideas about what is right or wron shared ideas about what is right or wrong, fair or unfair, important or not importantg, fair or unfair, important or not important

Functions of values:Functions of values:• Identity meaning functionIdentity meaning function: frame of reference t: frame of reference t

o answer the most fundamental question: who o answer the most fundamental question: who am I in this world?am I in this world?

• Explanatory functionExplanatory function: implicit understanding o: implicit understanding of commonly shared valuesf commonly shared values

• Boundary-regulation functionBoundary-regulation function: shapes ingroup and o: shapes ingroup and outgroup attitudesutgroup attitudes1. 1. Attitude:Attitude: learned tendency that influences our belearned tendency that influences our behaviorhavior2. 2. Ingroups: Ingroups: share interdependent fate and feel emoshare interdependent fate and feel emotionally closetionally close3. 3. OutgroupsOutgroups: feel no emotional ties, experience ps: feel no emotional ties, experience psychological distance and even competitionychological distance and even competition

• Adaptational functionAdaptational function: people and cultures adapt ne: people and cultures adapt needs and ways of living to changing habitatseds and ways of living to changing habitats

Cultural Value Pattern 1Kluckhohn’s Variations of Value Orientations

• What is the character of innate human nature?

• What is the relation of humans to nature?

• What is the temporal (time) focus of human life?

• What is the mode of human activity?

• What is the mode of human relationships?

Cultural Value Pattern 2Hofstede’s 5 Dimensions of Work-related Values

• Hofstede – Culture’s Consequences, Hofstede – Culture’s Consequences, EvaluatiEvaluating the “Software of the Mindng the “Software of the Mind

““Hofstede’s (1980,1991) study of IBM eHofstede’s (1980,1991) study of IBM employees in 50 nations and three regions mployees in 50 nations and three regions has defined the agenda for cross-cultural has defined the agenda for cross-cultural researchers into values for the past 15 yeresearchers into values for the past 15 years.” now over 20!ars.” now over 20!

Smith & Schwartz, Smith & Schwartz, ValuesValues, 1997, 1997

Four Dimensions IdentifiedFour Dimensions Identified

• Power distancePower distance

• Individualism-Individualism-collectivismcollectivism

• Masculinity-femininityMasculinity-femininity

• Uncertainty avoidanceUncertainty avoidance

• How a society handles How a society handles inequalityinequality

• Behaviors towards the Behaviors towards the groupgroup

• Behavior according to Behavior according to gendergender

• The need for structureThe need for structure

Hofstede’s Cultural 5 Dimensions ModelHofstede’s Cultural 5 Dimensions Model

• Power Distance (PD) How inequalities are viewed and handled in the culture (i.e., strong hierarchical relationships versus egalitarian relationships)

• Individualism/Collectivism (I-C) How individuals view themselves (e.g., are they an individual striving for individual goals or a part of a collective group, where group harmony is important?)

• Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) How accepting of uncertainty is the culture

• Masculinity/Femininity (M-F) Hard and SoftHow the culture values competitiveness/assertiveness (i.e., masculine traits) and cooperation/nurturing (i.e., feminine traits).

• Long Term Orientation (Confucian Dynamism) This dimension accounts for people’s reference time frame (i.e., do the people focus on long term goals or the more immediate, short term goals?)

Cultural Value Pattern 3Cultural Value Pattern 3 Schwartz’ Structure of Value Relations

Discovering ValuesDiscovering Values• How do we know the values people hold?• Recommend 2–3 constructive ways to understand

your own values or other people’s values mindfully.ProverbsAdagesParablesAdvertising slogansMoviesNovels….

Discovering ValuesDiscovering Values• Read the parableRead the parable

• Rank the roles in the story on the scale of Rank the roles in the story on the scale of “approval/acceptable behavior”“approval/acceptable behavior”

• Discuss among group members and reach Discuss among group members and reach an agreement on the rankingsan agreement on the rankings

• Show the results and compare them to other Show the results and compare them to other groupsgroups

PROVERPROVERBB

•枪打出头鸟枪打出头鸟

• ““The nail that sticks up will The nail that sticks up will get pounded down.get pounded down.””

• ““The longest blade of grass The longest blade of grass is the first to be cut.is the first to be cut.”” (E (Ecuacuador)dor)

Examples of American Examples of American ProverbsProverbs

• Squeaky wheel gets the grease Squeaky wheel gets the grease (individualism--draw attention to oneself).(individualism--draw attention to oneself).

• Early bird gets the worm Early bird gets the worm (individualism--competitiveness).(individualism--competitiveness).

• Cream always rises to the top Cream always rises to the top (individualism--competitiveness).(individualism--competitiveness).

• Shit Happens Shit Happens (weak uncertainty avoidance).(weak uncertainty avoidance).

Top 10 American ValuesTop 10 American Values

•You canYou can’’t argue with success.t argue with success.•Live and let live.Live and let live.•All work and no play makes All work and no play makes

Jack a dull boy/ Are we Jack a dull boy/ Are we having fun, yet?having fun, yet?

•Shop till you drop.Shop till you drop.•Just do it.Just do it.

ContinuedContinued

•You are only young once.You are only young once.•Enough is enough.Enough is enough.•Rules are made to be broken.Rules are made to be broken.•Time is money.Time is money.•God helps those who help God helps those who help

themselves.themselves.

Top 10 American ValuesTop 10 American Values

• IndividualismIndividualism• Competition and Competition and

winningwinning• Material Material

possessions and possessions and comfortcomfort

• Work ethicWork ethic• Doing and Doing and

achievingachieving

• Cooperation Cooperation and fair playand fair play

• Youth and Youth and attractivenessattractiveness

• Progress/Progress/changechange

• EqualityEquality• FamilyFamily

Your turnYour turn……

•Please write down Please write down proverbs/sayings which you proverbs/sayings which you believe show the Chinese believe show the Chinese values. values.

•Comparison and discussionComparison and discussion

Assess Your ValuesAssess Your Values

• Two Value instruments to be done!Two Value instruments to be done!

What do You value?What do You value?

• Choose the five values Choose the five values that are most that are most important to you.important to you.

• DiscussionDiscussion

ComparisonComparison•What do you think about the What do you think about the

five ways of finding out your five ways of finding out your values?values?–The parableThe parable–Value listsValue lists–ProverbsProverbs–Value statements sortingValue statements sorting–Value contrastValue contrast

Human NatureHuman Nature

• Basically evilBasically evil

• Neutral, mixture of good and evilNeutral, mixture of good and evil

• Basically goodBasically good

Destiny: Controlling-yielding people-nature value orientation

• 1. Controlling their environment: control over the natural environment

• 2. Harmony-with-nature or flowing value solution: emphasize spiritual transformation or enlightenment over material gain

• 3. Subjugation-to-nature or yielding value solution: nature is beyond the control of individuals (includes fatalism: karma)

Meaning: Doing-being Meaning: Doing-being activity value orientationactivity value orientation

• 1. 1. Doing solutionDoing solution: achievement-oriented activi: achievement-oriented activitiesties

• 2. 2. Being solutionBeing solution: living with emotional vitalit: living with emotional vitalityy

• 3. 3. Being-in-becomingBeing-in-becoming modes: spiritual renewa modes: spiritual renewal and connectionl and connection

Time: Future-past Time: Future-past temporal value orientationtemporal value orientation

• 1. 1. Future-oriented time senseFuture-oriented time sense: emphasizes pl: emphasizes planning and setting clear objectivesanning and setting clear objectives

• 2. 2. Present-oriented time sensePresent-oriented time sense: emphasizes v: emphasizes valuing the here-and-now, especially with regaraluing the here-and-now, especially with regard to relationships d to relationships

• 3. 3. Past-oriented time sensePast-oriented time sense: honor historic an: honor historic and ancestral ties and elders   d ancestral ties and elders  

Social RelationsSocial Relations

• Linear, authoritarian, hierarchyLinear, authoritarian, hierarchy

• Collateral, collective decisionsCollateral, collective decisions

• Equality, equal rights, individualismEquality, equal rights, individualism

Space: Privacy-communal Space: Privacy-communal spatial value orientationspatial value orientation

• 1. 1. Proxemic studies:Proxemic studies: regulation of physical an regulation of physical and psychological space d psychological space

• 2. High-spatial privacy people: need a well-def2. High-spatial privacy people: need a well-defined personal spaceined personal space

• 3. Low-spatial privacy people: are used to cro3. Low-spatial privacy people: are used to crowdingwding