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Cultural Influence on Business in Africa

In: Business and Management

Submitted By MrSwizz
Words 1715
Pages 7
Definitions of culture
Culture is a comprehensive concept as it embraces almost all factors that influence an individual’s reasoning process and shape behavior. It influences both our preferences, decisions and our general perspective about the world around us. Considering the fact, that most human behaviors are not innate but learned shows that culture is acquired over time. Many authors, philosophers, historians, sociologists, anthropologists and linguists have written and argued in different perspectives the actual meaning of culture, but one point remains that culture is an unavoidable part of human daily life. Hofstede (1998) argued that culture is a fuzzy concept that can be viewed from two perspectives that seems inter-related and confusing. He stated that culture could be seen from a narrow perspective to mean "civilization" and in the broad perspective as “anthropology” which involves thinking, feelings and acting. Furthermore, culture is a combination of material and spiritual wealth designed by man through process of social and historical development.

Cultural Influence on Business in Africa
Culture is the summary or sum total of people’s way of life which is transferable, in this case it must have great influence in business since business revolves within the circumference of people and their culture. Hofstede (1996) classified culture in four dimensions and explained its degree of influence in business at each dimension.
Power Distance: This deal with the way people in a culture accepts the power inequality or gap among themselves in regards to allocation of authority. It looks at the allocation of power within a society and it is further divided into two, High and Low Power Distance culture. In high power distance culture authority is bestowed on those within the apex of the hierarchy. Here children are more of dependent on their parents

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