A "Black Swan Event" is when the unexpected occurs, causing a huge mindshift and change in how the world works. People never imagined that Black Swans existed, until the discovery of the first Black Swan... (as per book "The Black Swan", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2007, that sold over 3 million copies)

Is a perception change the next Black Swan Event? Consider that by changing perception we might change the world. Look at everyday things from different angles. Find beauty in the unexpected...
Change our thinking, change our actions, change our world!

See that all people are part of God's puzzle and have something to give. Black swans do exist. The ugly duckling was actually a swan who needed to discover himself and where he fitted and be who he was meant to be. To the last, the lost and the least, you are beautiful as you are.
May all who visit this page feel God's touch and experience His blessing...

Monday 11 March 2013

Culture

What is culture? Culture is identity to many. Culture is the quirks you take for granted, the rituals you follow from time long past. Culture forms the basis of why you act and react the way you do and may colour your thinking pattens and your ethics. Culture underpins society as we know it.

Culture may be found on:
  • a personal level, for example within a family
  • a group level, for example within specific ethnic groups or within religions, and this category will also include a corporate level, for example in an organisation. The group level may even span countries, and an example may be the culture of a specific religious group, but there may be subtle differences across each country.
  • a national level, for example in a country.

Culture  is influenced by values, and values dictate ethics. For example, if a value of a community is the sanctity of all human life, an ethic may be to outlaw abortion unless the life of the mother is in danger. This value may merge with additional values and may translate into a culture where all life is valued, from the very young right through to the very old, and where all efforts are made to save lives when medical treatment is needed. Along with culture are norms, which are the unspoken rules followed by a group. A norm could be, for example, not to speak ill of anyone, but this is not written down anywhere, the group merely follows this philosophy, and looks on aghast when a stranger wanders in and begins criticising others. The stranger may never realise he or she is overstepping a boundary unless this is pointed out to the stranger, or the stranger may find out the norm the hard way by trial and error learning.

I have heard people say, what is South African culture, or what is Australian culture. It is so a part of each country that we don't even realise that each country does have a distinctive culture. A simple example may be my article about conflict management, where in some cultures, it is acceptable to get conflict out into the open and to work through it until it is solved, yet in other cultures underlying conflict is best not spoken about and people prefer surface friendliness. There is usually no right and wrong in culture, it is what is seen as appropriate behaviour and what people are used to. People who follow a different culture to the prevailing culture may find themselves at odds as they do not understand the unspoken norms, and may even assume a malevolent intention when instead it may be merely cultural differences being displayed. As an example, I may say, you have to get conflict out into the open, yet I would then run into trouble unknowingly if I am interacting with a group who don't see this as a cultural norm--these people might see me as exceedingly argumentative and trouble seeking and perhaps holding a grudge.


Culture is most easily driven  from the top down and culture may be changed most easily from the top down. By top down I mean by an ethos placed in position by leaders or lawmakers, for example, the constitution of a country. A government, for example, may see corruption spreading tenterhooks ever wider and may decide to add a law to stop corruption, with firm consequences in place. The population affected may grumble about change, especially if they have been used to living a particular way for a long time, but either need to accept this as the new mode of operation, as there will be punishment meted out, or need to make their voices heard as a group to sway the change before it is implemented, and will need to make a good argument for their stance.

Culture may be used as a self regulating tool. What do I mean by this? An organisation may have a specific set of values it ascribes to, for example, placing customer service first and may place the family commitments of staff last on their list of values. If you are a working mom, and value extra time with your children and you often need to take time off because your child is ill, you will really struggle to work for this particular organisation. You may be penalised during your appraisal for not meeting the goals of the company and you may need to seriously think about whether this organisation is right for you at this point in your life. It's not necessarily that you are being bullied or ostracised, it's more that your values are not a good fit for the company's values. If you were a woman, also with a family, but were driven to succeed in your career at all costs, you would ensure you had a child minder to look after your children when they were sick, and you might then excel at this particular company.

If you are looking for a job, it is important for you, as well as for the employer, to ensure there is a good match between the values of the company and your own values. You may never want to leave your job at a company when your values are met by working at a particular organisation, as you will be very happy and won't need to fight to fit in.  (Have a look at the link to see another example of an article I wrote about culture as a form of self regulating management).

If you are trying to fit in somewhere, and are struggling doing so, then be aware that it is very difficult to influence and change the culture of an existing place or country. It is much easier for you to become accustomed to the norms of the specific place and to adapt to the particular culture, or to find like-minded people and form your own group, or otherwise life may seem a constant struggle.

No comments:

Post a Comment