The-Accountant-Jul-Aug-2017

SOCIETY
THE CULTURAL
ENVIRONMENT
OF MANAGEMENT
By Ruth Gatwiri, ruthkgatwiri@gmail.com
The socio-cultural framework
is the combination of both
cultural and social factors
that affect organization’s
operations. Peoples’ basic
beliefs, values and norms are largely
shaped by the society in which they live.
The social setting consists of among other
things, people and their characteristics,
their real or apparent roles and their
interpersonal relationships e.g. there are
defined roles for men and women.
1. CULTURAL FACTORS
Definitions of Culture:
1. According to Czinkota et al (1996),
culture can be defined as “an integrated
system of learned behaviour patterns that
are characteristic of the members of any
given society”.
2. According to Hofstede, Namenwirth
and Weber, culture is “a system of values
and norms that are shared among a group
of people and that when taken together
constitute a design for living”.
3. Culture has also been defined as
that complex whole that includes
knowledge, beliefs, art, customs and any
other capabilities and habits acquired
by people as members of a society. It is
42 JULY - AUGUST 2017