World is flat – The way we behave

A friend recently posted on Facebook a home video taken of a young boy (possibly Russian?) who received a smart phone as a present from his parents. The sheer delight of his face and tears of joy and astonishment were worth a million bucks.

Are we becoming a global village where kids all over the world want the same thing?

Is the world becoming flat as Thomas Friedman observed in his book “The world is Flat“.  Or does national culture still hold sway? The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

As the world becomes a global village, developments in international communication have given us all more exposure to the differences in attitudes and behaviours of other cultures. Due to the development of the global market there is an increase in international trade and workers are much more likely to work in different countries.

Painting of an Indian traditional wedding, Singapore Botanic Gardens.

National culture can affect: the organisation of the business, types of products, ways of promoting products, ways of doing business, the business mission, motivations to work and management style.

Culture may influence what a business is expected to do, particularly in relations to its social responsibilities. Some cultures e.g. individualist may expect businesses to focus on making profits, whereas others may expect businesses to provide employment for family members (e.g.India) or to improve the community (Germany and France) for the good of all.

How much of your behavior is influenced by your culture? Your views of what is beauty, what is good, what is right or wrong behavior?