Some Universal Systems
Note the following major systems found around the
world (For further details, See International Business Communication, Chapter
3). Every culture has these systems -- but with significant differences.
In other words, every culture has an economic system -- but the details
of such a system differ from culture to culture.
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Economic Systems
There are at least five basic types:
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
Agrarianism
Barter
Specific Illustrations:
US capitalistic, free market with government regulatory
oversight
Canada capitalistic but social controls in health care
and retirement
UK capitalistic but many sectors nationalized or socialized
(but change back to privatization in 1980s)
Germany capitalistic free enterprise, private ownership
Mexico somewhat socialist but increasingly capitalistic,
especially since NAFTA
China, communist but growing free enterprise
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Political
Many variations of democracy
monarchy
dictatorship
Specific Illustrations:
US democratic federalism with states rights
Canada parliamentary confederation with parliamentary
democracy
UK constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy
Japan constitutional monarchy with prime minister
Saudi Arabia currently monarchy but becoming an elective
monarchy
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Educational
Many varieties of education from compulsory formal to
non-compulsory informal; some elitist, others egalitarian; variety in student
involvement from active to passive
Specific Illustrations:
US compulsory to age 16, formal, egalitarian, active
student involvement
British systems compulsory to age 16; GCE, O and A
levels, increasingly competitive
French 7 years of secondary ed; highly competitive
university; university degree impacts work
Japan both elementary and secondary is compulsory and
competitive, university ties impact work
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Marriage and Family
range from nuclear to extended family
marriage ranges from monogamy to polygamy/polyandry (polygamy
in societies which need to increase birth rate, polyandry in those that
need to limit birth rate)
patriarchal or matriarchal
courtship patterns range from early dating to arranged
marriage
Specific Illustrations:
US nuclear family, monogamous (or serial polygamy),
early dating, broadly patriarchal
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Hierarchies
hierarchal structures include the following considerations:
social reciprocity
independent avoid commitment
symmetrical reciprocity equal obligation
obligatory reciprocity always indebted
group membership range from belong to many groups or
few groups (those in many groups have weak and short-term ties; those in
few groups usually have strong, long-term ties)
use of intermediaries use of go-betweens. Cultures
without tend to be direct and independent; those with tend to avoid confrontation
and maintain group ties
level of formality degree of preciseness and conformity
in a culture
attitude towards property range from private to utilitarian
to communal; possessive to sharing
Specific Illustrations
US independent; many groups (I disagree with textbook
on p 37), avoid intermediaries, possessive of property