Looking Into Cross Culture Psychology

Cross Culture Psychology

Introduction into ST. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Jude hospital is one of the leading research hospitals helping to find ways of dealing with and managing childhood cancer (St. Jude Hospital, 2015). The Hospital has spent over 50 years in finding cures and helping children to live to adulthood. Their studies are an instrumental part in helping the survival rate of cancer grow from a low of 20% in 1962 to a high of 80% in the year 2015 (St. Jude Hospital, 2015). The main value proposition of the hospital is to "find cures and save children" (St. Jude Hospital, 2015).

Organizational Core Values

'Core values' are principles to guide an organization's actions and the actions of its employees. According to authors Porras and Collins, core values are inherent in the organization and can never be compromised. Core values are also made to reflect the values of an organization's founders, for instance, Hewlett and Packard's widely acclaimed "HP way." Core values also help to distinguish a company by following them, at all times (Lencioni, 2002).

Many organizations view the process of defining their core values in the same way as the launch of a new product (much like a one-time event whose success is determined by the initial reaction of the targeted population). This kind of mentality brings into question the leadership of an organization. After coming up with core values and appropriately disseminating them, the organization should continue adhering to and promoting the values at every instance. In some circles workers often do not take seriously anything said by the management until they have heard the mangers repeat it at least 7 times. The kind of cynicism that is associated with core values nowadays, forces executives and managers to have to repeat the message every chance they get for the worker to start understanding the significance (Lencioni, 2002).

Culture research-based models and their usefulness when it comes to developing core values

Researchers have studied the influence of national culture widely over the past 30 years. To enhance understanding of culture and its implications on the operations of multinational businesses, a number of cultural models and classifications have been proposed (Reis, Ferreira, Santos, & Serra, 2013). Multinational firms often have to tailor their management practices to adhere to national cultures so as to achieve better results (Newman & Nolen, 1996). The alignment of management practices, systems and structures to national cultures can improve performance outcome (Newman & Nolen, 1996).

About 30 years have passed since Hofstede (1980) gathered data to categorize countries based on their work-related value structures. Several studies in the eighties and now reveal shifts in value culture, some of which relate to environmental changes (Fernandez, Carlson, Stepina, & Nicholson, 1997). The 1980 Hofstede research led to the taxonomy of cultural aspects in many regions and nations. According to him there are four cultural aspects/dimensions which are: power distance; individualism-collectivism and masculinity-femininity.