Question

Explain differences in culturally based value systems related to the amount of control a person feels he or she has over future out comes. How does this belief influence the decision making process?

Answer 1

Howsoever individually oriented a person is or a particular decision is, culture is something that invariably effects the decision making process of the person. All of us come from a different cultural background, each one effecting the person in a different manner. Various cultures can then be divided broadly into two types of cultures, fate-based and work-based (non-fate based) cultures. The differences are illustrated below:-

1) Fate-Based - Most of the countries that are developing, or even if are developed, are religiously inclined, tend to be more of a fate-based socities. People there tend to be a little reserved in their decision making and think that things would eventually work out for the best. The decision taken under such conditions are not bold or big ones, but are ones that can just get the work done. People tend to hold themselves back and wait for the plans to get into motion themselves. Now that is not to say that they don't do anything, but the cultural influence they have on themselves doesn't allow them to take big and risky decisions for the greater good.

2) Work-based - Countries like US or Australia tend to be much more proactive in their approach. Managers, or people in general, tend to act in a way that clearly suggests that they believe in shaping their own destiny and not leave anything to chance. That doesn't mean that they don't believe in the act of God, but most of their actions are such that they show that they want to get the job done and well and make things happen instead of waiting for the things to happen themselves.

The decision making process of the people of a country depends a lot upon the country's culture, which is further depended upon the education level, the exposure level, the income level etc. of the country. All of them combine to influence the decision making process of the managers of the country and as the country moves towards being developed from being developing, the people of the country tend to gradually become more comfortable with being proactive in taking bigger decisions.