Some Organizational Consequences of Cultural Differences in Boundary Permeability

Boas Shamir and Yael Melnik

Chapter 15 in Managing Boundaries in Organizations: Multiple Perspectives, 2003, pp 281-301 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Globalization means that national and cultural boundaries become more permeable. People can cross these boundaries more easily than in earlier periods to work or live in other countries, temporarily or permanently. However, when they cross national boundaries for such purposes, they still carry with them some boundaries. We refer to the boundaries that cultures instill in people. These boundaries are not physical or political borders but rather mental and social lines of distinction, which are socially constructed and culturally defined. Culturally defined boundaries are learned by people through socialization and reflected in their mental categories. Indeed, cultures may be characterized in terms of the boundaries they set for their members, and the whole process of cultural socialization can be conceived as a process of learning boundaries. Once learned, these boundaries become taken for granted and guide people’s thoughts and behavior (Nippert-Eng 1996; Zerubavel 1991).

Keywords: Cultural Difference; Cultural Dimension; Sage Publication; Uncertainty Avoidance; Boundary Rigidity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-51255-9_16

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DOI: 10.1057/9780230512559_16

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