What is culture?
Culture refers to shared beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, customs, traditions, institutions, practices, and systems that are passed down from one generation to another within a community. It helps people understand what's expected of them and how they can fit into their society. Different cultures have different meanings for certain concepts such as time, space, health, love, death, marriage, family, religion, gender roles, and more. These differences influence how individuals interact with each other and the world around them.
Sexual propriety
The concept of sexual propriety varies across cultures and depends on various factors such as age, race, ethnicity, social class, religion, education, geography, politics, etc. In general, some societies believe that sex should be limited to marriage between men and women who must procreate children. Others allow premarital sex or even polygamy. Some accept same-sex relationships while others do not. Different cultures also have different ideas about public displays of affection, nudity, clothing styles, modesty, dating, courtship, flirting, pornography, masturbation, prostitution, abortion, rape, abuse, and more.
Cultural relativism
In the context of multinational corporations, cultural relativism implies that companies must respect local norms and adapt accordingly to avoid offending employees or customers.
A company operating in Saudi Arabia may have different policies regarding office romances than one in Brazil. Similarly, a firm headquartered in Japan will likely behave differently when dealing with Chinese partners.
There are no universal standards for sexual propriety since these change over time and place. What is acceptable in one culture might be taboo in another.
Business implications
Multinational firms need to consider cultural expectations to succeed. Their policies must align with local customs and values to attract talent, win contracts, and expand their customer base. Failure to comply can lead to legal problems, loss of revenue, reputation damage, and other negative outcomes. Companies must also ensure consistency across all locations to avoid confusion and conflict. This requires careful planning and training on how to navigate cultural differences.
How do differing cultural definitions of sexual propriety influence multinational corporations' policies?
Cultural differences can have an immense impact on how companies operate globally due to different perceptions of what is considered appropriate behavior regarding sexually explicit content. As such, it can be difficult for multinational corporations to establish comprehensive policies that adhere to all cultures' expectations while still allowing freedom of expression within their workforce.