Question

Which method of managing disparate cultures is the most common and the most destructive method of dealing with two different cultures because one company imposes its demands at the expense of another company's culture?

a. separation
b. deculturation
c. integration
d. assimilation
e. segmentation

Answer 1

The most destructive method of managing disparate cultures is deculturation, where one company imposes its culture at the expense of another's, leading to cultural identity loss.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most common and destructive method of managing disparate cultures in a corporate context, where one company imposes its culture at the expense of another, is deculturation. This approach can disregard the value of the acquired company's culture and impose the dominant company's culture, often leading to a loss of the subordinate company's cultural identity and potentially valuable cultural practices.

In contrast to pluralism or the "salad bowl" metaphor, which is associated with the concept of pluralism where different cultures coexist and maintain their unique characteristics, deculturation aligns more with assimilation. Assimilation, as defined in sociological terms, is the process by which subordinate groups are forced to adopt the culture of the dominant group, losing their original cultural identity.