კონფერენცია

∘ Tsitsino Dzotsenidze ∘ Ana Kiriakidi ∘
GEO-ECONOMICS’ RELATION WITH EVOLUTIONARY THEORY, CULTURAL DIMENSION AND REALPOLITICS

Summary

Success in international business is largely a matter of understanding and managing cultural differences. Neoclassical economics makes another wrong assumption here, with respect to what scientists call validity. It frequently assumes that an experiment done in one culture can be replicated with the same result in another culture. That is very often so; in many cases the result will not even be valid outside one particular social group. Culture matters, not just for the competitive advantage of nations, but for the performance of all organizations. “Cultural differences are the number one reason why companies fail overseas. The reasons we continue to make mistakes seem to be because our existing theories about cultures and “otherness” are misleading, and because we are forced to think within the bounds of what is politically correct. One example is our need to analyze situations according to the “us and them” dichotomy. Since we are separate individuals, there must by definition be an “us” and a “them”. A number of academics object to this as a cause of aggression, even of nationalism and racism, as if we could choose to eliminate this perspective, to stand outside our human condition and at the same time act within it. Instead, theory is presented as an alternative reality.

Culture should rather be seen in the light of critical theory, as a continuous and inescapable struggle between values, if not necessarily taking the form of open conflict. It is true that we are moving towards a multicultural society, but the keys to understanding social behavior are still very much rooted in the understanding of cultural differences, and that will not change for generations to come. Struggle, however, does not necessarily imply physical violence, and need not lead to wars. Conflict of interests is a part of human nature, and can be addressed through tolerance, dialogue, and negotiations. If we were to think in those terms then perhaps we could become somewhat happier too, less disillusioned by divergences from theoretical ideals. Unfortunately it seems that political ideology is a troublesome trait of the Western mind.

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Paata Gugushvili Institute of Economics International Scientific C O N F E R E N C E S "ECONOMY – XXI CENTURY"

E ISSN 2587 - 4691	∘ Tsitsino Dzotsenidze ∘ Ana Kiriakidi ∘ GEO-ECONOMICS’ RELATION WITH EVOLUTIONARY THEORY, CULTURAL DIMENSION AND REALPOLITICS Summary Success in international business is largely a matter of understanding and managing cultural differences. Neoclassical economics makes another wrong assumption here, with respect to what scientists call validity. It frequently assumes that an experiment done in one culture can be replicated with the same result in another culture. That is very often so; in many cases the result will not even be valid outside one particular social group. Culture matters, not just for the competitive advantage of nations, but for the performance of all organizations. “Cultural differences are the number one reason why companies fail overseas. The reasons we continue to make mistakes seem to be because our existing theories about cultures and “otherness” are misleading, and because we are forced to think within the bounds of what is politically correct. One example is our need to analyze situations according to the “us and them” dichotomy. Since we are separate individuals, there must by definition be an “us” and a “them”. A number of academics object to this as a cause of aggression, even of nationalism and racism, as if we could choose to eliminate this perspective, to stand outside our human condition and at the same time act within it. Instead, theory is presented as an alternative reality. Culture should rather be seen in the light of critical theory, as a continuous and inescapable struggle between values, if not necessarily taking the form of open conflict. It is true that we are moving towards a multicultural society, but the keys to understanding social behavior are still very much rooted in the understanding of cultural differences, and that will not change for generations to come. Struggle, however, does not necessarily imply physical violence, and need not lead to wars. Conflict of interests is a part of human nature, and can be addressed through tolerance, dialogue, and negotiations. If we were to think in those terms then perhaps we could become somewhat happier too, less disillusioned by divergences from theoretical ideals. Unfortunately it seems that political ideology is a troublesome trait of the Western mind.