We have looked at the nature of social culture and drawn out some of the implications for business practice. Values and norms are the central components of a culture. Values are abstract ideals about what a society believes to be good, right, and desirable.
Norms are social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations.
Values and norms are influenced by political and economic philosophy, social structure, religion, language, and education. The social structure of a society refers to its basic social organization. Two main dimensions along which social structures differ are the individual - group dimension and the stratification dimension. In some societies, the individual is the basic building block of social organization. These societies emphasize individual achievements above all else.