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Cultural divergence
However, Samuel Huntington (1993) believes that: ‘Culture consciousness 
is getting stronger, not weaker. Nations will work closely together because 
of their similar cultural roots, rather than because of any ideological 
reasons.’ He warns of the impending reaction against Western culture by 
other civilizations and maintains that the world after the Cold War still had 
its divisions, the most important being cultural, not ideological, political 
or economic. He saw the world fragmenting into different civilizations, 
including Western, Islamic, Hindu, Orthodox, Latin American, Chinese and 
possibly African.
Changes in the process of cultural convergence are generally very slow 
and there is considerable resistance to and evidence of actual cultural diver-
gence. Cultures often force companies to adjust their business policies and 
practices, for example, in labour relations and the motivation of the labour 
force. Cultural differences still matter and may result in the need to launch 
local products to meet local requirements and tastes. The term glocalization 
has been coined to express the ‘need to think global, act local’ as the spread 
of globalization is increased by cultural diversity.
We now live in a more interconnected, less nationalistic world which 
promotes innovation, international trade and economic growth, the 
exchange of ideas, social interaction and cultural interchange. As a result, 
there is enhanced capacity to produce both local and national products. 
Consumer goods have become more focused on the preferences of individu-
als, with the result that consumer demand is less for uniformity but more 
for diversity. Multinationals are under continuous pressure to respond to 
local markets, local tastes and preferences. They employ local managers 
who better understand the local consumers and encourage them to take up 
positions in other parts of the world to broaden their cultural understanding 
and experience.
As such, cultural change in the modern world involves two contrasting 
and often conflicting processes, as outlined in Figure 11.3.

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Globalization and its Effect on Culture 219
People tend to pick and choose what to accept and reject, based on their 
views of their needs in relation to the culture in which they live. The sup-
porters of cultural divergence believe that only superficial aspects of culture 
provide evidence of cultural convergence. In contrast, deeper moral norms 
that affect how people interact are less influenced by globalization. From the 
late twentieth century onwards, there are clear signs that consumer goods 
are more focused on the individual demands for diversity and not conform-
ity. We are said now to live in a ‘global village’, but national cultures and 
cultural differences still persist: ‘Nations have their own identities – spiritual, 
intellectual, cultural and political – which they reveal to each other through 
their actions’ (Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic).