7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
1/37
Inter-Cultural Dimensions
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
2/37
Rubins vase
Hofstedes definition:
collective mental programming or the software of mind.
Stereotype = a fixed idea or image that many people have of
a particular type of person or thing, but which is not true in
reality. In intercultural communication it is important to distinguish
between a persons cultural background and personality.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
3/37
Culturerefers to the cumulative depositof knowledge, experience, beliefs, values,attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles,spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and
possessions acquired by a group of people in the course ofgenerations through individual and group striving. Culture is the sum total of the learned behavior of a group of
people that are generally considered to be the tradition of thatpeople and are transmitted from generation to generation.
Culture is a collective programming of the mind thatdistinguishes the members of one group or category of peoplefrom another
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
4/37
Globalization means that there is now one business
culture everywhere in the world.
If they want to do business with me, they will have to
adapt to my culture. It is impossible to generalize about culturesthere are
too many.
Intercultural training just confirms stereotypes
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
5/37
PERSONALITY
CULTURE
HUMAN NATURE
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
6/37
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
7/37
We know we are living in a global age.
Technology has brought the world much
closer together. This means that people of
different cultures find themselves working
together and communicating more and more.
This is exciting and interesting, but it can also be frustrating
and fraught with uncertainty. How do you relate to someone of
another culture? What do you say, or not say, to start a
conversation off right? Are there cultural taboos you need to
be aware of?
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
8/37
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
9/37
National cultures can be described according to the analysisof Geert Hofstede - an influential Dutch writer on theinteractions between national cultures and organizationalcultures.
His ideas were based on a large research project into
national culture differences in a multinational corporation(IBM) in 64 countries. Subsequent studies by otherscovered students in 23 countries, elites in 19 countries,commercial airline pilots in 23 countries, up-marketconsumers in 15 countries, and civil service managers in 14
countries.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
10/37
With access to people working for the same organization inover 40 countries of the world, Hofstede collected cultural
data and analyzed his findings. He initially identified four
distinct cultural dimensions that served to distinguish one
culture from another. Later he added a fifth dimension and that
is how the model stands today.
He scored each country using a scale of roughly 0 to 100 for
each dimension. The higher the score, the more that dimension
is exhibited in society.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
11/37
Power Dstance Index Individualism vs. Collectivism Masulinity vs. Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index
Long Term Orientation Indulgence vs. Restraint
The Hofstede Model of Cultural Dimensions can be of greatuse when it comes to analyzing a countrys culture. There
are however a few things one has to keep in mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNntW_DA0x0
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
12/37
Hofstedes Power distance Index measures the extentto which the less powerful members of organizationsand institutions (like the family) accept and expect that
power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but
defined from below, not from above. It suggests that asocietys level of inequality is endorsed by the
followers as much as by the leaders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqaa42gbqhA
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
13/37
High PD - Characteristics
Centralized companies.
Strong hierarchies. Large gaps in compensation, authority, and respect. High PD - Tips
Acknowledge a leader's power. Be aware that you may need to go to the top for answers
Low PD - Characteristics
Flatter organizations. Supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals.
Low PD - Tips
Use teamwork Involve as many people as possible in decision making.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
14/37
For example, Germany has a 35 on the cultural scale ofHofstedes analysis.
Compared to Arab countries where the power distance isvery high (80) and Austria where it very low (11), Germany
is somewhat in the middle. Germany does not have a large gap between the wealthy
and the poor, but have a strong belief in equality for eachcitizen. Germans have the opportunity to rise in society.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
15/37
On the other hand, the power distance in the United
States scores a 40 on the cultural scale. The United
States exhibits a more unequal distribution of wealth
compared to German society. As the years go by it
seems that the distance between the have and have-
nots grows larger and larger.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
16/37
Individualism is the opposite of collectivism, that is the degree towhich individuals are integrated into groups.
On the individualist side we find societies in which the ties
between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look afterhim/herself and his/her immediate family.
On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people frombirth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups,
often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents)which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioningloyalty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW7aWKXB5J4
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
17/37
For example, Germany can be considered as individualisticwith a high score (89) on the scale of Hofstede compared to
a country like Guatemala where they have strongcollectivism (6 on the scale).
In Germany people stress on personal achievements andindividual rights. Germans expect from each other to fulfill
their own needs. Group work is important, but everybodyhas the right of his own opinion an is expected to reflectthose. In an individual country like Germany people tend tohave more loose relationships than countries where there isa collectivism where people have large extended families.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
18/37
The United States can clearly be seen as
individualistic (scoring a 91). The American dream is
clearly a representation of this. This is the Americans
hope for a better quality of life and a higher standard of
living than their parents. This belief is that anyone,
regardless of their status can pull up their boot straps
and raise themselves from poverty.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
19/37
Masculinity versus femininity refers to the distribution of rolesbetween the genders .
The IBM studies revealed that:(a) womens values differ less among societies than mensvalues;
(b) mens values from one country to another contain adimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally
different from womens values on the one side, to modest andcaring and similar to womens values on the other.
The assertive pole has been called masculine and the modest,caring pole feminine.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
20/37
For example, Germany has a masculine culture with a
66 on the scale of Hofstede (Netherlands 14).
Masculine traits include assertiveness,
materialism/material success, self-centeredness, power,
strength, and individual achievements. The United
States scored a 62 on Hofstedes scale. So these two
cultures share, in terms of masculinity, similar values.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
21/37
Uncertainty avoidance deals with a societys tolerance foruncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to manssearch for Truth.
It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members
to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructuredsituations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown,surprising, and different from usual.
Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize thepossibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety
and security measures, and on the philosophical andreligious level by a belief in absolute Truth; there can onlybe one Truth and we have it.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
22/37
High UAI - people with high UAI work well within astructured environment, under strict laws, rules and
guidelines.
In a high UAI workplace, employees perform at their best
with clear directives and follow standards & procedures. Low UAI - people with low UAI can tolerate uncertainty
and welcome freedom of opinions, try to have as few rules
as possible.
In a low UAI workplace, employees tend to "go with theflow," are more flexible and do not require instructions and
rules to perform well.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
23/37
For example, in Germany there is a reasonable highuncertainty avoidance (65) compared to countries asSingapore (8) and neighboring country Denmark (23).
Germans are not to keen on uncertainty, by planningeverything carefully they try to avoid the uncertainty. InGermany there is a society that relies on rules, laws andregulations. Germany wants to reduce its risks to the
minimum and proceed with changes step by step. The United States scores a 46 compared to the 65 of the
German culture. Uncertainty avoidance in the US isrelatively low, which can clearly be viewed through the
national cultures.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
24/37
Long-Term Orientation is the fifth
dimension of Hofstede which was added after the original
four to try to distinguish the difference in thinking betweenthe East and West.
From the original IBM studies, this difference was
something that could not be deduced.
Therefore, Hofstede created a Chinese value survey whichwas distributed across 23 countries. From these results, and
with an understanding of the influence of the teaching of
Confucius on the East, long term vs. short term
orientationbecame the fifth cultural dimension.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
25/37
Long term orientation-persistence-ordering relationships by status and observing thisorder
-thrift-having a sense of shame
Short term orientation-personal steadiness and stability
-protecting your face-respect or tradition-reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
26/37
LTO refers to the degree to which the society upholdstraditional values. High or low dimensions predispose
countries to resist or accept change.
High LTO - In a high LTO workplace, the society is
entrenched in traditions of yore, which often means that
long term commitments and hard work as a plan for
future rewards outweigh the need for rapid change.
Low LTO - In a low LTO workplace, a society changecan occur faster since long term traditions do not
impede them.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
27/37
Indulgence stands for a society that allows relativelyfree gratification of basic and natural human drives
related to enjoying life and having fun.
Restraint stands for a society that suppresses
gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict
social norms.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
28/37
In response to a disability, individuals from a culture ofindulgence feel that they have control over their future levelof function and participation in life activities;
Individuals from a background of cultural restraint mayhave a sense of helplessness and be less actively involved in
taking control over their involvement in functionalactivities outside of the clinic.
Additionally, in cultures valuing restraint, leisure activitiesare of lesser value, which may prove important to considerin selecting functional therapy activities. Cultures valuing
indulgence place higher importance on leisure and soactivities considered enjoyable may be more appropriate forindividuals with this cultural trait.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
29/37
Indulgent cultures (such as Mexico and the USA) tendto be happier, more optimistic and extrovert. They
place a high value on friendship, leisure time andhealth, and believe that it's important to have control
over your own life. Restrained cultures, on the other hand (such as Egypt)
tend to take a more frugal and cynical outlook,favouring moral discipline and believing
that gratification should be repressed. These are oftenvery religious cultures, formed of tightly-knitcommunities.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
30/37
Tips for Indulgent cultures:
Make interactions fun
Give away entertaining freebies
Use and encourage user generated content
Provide honest discussion Reflect loose gender roles by using a range of models
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
31/37
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
32/37
Key Points: Cultural norms play a large part in the mechanics and
interpersonal relationships at work. When you grow up in aculture you take your norms of behavior for granted. Youdon't have to think about your reactions, preferences, and
feelings.
When you step into a foreign culture, suddenly things seemdifferent. You don't know what to do or say. UsingHofstede's Cultural Dimensions as a starting point, you can
evaluate your approach, your decisions, and actions basedon a general sense of how the society might think and reactto you.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
33/37
We readily acknowledge that culturaldifferences exist. It is apparent looking at cities like Shanghai
and Sydney that the differences are profound. Yet, within abusiness context we often think that the differences have fadedaway to be replaced with a generic international businessculture, one-size-fits-all from Sydney to Shanghai toStockholm.
This perception is often supported by our initial view ofbusiness in those cities. Businesspeople dress similarly andseem to behave similarly. While art and decor have somevariations, the standard office furniture exists in any of theselocations. And yet, a few close observations will reveal the
differences that do exist.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
34/37
The furniture and layout of the offices can provide an
indication of the differences. Are the offices open-plan or
cubicles? If it is a combination of the two, what positions have
offices? How are those offices decorated or furnished? Theseaspects can give you an indication of how status is viewed,
and who deserves respect. Are the doors open or shut? Even
the position of the guests chairs in the office can show you the
extent of personal space that people feel comfortable with inthis business culture.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
35/37
1. Managers at one American company were startledwhen they discovered that the brand name of the
cooking oil they were marketing in a Latin Americancountry translated into Spanish as "Jackass Oil.
2. American Motors tried to market its new car, theMatador, based on the image of courage and strength.
However, in Puerto Rico the name means "killer" andwas not popular on the hazardous roads in thecountry.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
36/37
3. A sales manager in Hong Kong tried to control employee'spromptness at work. He insisted they come to work on timeinstead of 15 minutes late. They complied, but then leftexactly on time instead of working into the evening as theypreviously had done. Much work was left unfinished until
the manager relented and they returned to their usual timeschedule.4. A US telephone company tried to market its products and
services to Latinos by showing a commercial in which aLatino wife tells her husband to call a friend, telling her
they would be late for dinner. The commercial bombedsince Latino women do not order their husbands around andtheir use of time would not require a call about lateness.
7/26/2019 Course MK 3 b01062owcu80
37/37
5. Proctor & Gamble used a television commercial in Japan
that was popular in Europe. The ad showed a woman
bathing, her husband entering the bathroom and touchingher. The Japanese considered this ad an invasion of privacy,
inappropriate behavior, and very poor taste.
6. An American business person refused an offer of a cup of
coffee from a Saudi businessman. Such a rejection isconsidered very rude and the business negotiations became
stalled.