Cultural Variability

1
Cultural Variability

• Hofstede Kluckhohn Strodtbeck Hall

2
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Individualism-collectivism
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Power distance
• Masculinity-feminity

3
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Individualism-collectivism
• All cultures have both individual and collective
  dispositions
• Individualism
• 1.) The individual is the single most important
  unit in any social setting
• 2.) independence rather than dependence is
  stressed
• 3.) individual achievement is rewarded
• 4.) The uniqueness of each individual is of
  paramount value

4
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Individualism-collectivism
• Collectivism We consciousness
• 1.) Characterized by a more rigid social
  framework that distinguishes between in-groups
  and out-groups
• Greater emphasis on the views, needs, and goals
  of the in-group rather than one-self
• Social norms and duty defined by the in-group
  rather than behavior to get pleasure
• Beliefs shared with the in-group rather than
  beliefs that distinguish self from in-group
• Great readiness to cooperate with in-group
  members.

5
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Uncertainty Avoidance
• The future is unknown
• The extent to which people within a culture are
  made nervous by situations which they perceive as
  unstructured, unclear, or unpredictable,
  situations which they therefore try to avoid by
  maintaining strict codes of behavior and a belief
  in absolute truths.

6
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• High-Uncertainty Avoidance
• Try to avoid uncertainty and ambiguity by
  providing stability for their members,
  establishing more formal rules, not tolerating
  deviant ideas and behaviors, seeking consensus,
  and believing in absolute truths and the
  attainment of expertise.

7
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Low-Uncertainty Avoidance
• More easily accept the uncertainty inherent in
  life and are not as threatened by deviance,
  tolerate the unusual. They prize initiative,
  dislike structure associated with hierarchy, are
  more wiling to take risks, are more flexible,
  think there should be as few rules as possible,
  depend less on experts, more on common sense

8
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Power Distance
• The extent to which a society prefers that power
  in relationships, institutions, and organizations
  is distributed unequally.

9
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Large-power distance
• Believe that power and authority are facts of
  life. Social hierarchy is prevalent importance
  placed on status and rank

10
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Small-power distance
• Inequality in society should be minimized. The
  powerful and the powerless try to live in
  concert.
• The classroom location to measure power distance

11
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Masculinity-Feminity
• The degree to which masculine or feminine traits
  are valued and revealed.

12
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Masculinity
• The extent to which dominant values in society
  are male oriented. These cultures are associated
  with such behaviors as ambition, differentiated
  sex roles, achievement, the acquisition of money,
  and signs of manliness.

13
Hofstedes Value Dimensions

• Femininity
• Stress caring and nurturing behavior. A feminine
  world view maintains that people need not be
  aggressive and that men and women can assume
  nurturing roles it also promotes sexual equality
  and holds that people and the environment are
  important. Gender roles are more fluid.
  Interdependency and androgyny are the ideal.

14
Kluckhohns Strodtbecks Value Orientations

• All people turn to their culture to answer the
  same basic questions.
• What is the character of human nature
• What is the relationship of humankind to nature?
• What is the orientation toward time?
• What is the value placed on activity?
• What is the relationship of people to each other?

15
Kluckhohns Strodtbecks Value Orientations
16
Halls Culture orientations

• High-Context Low-Context
• Monochronic Polychronic Time

17
Halls Culture Orientations

• Context (high or low)
• The degree to which meaning comes from the
  settings or from the message being exchanged.

18
Halls Culture Orientations

• High Context
• The meaning is in the situation (context).
• For most normal transactions in daily life these
  culture do not require, nor do they expect, much
  in-depth, background actions in daily life they
  do not require, nor do they expect, much in-depth
  background infromation. Its not necessary to
  verbalize everything.
• Implicit indirect

19
Halls Culture orientations

• Less homogeneous populations
• Each time others interact they need detailed
  background information
• Meaning is in the message
• Explicit direct

20
Halls Culture orientations

• Monochronic time
• Urges people to do one thing at a time. Time is
  like a long ribbon of highway that can be sliced
  into segments. Have a high need for
  closurecompleting a task or coming to a
  conclusion before beginning something else

21
Halls Culture orientations

• Polychronic time
• Members think in terms of pictures or
  configurations nonlinear orientation to time
  think about and attempt to do many things
  simultaneously.