Dimensions of Culture

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Dimensions of Culture
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Classifying Cultures

• Cultural differences can be studied, described,
  classified, and compared in a variety of ways.
• One is to look at the institutions that societies
  have created another is to observe and compare
  behavior and the most common approach is to ask
  people what they think.

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High-Context and Low-Context
Characteristic Low Context High Context
Communication and Language Explicit, direct Implicit, indirect
Sense of Self and Space Informal handshakes Formal hugs, bows, and handshakes
Dress and appearance Dress for individual success, wide variety Indication of position in society, religious rule
Food and eating habits Eating is a necessity, fast food Eating is a social event
Time consciousness Linear, exact, promptness is valued, time money Elastic, relative, time spent on enjoyment, time relationships
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High-Context and Low-Context
Characteristic Low Context High Context
Family and friends Nuclear family, self-oriented, value youth Extended family, other-oriented, loyalty and responsibility, respect for old age
Values and norms Independence, confrontation and conflict Group conformity, harmony
Beliefs and attitudes Egalitarian, challenge authority, individuals control destiny, gender equality Hierarchical, respect for authority, individuals accept destiny, gender roles
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High-Context and Low-Context
Characteristic Low Context High Context
cognitive style Linear, logical, sequential, problem-solving Lateral, holistic, simultaneous, accepting lifes difficulties
Work habits Task-oriented rewards are based on achievement, work has value Relationship-oriented, rewards based on seniority, work is a necessity
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Dimensions of Time

• Time is more than what the clock reads.
  Different cultures have different concepts of
  time. Western advertisers tend to use clocks in
  their international advertising to symbolize
  efficiency.
• Time is a core system of cultural, social, and
  personal life.
• Hall distinguishes different types of time
  biological time (light-dark/day-night, hot/cold)
  personal time (how time is experienced) and sync
  time (each culture has its own beat).

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Closure

• For Americans, closure means that a task must be
  completed or it is perceived as wasted. That is
  why American novels or films generally have
  happy endings, including solutions to problems.

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Time Orientation toward the Past, Present, or
Future

• North Americans tend to be future oriented the
  future is a guide to present action, although the
  time horizon is short-term. The old is easily
  discarded, and the new embraced.
• The Chinese tend to combine both the past and the
  future in one holistic view of life, including
  reverence for their forefathers and long-term
  responsibility for future generations.

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Time is Linear or Circular

• Time can be conceived as a line of sequential
  events or as cyclical and repetitive, compressing
  past, present, and future by what these have in
  common seasons and rhythms.
• The linear time concept causes people to see time
  as compartmentalized, schedule dominated.

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Monochronic and Polychronic Time

• People from monochronic cultures tend to do one
  thing at one time they are organized,
  methodical, and their workdays are structured to
  allow them to complete one task after another.
  They tend to do many things simultaneously.

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Cause and Effect

• Time also relates to the concept of cause and
  effect used to explain a sequence of events.

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Relationship of Man with Nature

• There are basically three types of relationships
  between humanity and nature
• mastery over nature
• harmony with nature and
• subjugation to nature

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Hofstedes Five Dimensions of National Culture

• Power Distance
• Individualism / Collectivism
• Masculinity / Femininity
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Long- / Short-Term Orientation

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Power Distance

• The extent to which less powerful members of a
  society accept and expect that power is
  distributed unequally.
• In large / high power distance cultures, everyone
  has his or her rightful place in a social
  hierarchy ones social status must be clear so
  that others can show proper respect people are
  well-groomed, in particular when going out in the
  streets as your position in the social hierarchy
  is defined by the clothes you wear, your shoes,
  your posture, and your makeup.

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Power Distance (contd)

• In large power distance cultures, there are
  strong dependency relationships between parents
  and children, bosses and subordinates, professors
  and students.
• In small / low power distance cultures, children
  are raised to be independent at a young age
  parents play with their children as equals.
• Lego did not sell well in France as it did in
  Denmark.

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Individualism / Collectivism

• People looking after themselves and their
  immediate family only, versus people belonging to
  in-groups that look after them in exchange for
  loyalty.

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Masculinity / Femininity

• Masculinity the dominant values in a masculine
  society are achievement and success the bigger,
  the better admires the strong
• Feminine the dominant values are caring for
  others and quality of life small is beautiful
  togetherness and coziness sympathy for the
  underdog

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Uncertainty Avoidance

• The extent to which people feel threatened by
  uncertainty and ambiguity and try to avoid these
  situations.

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Long Term vs Short Term Orientation

• Long-term orientation is the extent to which a
  society exhibits a pragmatic future-oriented
  perspective rather than a conventional historic
  or short-term point of view.