3.5: Culture and the Workplace Flashcards
Why is understanding how a society’s culture affects workplace values crucial for international businesses operating in different countries?
Understanding how culture influences workplace values is crucial for international businesses because it **necessitates adjusting management processes and practices according to culturally determined work-related values. **
This adaptation is essential for effective and harmonious operations in diverse cultural contexts.
Who conducted the famous study related to culture and workplace values mentioned in the passage, and what were the key dimensions he isolated?
The study was conducted by Geert Hofstede.
He isolated five key dimensions of culture that summarize different cultures:
power distance,
individualism versus collectivism,
uncertainty avoidance,
masculinity versus femininity,
and long-term versus short-term orientation.
What does Hofstede’s power distance dimension focus on, and how are high power distance cultures distinguished from low power distance cultures?
Hofstede’s power distance dimension focuses on how a society deals with inequalities in physical and intellectual capabilities.
High power distance cultures let inequalities grow into differences in power and wealth over time, whereas low power distance cultures attempt to minimize such inequalities.
In the context of Hofstede’s dimensions, explain the differences between individualistic and collectivist societies.
In individualistic societies, ties between individuals are loose, and individual achievement and freedom are highly valued.
In collectivist societies, ties between individuals are tight, and people are born into collectives like extended families, where everyone is expected to look after the interests of the group.
What does Hofstede’s uncertainty avoidance dimension measure, and how do high uncertainty avoidance cultures differ from low uncertainty avoidance cultures?
Hofstede’s uncertainty avoidance dimension measures the extent to which cultures socialize their members into accepting ambiguous situations and tolerating uncertainty.
High uncertainty avoidance cultures emphasize job security, strict rules, and tight control.
In contrast, low uncertainty avoidance cultures are characterized by a readiness to take risks and less emotional resistance to change.
Describe the differences between masculine and feminine cultures according to Hofstede’s dimensions.
In masculine cultures, gender roles are sharply differentiated, and values such as achievement and the exercise of power are emphasized.
In feminine cultures, gender roles are less distinct, and little differentiation is made between men and women in the same job.
How did Hofstede create an index score for each dimension, and what do the scores for individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity indicate?
Hofstede created an index score ranging from 0 to 100 for each dimension by averaging scores for all employees from a given country.
Higher scores indicate a high emphasis on that particular cultural dimension.
For example, high scores for individualism mean the culture values individual freedom highly, while high scores for power distance indicate a society with significant inequalities in power and wealth.
What are some of the criticisms of Hofstede’s research on cultural dimensions in the workplace?
First, he assumed a direct correspondence between culture and nation-states, disregarding the diversity within countries that have multiple cultures.
Second, his research might have been culturally biased, as it was conducted by Europeans and Americans, potentially shaping the questions and interpretations.
Third, the research was limited to employees within the computer industry at IBM, which might not be representative of broader cultural values.
Lastly, Hofstede’s work is criticized for being outdated, as cultures evolve over time.
What is the additional dimension Hofstede introduced in his research, and how did he characterize it?
Hofstede introduced the dimension of “Confucian dynamism” (also known as long-term orientation).
This dimension captured attitudes toward time, persistence, status ordering, face protection, respect for tradition, and reciprocation of gifts and favors.
East Asian countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand scored high on this dimension, reflecting values derived from Confucian teachings
According to Hofstede, which countries scored high on Confucian dynamism, and what implication did he draw from this scoring?
Countries like Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand scored high on Confucian dynamism.
Hofstede and his associates suggested that nations with higher economic growth rates scored high on Confucian dynamism and low on individualism, implying that Confucianism is conducive to economic growth.
However, subsequent studies have shown that this finding does not hold up under more sophisticated statistical analysis.
What factors are considered more important than culture in explaining economic growth rates over time, according to the passage?
Economic, political, and legal systems are considered more important than culture in explaining economic growth rates over time.
How should managers approach Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in the workplace, considering the criticisms and limitations mentioned in the passage?
Managers should use Hofstede’s cultural dimensions cautiously.
While the dimensions provide a starting point for understanding cultural differences, they should not be accepted without question or dismissed entirely.
Managers should recognize the limitations and potential biases in Hofstede’s research and use it as a general guideline, considering other contextual factors and more recent studies for a comprehensive understanding of cultural differences in the workplace.
