Cross-Cultural Comparisons: Understanding Cultural Dimensions
Posted on May 7, 2024 in Social sciences
Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Understanding Cultural Dimensions
4.4. Uncertainty Avoidance
Strong Uncertainty Avoidance
- Low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity
- Higher level of anxiety and stress
- Rule-oriented society
- Tendency to show aggression and emotions
- Stressful family life
Weak Uncertainty Avoidance
- Higher tolerance for a variety of opinions
- Showing aggression and emotion not accepted
- Relaxed family life
School and University
Strong Uncertainty Avoidance
- Students comfortable in structured learning situations
- Preference for tasks with correct or incorrect solutions
- Teachers expected to be experts with all the answers
- Accuracy highly valued
Weak Uncertainty Avoidance
- Students comfortable in open-ended learning situations
- Students desire good discussions
- Teachers can admit not knowing everything
- Originality highly valued
Workplace
Strong Uncertainty Avoidance
- Many formal rules and regulations
- Great attention to detail, deadlines, and punctuality
- Time is money
- High stress
- Emotional need to be busy
Weak Uncertainty Avoidance
- Minimal regulations
- Acceptance of unusual and deviant ideas and behavior
- Time is a framework for orientation
- Low stress
- Hard-working only when needed
4.5. Term Orientation
Long-Term Orientation
- Focus on future rewards, perseverance, and thrift
- Sustained efforts toward slow results
- Willingness to subordinate oneself for a purpose
Short-Term Orientation
- Emphasis on past and present, tradition, and social obligations
- Expectation of quick results
- Concern with social and status obligations
- Social pressure toward spending
Workplace
Short-Term Orientation
- Values: freedom, rights, achievement
- Leisure time is important
- Focus on the bottom line
- Importance of this year’s profit
Long-Term Orientation
- Values: learning, honesty
- Leisure time not important
- Focus on market position
- Importance of profit ten years from now
- Shared aspirations between owner-managers and workers
Indulgence and Restraint
Indulgence
- Freedom to act as one pleases, spend money, and enjoy leisure activities
Restraint
- Perception of actions being restrained by social norms and prohibitions
- Limited enjoyment of indulgence
Cultural Comparisons by Country
United States
Power Distance (PD)
- Equal opportunities: civil rights, sharing of information
- Communication style: rank doesn’t matter
- Informality
Action Orientation
- Emphasis on activity and effectiveness
- Fast results and a can-do attitude
- Time is money
Relaxedness (Uncertainty Avoidance)
- Trial and error: learning by doing
- Acceptance of risk and change
Achievement Orientation
- Self-esteem depends on achievement
- Feedback through praise and bonuses
- Competition and materialism
- High spending
Individualism
- Initiative and self-reliance
- Freedom and choice
- Volunteering and donating
- Personal touch and enthusiasm
- Individual accountability in teamwork
Social Acceptance
- Small talk
- Polite and indirect criticism and disagreement
- Meetings
Interpersonal Distance Minimization
Patriotism
- National pride combined with skepticism
- Criticism by foreigners not welcome
Australia
- PD: 36
- Individualism: 90
- Masculinity: 61
- UA: 51
- Pragmatism: 21
- Indulgence: 71
Canada
- PD: 39
- Individualism: 80
- Masculinity: 52
- UA: 48
- Pragmatism: 36
- Indulgence: 68
India
- PD: 77
- Individualism: 48
- Masculinity: 56
- UA: 40
- Pragmatism: 51
- Indulgence: 26
Ireland
- PD: 28
- Individualism: 70
- Masculinity: 68
- UA: 35
- Pragmatism: 24
- Indulgence: 65
New Zealand
- PD: 22
- Individualism: 79
- Masculinity: 58
- UA: 49
- Pragmatism: 33
- Indulgence: 75
South Africa
- PD: 49
- Individualism: 65
- Masculinity: 63
- UA: 49
- Pragmatism: 34
- Indulgence: 63
United Kingdom
- PD: 35
- Individualism: 89
- Masculinity: 66
- UA: 35
- Pragmatism: 51
- Indulgence: 69
Cultural Insights: Specific Cases
Australian Aborigines
Uncertainty Avoidance (UA: 128)
- Strong adherence to traditions
- Straying from traditions seen as negative
- Coping with changes through spirituality
- Academic wisdom incompatible with traditional knowledge systems
Masculinity vs. Femininity (22)
- Values of caring for others and quality of life
- Avoidance of open discussions about criticism
- Self-promotion as bad manners
- Introverted behavior and body language
- High context communication
Term Orientation (10)
- Cultural importance placed on past and present
- No plans for the future
Power Distance (PD)
- Hierarchical society with clearly defined roles
- High respect for the elderly due to wisdom from ancestral stories
Individualism vs. Collectivism (89)
- Strong identification with family affiliations, responsibilities, and obligations
- Values of interdependence, group cohesion, and community loyalty
- Communication focused on establishing congenial social relations
- Autonomous lifestyle
New Zealand Culture Overview
- Blend of British and European customs with Polynesian and Maori traditions
- Cosmopolitan and multicultural culture
- Kiwi values: equality, opportunity, individual goals, and accomplishments
- Maori culture emphasizes connection to land and sea, communal living, and sharing
United Kingdom Humor
- Sarcasm: using words that mean the opposite of what is intended, often to insult or be funny
- Banter: witty and sometimes abusive conversation
- Irony: expressing something other than the literal meaning, often the opposite
- Black humor: treating taboo topics in a satirical or humorous way
- Slapstick: comedy based on clumsy actions and embarrassing events
United Kingdom Class System
Traditional Class System
- Upper class: inherited wealth
- Middle class: majority of the population
- Working class: agricultural, mine, and factory workers
7 New Social Classes
- Precariat
- Traditional working class
- Emergent service workers
- Technical middle class
- New affluent workers
- Established middle class
- Elite
United Kingdom Business Culture
Basic Etiquette
- Greeting: handshake and eye contact
- Titles: not used apart from medical doctors
- Business cards: exchanged at the initial introduction
- Dress code: conservative
Characteristics in Working Culture
- Humor: irony and understatement
- Modesty
- Polite procrastination: avoiding immediate business talk
- Money talk taboo
- Fair-play: equal opportunities and minimal corruption
- Moaning: a regular ritual without serious meaning
- After-work drinks: social bonding and informal work discussions
South Africa: Rainbow Nation
- Multicultural diversity due to colonial history and diverse settlers
- Black African culture: the majority of the population
- Known for art, dance, and music
Poverty and Inequality in South Africa
- Upper-middle income country with unequal wealth distribution
- Reasons: impact of apartheid, overcrowding, environmental degradation
Apartheid in South Africa
- 17th century: colonization
- 20th century: discovery of diamonds and conflict between Boers and English
- 1948: Apartheid system legalized
- 1960: Grand Apartheid plan with territorial separation and police repression
- Peak of Apartheid: prohibited interracial marriage, white-only jobs, racial classification, segregation
- 1980s: Black resistance
- 1989: F.W. De Klerk elected
- 1990: Reforms and legalization of banned black congresses
- 1994: Free elections and Nelson Mandela’s presidency
