Hofstede: South Korea Analysis Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions are theoretical tools, which provide a conceptual framework for analyzing cultures across nations and regions to facilitate effective intercultural communication. It has 5 cultural dimensions that the managers of global corporations need to infer from when making investment decisions (Wilbur par. 4). Hofstede’s framework includes individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, long vs. short-term orientation, and masculinity vs. femininity (Wilbur par. 4).

Hofstede’s five dimensions

Uncertainty avoidance is the degree, to which a culture can tolerate ambiguity or a non-traditional demeanor. From Hofstede’s scale, South Korea has a score of 85, which implies that the nation is a high uncertainty-avoiding country. Therefore, the Koreans maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior. They are intolerant of unorthodox ideas as well. This defines the Koreans as hard-working people who observe time. However, they may resist innovation and consider security more as an individual motivating element. On the other hand, the United States scores 46 on the scale that describes this country as a society that accepts uncertainty.

Masculinity vs. Femininity measures the role of aggression, achievement, and gender in society. South Korea scores low on this scale (39) while the US scores high (62), implying that the Koreans are a feminist society whereas the Americans are a masculine society. In South Korea, they value equality, solidarity, and quality working relationships.

Long vs. short-term orientation reflects on how societies search for truth or stick to values (Wilbur par. 13). In other words, long-term societies easily forego short-term gains for long-term gains. On the other hand, short-term individuals are flexible and adjust according to the situation (Wilbur par. 13). South Korea and the United States score 75 and 29 on this scale. This depicts the Koreans as a long-term-oriented society that is guided by virtue. The corporations in Korea view business growth as always growing gradually, while the Americans are short-term-oriented individuals who are rational and mind about immediate results and current social stability. This makes them strive for quick results.

Individualism vs. collectivism concerns the relationships in society. Individuals in individualistic societies care about personal identity (Wilbur par. 17). Laws within the society protect individual rights and status. However, collectivist society individuals value protection of the group identity and welfare. South Korea scores 18 and the US scores 91, which means that the Koreans are a collectivist society whose members value strong group and family relationships. Everyone takes responsibility for other members of the group, family, or company. The American society is an individualist one with people caring about themselves, immediate families, and is self-reliant.

Power distance is the degree, to which power is distributed within a society with a high power distance reflecting a culture that accommodates hierarchical organizational structures (Wilbur par. 21). South Korea with a score of 60 depicts it as a hierarchical society meaning power is centralized and subordinated. They place their needs and wait to be told what to do. On the other hand, the United States’ score of 40 demonstrates a low power distance society that believes in equal rights, liberty, and justice. People can easily access their seniors who rely on employees for expertise.

Conclusion and recommendations

As a result of the divergent cultural difference between South Korea and the United States, the following recommendations are made. The Google Company should be knowledgeable of Korean cultural etiquette. The company should avoid any fraud in dealing with the South Korean corporations on the acquisition of intellectual property rights and other contracts. The Google corporation values should incorporate norms such as working teams. It should also familiarize itself with group negotiations and legal procedures in matters about organizational functioning.

Works Cited

Wilbur, Douglas S. Small Wars Journal, 2013.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, February 5). Hofstede: South Korea Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hofstede-south-korea-analysis/

Work Cited

"Hofstede: South Korea Analysis." IvyPanda, 5 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/hofstede-south-korea-analysis/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Hofstede: South Korea Analysis'. 5 February.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Hofstede: South Korea Analysis." February 5, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hofstede-south-korea-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda. "Hofstede: South Korea Analysis." February 5, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hofstede-south-korea-analysis/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Hofstede: South Korea Analysis." February 5, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hofstede-south-korea-analysis/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1