In his cultural dimensions theory, Prof. Geert Hofstede undertook a most critical approach to establish the relationship between individual values in the workplace and national culture. In his study, he identified four sorts of values that distinguished national cultures namely power distance, individuality versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. However, modern research added two more dimensions to this Hofstede’s theory namely long-term orientation (1993) by Michael Bond and indulgence versus restraint (2010) by Michael Minkov.
Being an American citizen who has recently been transferred to work overseas in one of our Branches, I undertook a study to establish how the cultural norms of other nations compare to the Americans’. Particular emphasis was given to three of these values namely individuality, power distance, and long-term orientation.
The individuality versus collectivism dimension refers to the extent to which people are individualists or collectivists (Reagan, 2009, p. 32). According to Reagan (2009), this refers to the degree to which people feel they are supposed to take care or to be cared for by themselves, their families, or the organizations they belong to. In his tabulations, Hofstede rated the American index on this score at 91 on a scoreboard of 0 to 100 compared to the world’s average.
This implies that society is individualistic and further means that individuals’ closer interests are cared for at the expense of others who are not related to them in any way. Compared to Western and Eastern cultures, geographical mobility is high. In doing business or interacting with strangers, I would be quite at home. In seeking information, I would encourage all my staff to consult freely. In the workplace, I would expect an employee to be self-reliant. Employment and promotion opportunities would be awarded based on merit and potential.
Power distance (PD) is the extent to which people accept a hierarchical system with unequal power distribution (Onsrud, 2007, p. 83). In cultures with high PD superiors are more autocratic, make decisions without consulting the subordinates and subordinates fear dissenting, and are complacent. According to Onsrud (2007), cultures with a low power distance score are reminiscent of higher cooperative relationships between the superiors and the subordinates.
Against a world’s average, the American culture scores 40, which is a rather low index of power distance. The focus on liberty and justice for all in the American system attests to this score. In all aspects of society and government, the American culture treats every individual as equal. In my overseas job, hierarchy would be established as a convenience formality. I would cultivate a teamwork spirit where superiors are always accessible and can rely on individual employees’ expertise. Consultations would be highly between superiors and subordinates and information would be shared freely along the hierarchy.
The long term versus short-term orientation focuses on, the degree to which the society embraces, or does not embrace long term devotion to traditional, forward-thinking values and helps distinguish society that has a forward-thinking perspective on life and those that are more concerned with the past and present (Johann, 2008, p. 8). The united states emerged as a short term oriented culture as per the LTO value. Emphasizing these values, I would be measuring business processes in the short term. Notably, profit and loss accounts would be tabulated on a quarterly basis in consistency with the American trend. In my branch overseas, I would embrace quick solutions to problems and embrace a spirit of utmost openness.
References
Johann, Ralph. (2008). Cross-Cultural Management: The Case of the DaimlerChrysler Merger. GRIN Verlag.
Onsrud, Harlan Joseph. (2007). Research and theory in advancing spatial data infastructure concepts. ESRI, Inc.
Reagan, Matthew E. (2009). Comparison of Dutch and American leadership practices in a NATO organization. ProQuest.