According to a well-known and recognized social psychologist, Geert Hofstede, Venezuela is one of the countries with a high power distance (Hofstede). This viewpoint is also supported by Bonache et al. and Sattar et al. (1773; 141). According to these sources, the power distance index (PDI) in Venezuela is among the highest in the world. This is of particular interest especially because the country is also highly collectivist and people tend to be a part of a community. Exploring power distance in Venezuela could shed some light on the nature of its domestic policy, business, and interpersonal relationships. The country seems to be in order with such a state of things where managers, executives, and other senior staff have the dominant and almost unchallenged position, which is also marked by their salary.
Presidents despite being chosen through democratic means also tend to be highly protective of their status and stay in power as long as possible. Despite the high PDI, which demands to accept and endorse authority, people in Venezuela still can resist some particular decisions or oppose the general policy. Given the recent political protests in Venezuela, the research of the extent to which the power distance could be maintained and respected could be a valuable addition to cultural studies.
The general interest in the equal rights movement seems to find no fertile soil in countries where tradition mostly regulates interpersonal relationships in society. Venezuela with its high PDI appears to exemplify such notion. What is more, the acceptance of unequal wealth distribution is paralleled by the desire to earn more as Venezuelan professionals choose to find fortune elsewhere abroad, unable to satisfy their needs at home (Brodzinsky et al. par. 6). Therefore, it can be concluded that Venezuela could be a good example to discuss such cultural dimensions as power distance.
Works Cited
Bonache, Jaime et al. “Managing Cross-Cultural Differences: Testing Human Resource Models in Latin America.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 65, no. 12, 2012, pp. 1773-1781. Web.
Brodzinsky, Sibylla et al. “At Home, We Couldn’t Get By: More Venezuelans Flee as Crisis Deepens.” The Guardian, 2017. Web.
Hofstede, Geert. “Venezuela.” Geert Hofstede. Web.
Sattar, Abdul et al. “The Contextual Impacts on Job Satisfaction of Employees in the Developing States like Pakistan.” Universal Journal of Education and General Studies, vol. 1, no. 5, 2012, pp. 136-145. Web.