Executive Summary
Kazakh culture is enriched with century-old traditions and protected by strong family values. This is a land where Asian and Slavic cultures emerge and create the beautiful country of Kazakhstan. This self-assessment report will analyze not only the history of Kazakh culture but also evaluate its business potential. Starting with an introduction to my upbringing, it will create a wholesome idea of the country and its family values. The report on the culture must broaden the audience’s ideas about the country and explain some of the most respected traditions every Kazakh follows. In the next section, the influence of such beliefs on adult citizens and their formation of personality is explained. A thorough assessment of Kazakhstani culture is presented according to Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions, which allows the readers to see the full picture of social nature and their life views. Lastly, considering all the factors reviewed in previous sections, a business application of all elements is formed to become an entrepreneur in Kazakhstan successfully.
Introduction to Oneself
Growing up in Kazakhstan, a child is pampered with love and attention. Most Kazakh people have large families with whom you inevitably spend a lot of time on family gatherings, weddings, and birthdays. The family connections are influential in Kazakhstan; therefore, if one relative faces a challenge every other is willing to help with what they can. Family values are fundamental in my country, which are translated from one generation to the other.
Though strict upbringing is conventional in Kazakhstan, where children are taught to respect the elders, know the worth of money, and be thankful for everything they have. However, no one complains about a specific childhood because each child knows that parents do it from the point of love. Respecting all nationalities is natural for Kazakhs, as our country has an incredible mix of Slavic and Asian people, where we celebrate Christian and Muslim holidays. Growing up in Kazakhstan can be challenging at times; thus, it is an incredible country with unique traditions.
Kazakh culture
Kazakh culture is a distinct reflection of centuries of history and the undying traditions of nomadic tribes. The unique worldview and eclectic customs that distinguish the culture of Kazakhstan from any other Slavic or Asian country is what creates such a mix of traditions and customs not familiar to the other nations. The influence of Russia is apparent in the Kazakh culture, mindset, and art. However, the unique modifications of it make Kazakhstan a land of exceptional people, valuing their history and beliefs.
Even though young Kazakhs tend to wear modern clothes daily, rare demonstrating of traditional clothes is still present in the cities and more frequently in distant villages of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan – Cultural life | Britannica, 2019). Traditional clothing is a representation of pride and respect for cultural values throughout the years. Women’s national dresses with headscarves and men’s unique hats with a traditional coat “shape” manifest the origins of the Kazakh’s customs.
A historically Muslim country, Kazakhstan still values its Islamic symbols even after several decades of forced atheism. Traditional Muslim symbols can be seen widely across the country, which includes the Muslim stars, caps, and traditional clothing referring to the Islamic religion. Therefore, religious beliefs and traditions are still of significant importance to modern Kazakh citizens.
Language is a controversial topic for Kazakh people. The country has two official languages – Turik and Russian; however, the majority of the population does not even speak the Turik language, making the second one prevalent. The reasoning behind the inability to unite the ethnic communities of the country is explained by the long influence of Russia and the Soviet Union on Kazakhstan. The Northern part of the country is still inhabited mostly by Russian and Ukrainian people. Even after 30 years of Independence, the prevalence of such nationalities in this part of the country is still visible.
Influences on Personal Culture
Kazakh culture has a significant impact on the upbringing of children in the country. Traditions are prevalent among the native Kazakhs, which are reflected in the future behavior and nature of a child. Superstitions, tokens, and traditional rituals are performed on babies until this day. Spiritual development is a significant part of childhood in Kazakhstan, where adults would tell native fairy tales, play songs on traditional instruments or tell myths and legends (Traditional life in the steppe, 2016).
The hierarchical nature of the society in Kazakhstan makes a significant impact on personal beliefs and set of values. Kazakh culture highly respects family relationships, age, and positions in the household are of great significance. Children are taught to respect older people as they lived a long life and are portrayed by adults as the wisest people in the family. Fathers or men of the family are considered to be of the most power to make decisions. Therefore, the traditional patriarchy holds a significant influence in Kazakh families.
The hierarchy prevalence is also evident in the business culture; for that reason, international partners must learn and respect all Kazakh customs. The specialties of Kazakh short-tempered nature must be considered while stepping into negotiations. Respect for traditions and old culture is visible even in the business aspect as the hierarchy is highly-valued here as well. All senior partners must be referred to with respect at all times and they cannot be argued without respect to their age and social status. Such cultural specialties influence the nature of negotiations and may determine its outcome no matter the offer.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory is a framework that allows determining the primary cultural differences among the countries and discerning the nature of doing business there. The framework has six dimensions according to which the country’s profile is made: Power Distance Index, Collectivism vs. Individualism, Uncertainty Avoidance Index, Femininity vs. Masculinity, Short-Term vs. Long-Term Orientation, Restraint vs. Indulgence.
The first power index score will reveal the country’s attitude towards inequality, and the positions leaders hold over the followers. Kazakhstan scored 88 points on its power distance index, which demonstrates a high level of intolerance and inequality (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Such a high index exposes that the power holders are superiors in Kazakhstan, and citizens live and obey the hierarchical order. Hierarchy is a direct reflection of status inequalities, where money is power.
The individualism vs. collectivism index is responsible for determining a level of independence in the country’s society. Individualistic societies mostly care about themselves and their close circle, whereas in the collectivist society, people focus more on the groups and respect to receive loyalty from them. Kazakhstan’s low score of 20 demonstrates its adherence to the collectivistic country (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Kazakhs tend to foster relationships where everyone takes care of each other within the group. People of this country value loyalty above all and are willing to help each other at any given moment.
The femininity vs. masculinity indicator exposes if the country is run by competition and success (masculinity) or by dominant values of care for others and quality of life (femininity). The higher the score, the more masculine the country’s culture is. Kazakhstan has an average rating of 50, which indicated the combination of both features of masculine and feminine society (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). No explicit dominative nature is visible in Kazakhstan’s culture.
The next cultural determinant is uncertainty avoidance, which reflects the citizen’s level of threat by the unknown situations, to an extent where they created beliefs to avoid them. Kazakhstan has a high score of 88 concerning uncertainty avoidance, which determines Kazakh’s nation usually negatively reacts to changes and is unfavorable for risks (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). The country is very tradition-centered, which makes it react detrimental to any changes in rules or belief systems of the citizens.
The next dimension of long-term orientation describes society’s ability to keep links with the past while effectively solving issues in the present with orientation to a sustainable future. A low score in this area demonstrates the culture as one that values traditions and is skeptical of any changes. A high score, vice versa exposes society from a more pragmatic side. Kazakhstan scored a high of 85 in the long-term orientation dimension, which proves that it has a highly pragmatic culture (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Kazakhs tend to adapt their traditions to the new changes easily and observe the truth from various sides depending on the situation and context.
The indulgence vs. Restraint rubric defines how society can control their desires, based on the upbringing culture. Kazakhstan has a low score of 22, which determines its culture as restrained (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Such cultural specialty makes people more prone to skepticism, cynicism, and not focusing on the enjoyable spending of their leisure as much. Self-indulgence is perceived as something wrong and selfish.
Business application
Taking into consideration the cultural analysis based on Hofstede’s theory, one can create certain business applications that would be suitable specifically for people in Kazakhstan. Companies must consider many factors, especially highly-valued traditions, and their restrained nature if a company is planning to develop marketing strategies that aim at Kazakhs. When marketing for Kazakhstan’s audience, one must be careful not to offend religious or ethical beliefs. Notable skeptical approach to the changes might cause challenges when doing business in Kazakhstan; even the government faces troubles when educating senior partners and stakeholders on new adaptations of regulations (“Doing Business”, 2019). Therefore, foreign investors must be careful with the new ideas they bring to the Kazakh people.
As evident in Hofstede’s cultural analyses, Kazakhs are exceptionally team-oriented; therefore, managing collective work should not become a challenge. As a collectivistic society that values helping each other, all the people require from managing is loyalty and respect, which they are willing to give back. Therefore, with such an approach, Kazakh people are well-managed in the team setting if they are given respect and follow altruistic goals.
Reference List
“Doing Business in Kazakhstan 2019.” (2019) World Bank.
E-history.kz. (2016). Traditional life in the steppe: child’s first steps and upbringing · publications. “Kazakhstan History” Portal.
Hofstede Insights. (n.d) Country comparison – Hofstede insights.
Kazakhstan – Cultural life | Britannica. (2019). In: Encyclopædia Britannica.