Week 1: East, South East and South Asia Geography and History

Characteristics of Each Nation:

1. China
Land area: 9,561,000 sq. km
Population: 1.39bn (2017; official estimate)
Main towns:
Population (millions) of metropolitan areas.
Shanghai: 23.0 *Beijing: 19.7 Shenzhen: 12.5 Guangzhou: 10.9 Tianjin: 10.5 Chongqing: 9.5

Dongguan: 8.9 Foshan: 8.2 Wuhan: 8.0 Chengdu: 7.7 Nanjing: 6.9 Shenyang: 6.1

Languages:
 Mainly Putonghua or standard Chinese, based on northern Chinese (the Beijing dialect known as Mandarin);
local dialects and languages are also used.
Climate:
 Continental, with extremes of temperatures; subtropical in the south-east
 Weather in Shanghai (altitude 4 meters): hottest months, July and August, 23-33° C (average daily minimum
and maximum); coldest month, January: 1 to 9°C; driest month, September, less than 5 mm average rainfall;
wettest month, June: 160-165 mm average rainfall
Demographics:
 China is facing a demographic issue: more male than female because of the 1 child policy
o Due to the 1 child policy there was a slowdown in the demographics and the older people are not dying
quickly they were aging slower
o The people prefer males over females; females were often aborted
o Fines were enforced and abortions were encouraged (taking away the children if more than 1 child was
born in the family is common)
o When China initiates a policy, they are very strict; administrators had incentives on these policies, so they were
encouraged to quickly crack down on policy abusers
o China's economic foundation is based on cheap labour
o If a worker wants to demand a higher salary, it's based on other workers looking for the same thing
 Avg. labour wage will go up and this is an issue for china if it occurs
History:
o Dynasty rule; British colonialism; Republic of China (1912); Japanese occupation; People’s Republic of China
(1949)
o Animosity between China and Japan
o Communist Party: 1949;
 Communist uprising: China and Taiwan; Chinese nationalists fled to Taiwan;
o China and Taiwan: China will never refer to Taiwan as a country and Taiwan is supported by the U.S.
 China will not form diplomatic relations with any country that has diplomatic relations with
Taiwan
o China and Hong Kong: the British went to war against China and won
 They forced China to give Hong Kong to them for 99 years
 That lease expired in 1987
 The British had an agreement with china to have a democracy in Hong Kong different from China
 Chinese military controls Hong Kong
o Over the years China is clamping down and very aggressive; China claims they want respect and are not happy
with what happened during the colonial time; China had disputes with India
 2. India
Land Area: 3,287,263 sq. km (including Indian-administered Kashmir); of the total, 57% is agricultural land and 16% is
forest area
Population: 1.34bn (2017; UN)
 India will surpass China in population in the next 10 years
Main Towns:
(Population of metropolitan areas and regions in millions)
Mumbai (Bombay): 20.8 *New Delhi (capital): 21.8 Kolkata (Calcutta): 14.6
Chennai (Madras): 8.9 Bangalore: 8.7 Hyderabad: 7.7
 Also facing issues of pollution
o New Delhi is the most polluted city in the world
o One reason for this is the growth in the economy
Climate
 Varied: humid subtropical in Ganges basin, semi-arid in the north-west, tropical humid in northeast and most of
the peninsula, tundra in the Himalayas. All areas receive rain from the south-west monsoon in June-September;
the south is also served by the north-east monsoon in Jan-Mar
 Weather in New Dehli (altitude 218 metres): hottest month, May: 26-41 (avg daily min and max); coldest month:
Jan 7-21; driest month November, 4 mm avg rainfall; wettest month Jul 180 mm avg rainfall
History
1. British Rule; Partition; Independence (1947)
o Secular nation
o Pakistan was created
o Rivalry between India and Pakistan
2. Democracy
o Biggest democracy on Earth
3. Last year, economically, India was the fastest growing nation

3.  Japan
Land Area: 377,899 sq km
Population: 127.8m
 Significantly aging and declining population; people don't want to have kids
 They have gone through a large social change over the years
 Facing negative population growth
Main Towns:
(Population in millions)
Yokohama: 3.7 *Tokyo (23 central wards): 9.1 Osaka: 2.7 Nagoya: 2.3
Sapporo: 1.9 Kobe: 1.5 Fukuoka: 1.5 Kyoto: 1.5
Climate:
o Temperature, with the monsoon season in June, seasonal winds and typhoons in AUG-SEP, and heavy snow in
December-February on the Japan sea side
o Weather in Tokyo (altitude 5.3 m): hottest month august 29. coldest month jan 7.6, driest month aug 9.5 mm
rainfall, wettest month sept 319.5 mm rainfall
Language: Japanese
History:
o World war II (AXIS), Atomic bombing; reconstruction (western support); democracy
o After the World War, they grew rapidly and became the second biggest economic power after the U.S.
o With the economic development, there has been societal changes in behaviours
o Suicide at work: have the highest suicide rate due to work overload and pressures
 4.  South Korea
Land Area: 99,678 sq km
Population: 51m
Main Towns:
(Population in ‘000)
Busan: 34,000 *Seoul: 9,860 Incheon: 2,886
Daegu: 2,455 Daejeon: 1,536 Gwangju: 1,516

Climate:
 Continental, with extremes of temperature
 Weather in Seoul (altitude 87 meters): hottest month, August: 26.5°C, coldest month, January: -0.4°C, driest
month, January: 10.8 mm average rainfall; wettest month, July: 274.1 mm average rainfall
Language: Korean
History: Foreign invasions (Japanese, Chinese, French, U.S.); Established 1948; Partitioned in 1945; liberal democracy
 South Korea aligns with the western world
 North Korea is a communist nation

Week 2: Culture, Religion and Social Organizations

What is Culture?
 Culture is defined as the collective mental programming of the human mind which distinguishes one group of
people from another. This programming influences pattern of thinking which are reflected in the meaning
people attach to various aspects of life and which become crystallized in the institutions of a society.
 6 Dimensions:
Power distance Individualism Masculinity
Uncertainty avoidance Long-term orientation Indulgence

Cultural Dimensions
1. Power Distance: the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a
country except and accept that power is distributed unequally.
o High score = society accepts power distance
o Low score = society does not accept power distance
2. Individualism: the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members.
o High score = individualistic society
o Low score = collectivist society
3. Masculinity: what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).
o High score (masculine) = society driven by competition, achievement and success, which success being
defined by the winner / best in field – a value system starts in school and continues throughout
organizational life.
o Low score (feminine) = dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine
society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not
admirable.
4. Uncertainty Avoidance: the score reflects the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by
ambiguous or unknown situations and create beliefs and institutions to avoid these.
o High score = high uncertainty avoidance
o Low score = low uncertainty avoidance
 5. Long-term Orientation: how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the
challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritize these two existential goals differently.
o High score = pragmatic approach – encouraging thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to
prepare for the future
o Low score = normative approach – maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal
change with suspicion
6. Indulgence: extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised.
o High score = relatively weak control – “indulgence”
o Low score = relatively strong control – “restraint”

Cultural Dimensions Scores

China - Culture
Power Distance: (score = 80 = high)
o Society that believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable.
o The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power abuse by
superiors.
o Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in general optimistic about people’s
capacity for leadership and initiative. People should not have aspirations beyond their risk.
Individualism: (score = 20 = low)
o Highly collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves.
o In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) are getting
preferential treatment.
o Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) is low.
o Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups.
o Personal relationships prevail over task and company.
Masculinity: (score = 66 = high)
o Success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will
sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until
very late at night.
 o Leisure time is not important. The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in
order to obtain better work and pay in cities.
Uncertainty Avoidance: (score = 30 = low)
o Truth may be relative though in the immediate social circles there is concern for Truth with a capital T and rules
(but not necessarily laws) abound.
o Adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life.
o The Chinese are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be
difficult for Western people to follow.
o Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial. Majority (70%-80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to
medium sized and family owned.
Long-term Orientation: (score = 87 = high)
o A very pragmatic culture.
o People believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time.
o Ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and
perseverance in achieving results.
Indulgence: (score = 24 = low)
o Restrained society.
o Tendency to cynicism and pessimism.
o Do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires.
o Perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat
wrong.

India – Culture
Power Distance: (score = 77 = high)
o Appreciation for hierarchy; top-down structure in society and organizations.
o Real power is centralized even though it may not appear to be, and managers count on the obedience of their
team members.
o Employees expect to be directed clearly as to their functions and what is expected of them.
o Control is familiar, even a psychological security, and attitude towards managers are formal even if one is on first
name basis.
o Communication is top down and directive in its style and often feedback which is negative is never offered up
the ladder.
Individualism: (score = 20 = low)
o Society with both collectivistic and individualistic traits.
o Collectivist side – high preference for belonging to a larger social framework in which individuals are expected to
act in accordance to the greater good of one’s defined in-group(s). Actions of the individual are influenced by
various concepts such as the opinion of one’s family, extended family, neighbours, work groups and other such
wider social networks that one has some affiliation toward. To be rejected by one’s peers or to be thought lowly
of by one’s extended and immediate in-groups, leaves him or her rudderless and with a sense of intense
emptiness. The employer/employee relationship is one of expectations based on expectations – loyalty by the
employee and almost familial protection by the Employer. Hiring and promotion decisions are often made based
on relationships which are the key to everything in a collectivist society.
o Individualist side – result of its dominant religion/philosophy – Hinduism. The Hindus believe in a cycle of death
and rebirth, with the manner of each rebirth being dependent upon how the individual lived the preceding life.
People are, therefore, individually responsible for the way they lead their lives and the impact it will have upon
their rebirth. This focus on individualism interacts with the otherwise collectivist tendencies of the Indian society
which leads to its intermediate score on this dimension.
Masculinity: (score = 95 = high)
o Very masculine in terms of visual display of success and power.
o The designer brand label, the flash and ostentation that goes with advertising one’s success, is widely practiced.
 o However, India is also a spiritual country with millions of deities and various religious philosophers. It is also an
ancient country with one of the longest surviving cultures which gives it ample lessons in the value of humility
and abstinence. This often reigns in people from indulging in Masculine displays.

Uncertainty Avoidance: (score = 92 = high)

o Preference for avoiding uncertainty. In India, there is acceptance of imperfection; nothing has to be perfect nor
has to go exactly as planned. India is traditionally a patient country where tolerance for the unexpected is high;
even welcomed as a break for monotony.
o People generally do not feel driven and compelled to take action-initiatives and comfortably settle into
established rolls and routines without questioning.
o Rules are often in place just to be circumvented and one relies on innovation methods to “bypass the system.”
o A word used often is “adjust” and means a wide range of things, from turning a blind eye to rules being flouted
to finding a unique and inventive solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem. It is the attitude that is both
the cause of misery as well as the most empowering aspect of the country. There is a saying that “nothing is
impossible” in India, so long as one known how to “adjust.”
Long-term Orientation: (score = 51 = intermediate)
o The concept of “karma” dominates religious and philosophical thought.
o Time is not linear, and thus is not as important as to western societies which typically score low on this
dimension.
o Have a great tolerance for religious views from all over the world.
o Hinduism is often considered a philosophy more than even a religion; an amalgamation of ideas, views, practices
and esoteric beliefs. In India there is an acceptance that there are many truths and often depends on the seeker.
o Societies that have a high score on pragmatism typically forgive a lack of punctuality, a changing game-plan
based on changing reality and a general comfort with discovering the fated path as one goes along rather than
playing to an exact plan.
Indulgence: (score = 26 = low)
o Is a culture of restraint
o Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism
o Do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires
o People have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves
is somewhat wrong.

Japan – Culture
Power Distance: (score = 54 = high)
o Are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly. However, it is not as
hierarchical as other Asian cultures.
o Some foreigners experience Japan as extremely hierarchical because of their business experience of
painstakingly slow decision-making process: all the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and
finally by the top management in Tokyo.
o Paradoxically, the slow decision-making process shows that no one top guy who can take decision like in more
hierarchical societies.
o Meritocratic society – strong notion in the education system – everybody is born equal and anyone can get
ahead and become someone if they work hard enough.
Individualism: (score = 46 = intermediate)
o Society shows many of the characteristics of a collectivist society: such as putting harmony of group above the
expression of individual opinions and people have a strong sense of shame for losing face.
o However, it is not as collective as most of their Asian neighbours. The most popular explanation for this is that
Japanese society does not have extended family system which forms a base of more collectivist societies such as
China and Korea.
o Japan has been a paternalistic society and the family name and asset was inherited from father to the eldest
son.
 o Paradoxal example: famous for their loyalty to their companies, while Chinese people seem to job hop more
easily. However, company loyalty is something, which people have chosen for themselves, which is an
individualistic thing to do.
o Japanese are collectivistic by Western standards and individualistic by Asian standards. They are more private
and reserved than most other Asians.

Masculinity: (score = 95 = high)

o In combination with their mild collectivism, do not see assertive and competitive individual behaviours which we
often associate with masculine culture.
o Severe competition between groups. From very young age at kindergartens, children learn to compete on sports
day for their groups (traditionally red team against white team)
o In corporate Japan, employees are most motivated when they are fighting in a winning team against their
competitors.
o Expression of masculinity – drive for excellence and perfection in their material production (monodukuri) and in
material services (hotels and restaurants) and presentation (gift wrapping and food presentation) in every
aspect of life
Uncertainty Avoidance: (score = 92 = high)
o Constantly threatened by natural disasters from earthquakes, tsunamis (this is a Japanese word used
internationally), typhoons to volcano eruptions
o They prepare themselves for uncertain situations – not only for the sudden natural disasters but also for every
other aspects of society
o Anything you do is prescribed for maximum predictability. From cradle to grave, life is highly ritualized, and you
have a lot of ceremonies. For example, there is opening and closing ceremonies of every school year which are
conducted almost exactly the same way everywhere in Japan.
Long-term Orientation: (score = 88 = high)
o Japanese see their life as a very short moment in a long history of mankind. From this perspective, some kind of
fatalism is not strange to the Japanese. You do your best in your life time and that is all what you can do.
o Notion of the one and only almighty God is not familiar to Japanese. People live their lives guided by virtues and
practical good examples.
o In corporate Japan, you see long term orientation in the constant high rate of investment in R&D even in
economically difficult times, higher own capital rate, priority to steady growth of market share rather than to a
quarterly profit, and so on. They all serve the durability of the companies. The idea behind it is that the
companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders, but to serve the stakeholders and
society at large for many generations to come (e.g. Matsuhista).
Indulgence: (score = 42 = low)
o Is a culture of Restraint.
o Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism.
o Do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires.
o People have the perception that their actions are Retrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is
somewhat wrong.

South Korea – Culture

Power Distance: (score = 60 = slightly hierarchical)
o This means that people accept hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which needs no further
justification.
o Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates
expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat.
Individualism: (score = 18 = low = collectivistic)
o This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or
extended relationships.
o Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations.
o The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group.
 o In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/ employee relationships are perceived
in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group,
management is the management of groups.

Masculinity: (score = 39 = low = feminine)

o In feminine countries the focus in on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value
equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives.
o Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured.
o Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
o An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through involvement.
Uncertainty Avoidance: (score = 85 = high)
o Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant
of unorthodox behaviour and ideas.
o In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seen to work), time is money,
people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be
resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
Long-term Orientation: (score = 100 = high = pragmatic)
o Notion of the one and only almighty God is not familiar to South Koreans.
o People live their lives guided by virtues and practical good examples.
o In corporate South Korea, you see long term orientation in the, higher own capital rate, priority to steady
growth of market share rather than to a quarterly profit, and so on. They all serve the durability of the
companies.
o The idea behind it is that the companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders, but to
serve the stakeholders and society at large for many generations to come.
Indulgence: (score = 29 = low)
o Is a culture of Restraint.
o Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism.
o Do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires.
o People have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves
is somewhat wrong.

China
Language: Mainly Putonghua, or Standard Chinese, based on northern Chinese (the Beijing dialect known as Mandarin);
local dialects and languages are also used
Ethnic Groups: Han majority; Others – Zhuang, Hui, Manchu.

Public holidays

 January 1 (New Year's Day)

 February 4-10 (Chinese New Year)

 April 5-7 (Qingming Festival)

 May 1 (Labour Day)

 June 7-9 (Dragon Boat Festival)

  September 13-15 (Mid- Autumn Festival)

 October 1-7 (National Day).

 Traditionally Buddhism and Taoism

 Protestant and Catholic followers have begun to occupy China's eastern regions, while western regions like
Xinjiang and Gansu are predominately Muslim.
 Significant increase in Christianity especially Protestant – Economist – 100 million Christians

India
Languages

 Hindi is the official language and the primary tongue of 30% of the population. English is an additional
language used for official purposes and also used widely in business circles.
 Individual states may legislate an official language – 22 official languages

Public Holidays

 Republic Day (January 26); Independence Day (August 15); Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday (October 2);
major Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian and other religious holidays

Religions

 Hindu (79.8% in 2011 census)

 Muslim (14.2%)
 Christian (2.3%)
 Sikh (1.7%)
 Buddhist (0.7%)
 Jain (0.4%)

Japan
Language: Japanese
Ethnic Groups: Mainly Japanese; minuscule minority of Korean, Chinese etc.

Public holidays

 January 1st (New Year)

 January 14th (Coming of Age Day); February 11th (National Foundation Day)
 March 21st (Vernal Equinox)
 April 29th and May 3rd-6th (Golden Week holidays)
 July 15th (Marine Day)
 August 11th-12th (Mountain Day)
  September 16th (Respect for the Aged Day)
 September 23rd (Autumnal Equinox)
 October 14th (Sports Day)
 November 3rd-4th (Culture Day)
November 23rd (Labour Thanksgiving)

Religion: Mainly Shinto and Buddhism.

South Korea
Language: Korean

Public holidays

 January 1 (New Year’s Day)

 February 4- 6 (Lunar New Year)
 March 1 (Independence Movement Day)
 May 5-6 (Children’s Day)
 May 12th (Buddha’s birthday)
 June 6 (Memorial Day)
 August 15 (Liberation Day)
 September 12-14 (Chuseok holidays)
 October 3 (National Foundation Day)
 October 9 (Hangeul Day)
 December 25 (Christmas Day)

Religion:

 Growth in Christianity
 Decline of Buddhism
 Lately increase in atheism especially amongst the younger segment

JAPAN’S ECONOMIC MIRACLE

 You may have heard of the “Japanese economic miracle”, a term that is used to describe the record-setting
GDP growth in Japan between the end of World War II and the end of the Cold War. 
 Well, the above animation shows this event better than pretty much anything else. 
 In 1960, Japan had an economy that was only 10% of the size of the United States. But in just a decade,
Japan would see sustained real GDP growth – often in the double digits each year – that allowed the country
to rocket past both the United Kingdom and France to become the world’s second-largest economy. 
 It would hold this title consecutively between 1972 and 2010, until it was supplanted by another Asian
economic miracle.