CARLO VARGAS

BSIHM 4 – A

4 - Report on Dimensions of Culture

DIMENSION OF CULTURE - A Simple Report

Choose a country (not including the Philippines) that starts with the first letter of your last
name. Search for one specific and interesting culture about this country that corresponds to
any of Fons Trompenaars’ Cultural Dimensions. Identify whether it is universalism,
sectionalism or particularism, individualism, collectivism, neutral, emotional, diffuse, or
specific, and explain why you think so. And for your reflection, tell us how you would feel like,
as a Filipino, with regards to that specific culture of the country chosen.

VENEZUELA is a country on the northern coast of South

America with diverse natural attractions. Along its Caribbean
coast are tropical resort islands including Isla de Margarita
and the Los Roques archipelago. To the northwest are the
Andes Mountains and the colonial town of Mérida, a base for
visiting Sierra Nevada National Park. Caracas, the capital, is
to the north.

CULTURE:
Today, the dominant culture of Venezuela reflects a blend of indigenous and Spanish
customs, as well as regional Caribbean and Andean influences. Venezuelans are often
described as warm, welcoming and open people. They are generally unified by a shared
desire for fairness and equality.

COLLECTIVISM
The degree of interconnectedness a society maintains among its members is the key issue
this dimension attempts to solve. Whether or not people define themselves in terms of "I" or
"We" is relevant. People in individualist societies are expected to take care of themselves
and their immediate family. People in collective societies are members of "in groups" that
look out for them in return for allegiance.
Venezuela ranks among the most collectivistic civilizations in the world, along with Ecuador,
Panama, and Guatemala, with one of the lowest Individualist scores (12). Due to their strong
sense of collectivism, Venezuelans place a premium on belonging to an in-group and
supporting its viewpoints. This, coupled with the high PDI scores, indicates that groups
frequently have strong identities connected to class distinctions. Loyalty to these
organizations is crucial, and many times, it is through "corporative" organizations that people
are able to enjoy privileges and perks that are not available to them in other cultures.
Conflict is also avoided in order to preserve group cohesion and avoid embarrassment.
There have been several power battles among various political parties and between unions
and employers, but these confrontations have rarely turned out to be as violent as those
seen in other Latin American nations.
Relationships come before finishing the task at hand, and if a group of people has an opinion
on something, everyone who identifies with that group will agree with them. This might lead
to the activity being quickly finished through teamwork or it could lead to the assignment
being completely abandoned (if that is the opinion of the initial group articulating an opinion).
Naturally, this is also related to PDI, so those with greater power can more easily build a
group around them than those who are seen as having less power.

REFLECTIONS:
Venezuela is the most performance-oriented country in Latin America. Venezuelans are
competitive and status-oriented, yet collectivistic rather than Individualist. As a Filipino I am
amazed with this kind of culture knowing the this is one of the fastest growing country due to
a helpful environment. People are much of helping rather than making you do it alone.
Venezuelans will often go out of their way to help you if they feel there is enough attention
given to developing a relationship, or if they perceive an “in-group” connection of some sort,
however thin. However, those perceived as “outsiders” can easily be excluded or considered
as “enemies”. The preferred communication style is context-rich, so public speeches and
written documents are usually extensive and elaborate.