5º.

Bachillerato en Ciencias Biológicas, Sección “B”

NATIONAL PERSONALITY TYPES

Many people believe that there are national personality types that people from the same
country share. According to Professor Geert Horstede, a researcher who has studied
different business cultures for many years, there are six dimensions of national culture.
While all six dimensions are found in every national culture, their emphasis differs from
country to country.
Individualism
One dimension of national culture is how people focus on themselves rather than on the
needs of a social group. People in some countries, such as the U.S., are supposed to take
care of themselves. However, in other countries, people look after their social group and
cooperate with one another.
Conformity
In some countries, it is very important that people act in a certain way. People in these
countries are very strict when other don’t follow or conform to the rules of behavior. They
are not very tolerant of people who think or act differently. Other countries tend to accept
different ideas and behavior.
Power
How power is divided among members in a nation is another dimension of Hofstede
mentions. In certain countries, both leaders and followers expect that power and authority is
not equally shared. In other countries, people may challenge authority and try to have a
balance of power.
Achievement
Hofstede claims that in some nations people are very competitive. From a young age, they
learn that success means being the best and achieving great things. In other countries, it is
less important to stand out and more important to care for others and have good quality of
life.
Indulgence
In some societies, people feel free to indulge in activities that make them happy. In other
countries, however, people are more likely to control their personal desires and emotions.
Adaptability
Another dimension of national culture is how open a society is to adapt and change. Some
cultures hold on to tradition and do not accept change easily. Other societies see change as
necessary in order to develop.
Here are examples of how two of these dimensions explain differences between
Indonesians and Americans.

Americans and Indonesians

Individualism
Indonesians are very loyal to their social groups. This is clean in family relationships. For
example, if a young couple wishes to get married, it is very important to have acceptance
from their families. Americans, however, are used to being independent and making their
own decisions. A young American couple may decide to get married without involving their
families.
Power
The classroom is another place where these differences are seen. In Indonesia, children are
expected to be quiet in the classroom and not to ask questions. Asking questions is seen as
threatening and as disrespectful of the teacher. This shows us that Indonesians believe
power to be unequally shared. In contrast, American students are encouraged to ask
questions. While it’s not acceptable to challenge their teacher’s authority, American students
will ask questions to learn more.