PA 507

18 August 2007
Session 1

Dimensions of Social-
National culture

Specific to Inherited and

individuals Learned
Personality
Specific to
Culture Learned
a group

Universal Human Nature Inherited

Culture

It is the collective programing

of the mind that distinguishes
the members of one group or
category of people from
others.

Equality

Future Orientation Group vs Individual

Culture

Ambiguity Masculinity vs Femininity

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 Equality

All societies have some form

of inequality.
Power distance (PD) is how
we deal with that inequality.

Power distance
the extent to which the less
powerful members of
institutions and organizations
within a country expect and
accept that power is
distributed unequally
7

Country Score Ranking

Malaysia 104 1
Arab Countries* 80 12-14
Iran 58 43-44
Pakistan 55 48
United States 40 57-59
New Zealand 22 71
Austria 11 74

* Arab countries include: Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,

Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates
8

PD and Family
Small PDi Large PDi
Parent treat children Parents teach children
as equals obedience

Children play no role Children are a source

in old-age security of of old-age security to
parents parents
Children treat elders Respect for elders is a
as equals virtue
9

PD and School
Small PDi Large PDi
Students treat Students give teachers
teachers as equals respect

Teachers are experts

Teachers should take
who transfer
all initiative in class
impersonal truths
Learning depends on Teachers are gurus
2- way communication who provide wisdom

10

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 PD and Work
Small PDi Large PDi
Managers and workers Managers and workers
consider each other consider each other
equal unequal
Status symbols are Managers are entitled
suspect to privileges

Orgs. have ways to Contact with workers

deal with power abuse initiated by manager

11

Predictors of the PDi

1. Geographic Latitude
(Higher latitudes are associated with lower
PDi)
2. Population Size
(Larger size is associated with higher PDi)
3. Its wealth
(Richer countries associated with lower PDi)

12

Individualism vs
Collectivism
Individualistic societies are
societies in which the ties
between individuals are loose,
everyone is expected to look
after himself or herself and their
immediate family.

13

Individualism vs
Collectivism
Collectivist societies are
societies in which people from
birth onward are integrated into
strong cohesive in-groups which
protect them in exchange for
loyalty.

14

The individualism Index

(IDv)

The tension between the will

of the individual ad the will of
the group.

15

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 Country Score Ranking
United States 91 1
New Zealand 79 7
Iran 41 36
Arab Countries* 38 39-40
Malaysia 26 52
Pakistan 14 68-69
Guatemala 6 74

* Arab countries include: Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,

Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates
16

IDv and Family

Collectivist Individualist
Children learn to Children learn to
think in terms of “we” think in terms of “I”

Friendships are
Friendships are
voluntary and should
predetermined
be fostered
Resources should be Individual ownership
shared with relatives of resources
17

IDv and School

Collectivist Individualist
Students only speak Students are expected
with group permission to speak up in class

purpose of education
Purpose of education
is about learning to
is learning how to do
learn
Diplomas provide Diplomas economic
higher status worth
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IDv and Work

Collectivist Individualist
Occupational mobility Occupational mobility
is lower is higher

Hiring and promotion Hiring and promotion

take into account “in- based on skills and
group” rules only
Managers manage Managers manage
groups people
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IDv and Ideas

Collectivist Individualist
Group predetermines Everyone is expected
opinions to have own opinion

Laws and right are

Laws and rights differ
supposed to be the
by group
same for all
Lower human rights High human rights
rating rating
20

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 Predictors of IDv

1. Its wealth
(Richer countries associated with lower IDv)
2. Geographic Latitude
(Lower latitudes are associated with higher
IDv)

21

Masculinity vs
Femininity

This dimension is labeled

masculinity versus femininity
because it is the only one with
consistent gender dimension

22

Masculinity vs
Femininity
Masculine societies are societies
in when gender roles are clearly
distinct: Men are supposed to be
aggressive and tough, where as
women are supposed to be
more modest, tender, and
concerned with quality of life
23

Masculinity vs
Femininity
Feminine societies are societies
in which the emotional gender
roles overlap. Both men and
women are supposed to be
modest, tender, and concerned
with quality of life.

24

Country Score Ranking

Slovakia 110 1
United States 62 19
New Zealand 58 22-24
Arab Countries* 54 31-32
Pakistan 50 34-36
Iran 43 47-50
Sweden 5 74

* Arab countries include: Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,

Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates
25

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 MAS and Family
Masculine Feminine
Challenge, earnings, Relationships and
recognition important quality of life

Men should be
Both men and women
assertive, ambitious,
should be modest
and tough
Women take care of Both men and women
relationships can be tender
26

MAS and School

Masculine Feminine
Best student is the The average student is
norm the norm

Competition in class, Jealousy of those who

trying to excel try to excel

Failing in school is a Failing in school is a

disaster minor incident
27

MAS and Work

Masculine Feminine
Management: decisive Management: intuition
and aggressive and consensus

Conflicts resolved by
Resolve conflict by
compromise and
strength
negotiation
Rewards are based on Rewards based on
equity equality
28

MAS and Sex

Masculine Feminine
Taboo on explicit Explicit discussion of
discussion of sex sex

Homosexuality is a Homosexuality is a
threat fact of life

Sexual harassment is a Sexual harassment is a

minor issue major issue

29

Predictors of MAS

1. Its wealth
(Richer countries associated with lower IDv)
2. Geographic Latitude
(Lower latitudes are associated with higher
IDv)

30

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 Intolerance of
Ambiguity
Uncertainty avoidance is the
extent to which the members of
a culture feel threatened by
ambiguous or unknown
situations.

31

Country Score Ranking

Greece 112 1
Pakistan 70 35-58
Arab Countries* 68 40-41
Iran 59 48-49
New Zealand 49 58-59
United States 46 62
Singapore 8 74

* Arab countries include: Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,

Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates
32

UAI and Family

Weak Uncertainty Strong Uncertainty
Low stress and low High Stress and high
anxiety anxiety

Aggression and Aggression and

emotions should not emotion may be
be shown ventilated
Comfortable with
Fear of unfamiliar risks
unfamiliar risks
33

UAI and School

Weak Uncertainty Strong Uncertainty
There is a correct
Open ended learning
answer

Teacher say “I don’t Teachers have all the

know” answers

Results attributed to Results attributed to

person’s ability luck
34

UAI and Work

Weak Uncertainty Strong Uncertainty
More changes of
Longer service
employers

Emotional need for

No more rules than
rules - even if they
necessary
don’t work
Hard-working only
Busy, hard working
when needed
35

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 Intolerance of
Ambiguity
Uncertainty avoidance is the
extent to which the members of
a culture feel threatened by
ambiguous or unknown
situations.

36

Country Score Ranking

China 118 1
India 61 8
Netherlands 44 13-14
Sweden 33 23
New Zealand 30 28-30
United States 29 31
Pakistan 0 39

37

LTO and Family

Short Term Long Term
Marriage is moral Marriage is pragmatic
arrangement arrangement

Living with in-laws is a Living with in-laws is

source of trouble normal

Children get gifts for Children get gifts for

fun and love education and dev.
38

LTO and School

Short Term Long Term
Students attribute Attribute success/
success/failure to luck failure to effort

Talented for
Talent for applied,
theoretical, abstract
concrete sciences
sciences
Math and formal Good a math and
problems hard formal problems
39

LTO and Work

Short Term Long Term
Leisure time is Leisure is not
important important

Focus on market
Focus on bottom line
position

Results 10 years from

This years results
now.
40

Sunday, August 19, 2007

 LTO and Thinking
Short Term Long Term
Concerned with
Concerned with truth
virtue

Good and evil

Guidelines about good
dependent on
and evil
circumstances

Analytical thinking Synthetic thinking

41

Applying it

42

1. Get into groups of five or six.

2. Give Afghanistan a score of 1 to 10 for each dimension. The

dimensions are:
Power distance
Individualism vs communalism
Masculinity vs Femininity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long vs Short term orientation

3. For each dimension, provide an example for family, school,

and work that supports your score.

43

Dimension Grp 1 Grp 2 Grp 3 Grp 4 Grp 5

Power ? 8 8 9
Individualism ? 8 6.5 7
Masculinity ? 8 8 7
Uncertainty ? 7 8 4
Long Term ? 7 - 6

44

Sunday, August 19, 2007