2660 – ADM 3001E Human Resources – Gerald Finch

Written Assignment 4: Culture

By Daniel Rivera 00325287

Question: How do Ecuadorians behave differently at work than U.S. workers?

To compare Ecuador's behavior with that of the U.S., first, we need to know where

Ecuador's conduct is according to Hofstede’s research in cultural dimensions. It is known

that there are four cultural dimensions; however, The Culture Factor Group shows us that

there are six of them: power distance, individualism/collectivism, motivation toward

achievement and success, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and, indulgence.

With this in mind, we can start by saying that Ecuador is a high-power distance

country from educational institutions to companies because we tend to think that society

should not be equal and everyone should work for their recognition; therefore, that effort

warrants individuals to own a status that could be related to their income, their position, or

their influence, among others. This should be respected and valued by others, as evidenced

in the treatment according to your hierarchy. In contrast, the U.S. historically, I believe, has

embedded in its culture that everyone should have the same opportunities no matter their

status, making it a low-power distance country.

On the other hand, Ecuadorian self-image is defined in terms of "we,", because we

are highly interdependent on our close immediate circle, and we belong to groups where

loyalty and trust are the most important, rather than in the U.S., which values individual

growth and recognition that could bring them more materialistic satisfaction. In addition,

Ecuadorian behavior differs from that of the U.S. in terms of competition and uncertainty

avoidance. While in Ecuador, being competitive and standing out of the crowd is not

admirable, in the United States, it seems like a good quality to be individualistic and
prepare yourself more to defeat the competition. The better you are, the further you are

going to get. Anxiety culture is in place in Ecuador because we have normalized not

knowing what could happen in the future, not even what might happen tomorrow. As an

example, that is the reason why beliefs like religion are stronger in the region because it

helps people cope with stress caused by unpredictability.

At the same time, the U.S. is more stable, from its economy to its politics, which has

helped its citizens be more able to take risks without much strain. All the effects caused by

uncertainty can be seen in small kinds of organizations, such as households, that raise

people according to their reality and influence society as a whole. Furthermore, when we

talk about long-term orientation, which describes “(…) how every society as to maintain

some links with its past while dealing with challenges of the present and future (…)” (The

Culture Factor Group, 2023), Ecuador has a normative culture that means that we are

highly respectful of our traditions and never tend to plan for the future or take risks in

changing for a better tomorrow. This has affected the progress made in education,

technology, and the same culture because we are a society that fears change. Instead, the

United States is always seeking the truth and new information that can allow them to be

more practical in their decisions and have a better performance that leads to more profit and

innovation on a short-term basis.

Finally, indulgence and restraint refer to the way people can control their desires and

impulses based on the way they were raised. In this scenario, Ecuador is a culture with

weak control as people prefer short-term pleasure more than seeking success and greater

achievements, then is known as an indulgent culture. The U.S. on the other hand, is

considered to be a resistant country because of the word harder and has a better concept of
morality towards accomplishing their goals even though they have a big percentage of

citizens consider be immoral in this aspect.

In conclusion, achieving personal and professional progress in Ecuador is more

difficult than in the U.S. mainly because of their highly collective behavior, perspective on

traditions, and high power distance, rather than the U.S. is more open-minded and

straightforward in being practical and achieving success.

Word count: 686 words.

Bibliographical References:

Adler. (w.d.). Chapter 2: How cultural differences affect organizations? (pp. 44-65).

https://miusfv.usfq.edu.ec/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/247131?url=https%3A

%2F%2F694e79cd-d045-4c91-8651-d6dcb222f884.sequences.api.brightspace.com

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Dowling. (w.d.). Re-entry and career issues.

https://miusfv.usfq.edu.ec/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/247131?url=https%3A

%2F%2F694e79cd-d045-4c91-8651-d6dcb222f884.sequences.api.brightspace.com

%2F247131%2Factivity%2F2711868%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1

Finch, G. (2024). Module 3: Culture and its effect on human work behavior.

The Culture Factor Group. (2024). Country Comparison Tool. The Culture Factor Group.

https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison-tool?

countries=united+states