MGS 4300 Quiz 5 Cross-Cultural HRM

Hofstede's Dimensions of Cultural Differences Six Dimensions of Culture

1. Degree of Individualism 2. Uncertainty Avoidance 3. Power Distance 4. Masculinity-Femininity 5. Short-term or Long-term Orientations 6. Indulgence vs. Restraint

Context

In Low-Context cultures such as Scandinavia, Germany, and Switzerland, communication occurs predominantly through explicit statements in text and speech. There is little "reading between the lines." In High-context cultures such as Japan and China, communication includes high levels of nonverbal cues such as body language and the use of silence.

Indulgence vs. Restraint

Newest dimension - Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms. Hofstede YouTube Video

Proxemics

Perception and use of personal and interpersonal space. In the U.S., people become uncomfortable when others stand too close to them, rather than too far away. Other cultures, such as Latin American or Arabic, have norms prescribing much closer contact. Employees raised with these norms may perceive coworkers as aloof or cold if they back away during a conversation. Personal space

Kinesics

Refers to bodily movements and includes facial expressions, posture, and characteristics of movement, gestures, and eye contact. Also related to the meaning of movement socially prescribed. Smiling is an example of a behavior that is generally believed to indicate liking or positive emotion. However, in some cultures, smiling may be perceived as a sign of weakness or a sign of deceit. Eye contact is another type of kinesics that can be misunderstood across cultures. In some cultures, direct eye contact communicates focus and understanding of the other. In other cultures, it is a sign of disrespect.

Paralanguage

Refers to other vocal cues. For example, loudness of voice, pauses, silences, hesitations, rate, and inflections. Paralanguage is likely to be manifested in ways such as how we greet one another and take turns in speaking. For example: the interpretation of silence varies across cultures. In American culture, people tend to feel obliged to fill it. Those raised in British or Arabic cultures use silence for privacy (Leave me alone while I'm thinking). In Russian French, and Spanish cultures, people tend to assume that silence indicates agreement among parties (You are agreeing to my proposal because you stopped talking).

Haptics - Touching Behavior

The use of touch is related to how a culture uses space. In non-contact cultures, people rarely touch others, unless they are on intimate terms. Non-contact cultures include North Americans, Germans, English and many Asian cultures.

Communication

Verbal and nonverbal Great Article on Cross-Cultural Business Communication 1. Proxemics 2. Kinesics 3. Paralanguage 4. Haptics - Touching Behavior 5. Context

Short-term or Long-term Orientations

Western or Eastern Orientations

Degree of Individualism

extent of responsibility to and for others beyond family

Uncertainty Avoidance

extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain, unknown, or ambiguous situations (from weak to strong)

Power Distance

extent to which powerful members expect and accept that power is distributed unequally (from small distance to large) θ Level of fear in expressing disagreement with manager θ Perception of manager's decision-making style θ Subordinate's preference for manager's decision-making style

Masculinity-Femininity (gender and gender roles)

how masculinity and femininity is defined and reinforced; gender-based values and expectations