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8/10/2019 uoyyitouououyh

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Cultural patterns

I. Edward T. Hall 4 Distinguishing features (Dimensions):

1. Time

Monochronous Cultures Polychronous Cultures

- People do one thing after the other

- Time is very important

Punctuality

Making plansKeeping to plans

- o!"#ork is very important

- More short-term relationships

- People do things simultaneously

- Time schedules are not so important

People are notoriously unpunctual

- People are very important

More time spent on maintaining

or !uilding up relations #ith

family"friends"!usiness partners

- More life-long relationships

- $ork time is clearly separa!le

from personal time

- $ork time is not clearly separa!le

from personal time

% D&

Plans are fle'i!le


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2. Context

low context high context

people care for good relationships

characteries the #ay in #hich information is transmitted

the maority of the informationis e'plicitly communicated

in the ver!al message

- a lot of information is em!edded in the conte't

feelings* thoughts and information are

not e'plicitly e'pressed* !ut also through a variety

of contexts* such as voice tone* !ody language*

facial e'pressions* eye contact* speech patterns*

use of silence* past interactions* status* common

friends* etc+ The message is more implicit+

e.g. an apology must be clearly

articulated

the same message can be communicated

through a variety of nonverbal gestures such as

a smile, a sigh, a shrug, or a frown.

- high conte't communication assumes a prior

relationship* i+e+ #e are mem!ers of a

common culture* company* family* or other group

conflicts must !e resolved !efore #ork can progress!usiness relationships depend on trust and !uild slo#ly

- fe# rules are given and information is accessed

through informal net#orks

% D&


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3. pace

refers to the distance people need for the protection of their privacy

Cultures that need more !pri"ate# space Cultures that need less !pri"ate# space

e+g+ ,ermany (!ig !u!!le needed) e+g+ Mediterranean countries (small !u!!le)

.f people come too close* they can offend other peoples privacy

closed doors

private offices and partitions

minimal interruptions and disruption

permission needed to enter

private space

large rooms* fe# if any partitions

managers mi' #ith employees

no touching #ithout agreement

people have distinctive places

#hich they call /mine/ and

dont #ant them to !e /distur!ed/

% D&

open doors

no pro!lems #ith interruptions and disruption

private and /pu!lic/ space not so

clearly distinct

touching is more common*

e+g+ greeting rituals


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$. In%ormation

Cultures with slow %low o% in%ormation Cultures with %ast %low o% in%ormation

.nformation is planed carefully and

therefore flo#s slo#ly

monochronous* lo# conte't cultures

polychronous* high conte't cultures

% D&


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..+ &eert Ho%stede 0 Distinguishing features (Dimensions):

1. Power 'istance Index !P'I#

1'tent to #hich ine2ualities of po#er and #ealth are commonly accepted

Cultures with low P'I Cultures with high P'I

- 1mployees e'pect to take part in decision-making or to !e asked

for their opinions

- Tendency to delegate tasks

and responsi!ility

- .deal !oss: good democrat

- 3o-determination

- ig difference in incomes are accepted

- 1mployees e'pect directives and rules

- Tendency to centralie decision-making

and responsi!ility

- .deal !oss: kind"!enevolent autocrat

- 5utocracy

- 6ess difference in incomes

ta' la#s support e2uita!le

distri!ution of income

7igh dependence of employees

on their superiors" senior staff

% D&

- &trict hierarchies are accepted

and e'pected

- 7ierarchies are less strict

- &uperiors are e'pected to socialise

#ith staff - &uperiors dont mi'"socialise

#ith staff


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2. Indi"iduality Index !Indi"iduality "ersus Collecti"ism ( I')#

- Ties !et#een individuals are loose

- 1veryone is e'pected

to look after themselves

and their immediate family

People from !irth on#ards are integratedinto strong* cohesive in-groups* #hich

throughout people8s lifetime continue to protect

them in e'change for un2uestioning loyalty

Cultures with high I') Cultures with low I')

- 1mphasis on individual goals*

#hich are more important than

the group (/&el!stver#irklichung/)

- /./ distinctive from other people

- people emphasie

their success"achievements in o!

or private #ealth and aim to reach

more and"or a !etter o! position

- great emphasis on groups*

people think more in terms of /#e/

- harmony and loyalty #ithin a company"group is very important and should al#ays !e

maintained* confrontation should !e avoided

3hina: - never disagree #ith

someones opinion in pu!lic

discussion in private atmosphere

to avoid /loss of face/

- saying /no/ #ould also mean

to destroy the harmony in the group

other e'pressions must !e used

The #ell-!eing of the company"groups"society

is more important than individual freedom+

- personal freedom is more important

than e2uality

% D&

e'tent to #hich individual interests prevail over the interests of a group


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3. Masculinity Index !Masculinity "ersus *emininity ( M+#

Cultures with high M+ Cultures with low M+

dominant values:

performance and successdominant values:

2uality of life and care for others

self-assertion"resolution

(Durchsetungsverm9gen)

#illingness to adapt

(5npassungs!ereitschaft)

career"am!ition 2uality of life

performance sensitivity"empathy

#ork is very important in life #ork is necessary to make a living

competition and

competitive conflict !ehaviour

cooperation"compromising*

strive for consensus

analytical approach to

pro!lem-solving

intuitive approach to

pro!lem-solving

!ig and fast are !eautiful &mall and slo# are !eautiful

% D&


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$. ,ncertainty +"oidance Index !,+I#

e'tent to #hich people feel threatened !y uncertain or unkno#n situations

Cultures with high ,+I

(cultures #hich avoid uncertainty)

Cultures with low ,+I

(cultures #hich accept uncertainty)

- desire for detailed rules and their control

- resistance against change"innovation - open for ne# things and change

- aversion to rules

- people tend to #orry a!out the future - little #orries a!out the future

- higher demand for details in contracts

- e'pert and specialist kno#ledge are

accepted- acceptance of generalist kno#ledge

and common sense

- avoidance of too many rules and formalities

- fle'i!le organisation and #ork environment- formaliation and standardiation

% D&


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-. ong(Term /rientation "ersus hort(Term /rientation !T/#

Cultures with high T/ Cultures with low T/

-fostering of virtues oriented

to#ard sustaina!le future re#ards:

change is #elcome and

may happen rapidly

-fostering of virtues related to the past and present:

efforts should produce 2uick results

% D&

respect for traditions

social and status o!ligations

are important

preservation of /face/

strong #ork ethic

development is sometimes slo#

#illingness to su!ordinate oneself

for a purpose

thrift

perseverance


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0hat are cultural standards !patterns# and what is their purpose

- #ith variations they are valid for a maority of the mem!ers of a culture

-they descri!e and e'plain ho# a cultural group perceives and evaluates things*

ho# they think and #hy they act in specific #ays

- they regulate !ehaviour (ho# to act in certain situations and #ith other people)

- variations (individual and group specific) are tolerated #ithin certain !oundaries

- !ehaviours outside these !oundaries are socially reected and sanctioned

- people;s o#n cultural standards are not perceived consciously any more after

their successful socialisation

makes understanding !et#een cultures more difficult

-o#n cultural standards !ecome conscious if they are compared #ith other cultures;

standards

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