...cultural analysis of the Mexican culture through the lens of the 5-D Model developed by Professor Geert Hofstede. The five dimensions of the model include: Power Distance (PDI), Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS), Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI), and Long term versus short term orientation. In recent years a sixth dimension named Indulgence versus Restraint has been added. There are no rankings for this dimension as it has only been recently added and researched (Hofstede, 2012). This Model gives one an important tool for gaining insights into given cultures which can improve business opportunities and interactions (International business etiquette, manners and culture, 2012). Power Distance Index (PDI) is the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The issue is how a society handles inequalities. Mexico, ranking 81on the PDI, is a hierarchical society. Regionally, Mexico ranks higher on PDI than the United States (rank 39) and Canada (rank 40), whose ranks indicate that their cultures strive to equalize the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power. Globally, however, countries vary greatly in PDI, (average PDI rank of 60; Clearly Cultural, 2012). One must consider the PDI rank when doing business with a given country in a certain region. For example, Mexican businesses hoping to successfully compete in business within the United States...
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...Power Distance Index (PDI) This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – between people with and without power. A high PDI score indicates that a society accepts an unequal, hierarchical distribution of power, and that people understand "their place" in the system. A low PDI score means that power is shared and is widely dispersed, and that society members do not accept situations where power is distributed unequally. Application: According to the model, in a high PDI country, such as Malaysia (100), team members will not initiate any action, and they like to be guided and directed to complete a task. If a manager doesn't take charge, they may think that the task isn't important. PDI | Characteristics | Tips | High PDI | * Centralized organizations. * More complex hierarchies. * Large gaps in compensation, authority and respect. | * Acknowledge a leader's status. As an outsider, you may try to circumvent his or her power, but don't push back explicitly. * Be aware that you may need to go to the top for answers. | Low PDI | * Flatter organizations. * Supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals. | * Delegate as much as possible. * Ideally, involve all those in decision making who will be directly affected by the decision. | 2. Individualism Versus Collectivism (IDV) This refers to the strength of the ties that people have to others within their community. A high IDV score indicates weak interpersonal connection...
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...conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture” (geert-hofstede.com). In theory he discusses the factual evidence that culture is programmed by groups and diversities make collective differences large enough to categorize. Hofstede’s dimensions are useful to distinguish what is considered valuable to which groups/ societies. Hofstede was able to pinpoint areas that have toleration for each country. The five dimensions include: Power Distance (PDI): PDI measures the amount of acceptance dictated by the powerful for each culture. “In cultures with low power distance, people are likely to expect that power is distributed rather equally, and are furthermore also likely to accept that power is distributed to less powerful individuals” (businessmate.org). For instance, when the PDI is high for a country, people are most likely more accepting of the unbalanced nature. They have accepted the inequality as part of the rights of those with the power. PDI measures the extent to which a community will accept this division and inequality. Low Power distance would include equality factors like decentralized government with constant questioning of authority, conscious democratic structure where society is actively part of its management. High Power Distance societies are centralized hierarchical structures that reflect a paternalistic attitude to management of society. High PDI is unequal and society tends to accept the hierarchy...
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...illustrated in Figure 1. Noise is a collective terminology for any misalignment between the message sent, or encoded, and the message received, or decoded, causing misunderstanding, misperception, misinterpretation…etc. Figure 1 Communication Elements (Source: Buchanan, D. A. and Huczynski, A. H. ( 2010) ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR, 7th edn, UK, Pearson Education Ltd) Thinking of all our differences in culture, environment, language, perception, age, experience, role, skills, as individuals as well as societies, it might seem impossible to establish noise-free communication (Thomson & McHugh, 2002). In organizations, healthy, contented and productive working environment urges for effective strategies to guide employees on how to eliminate noise and achieve work environment where signal transmitted (equals) signal received. Why is it so important? Well, as surveys show, Communication is problem No. 1 in organizations (Lauer, 1996). Disastrous plane crashes happen, mostly, as a result of communication errors (Gladwell, 2009). It is, then, indispensible for organizations to take communication into their topmost consideration and develop their cultural and social communications skills (Buchanan and Huczynski2010). The importance is...
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...Five Dimensions Hofstede’s five dimensions are a useful tool to give someone an insight of different cultures. These elements give a country’s behaviour tendencies rather than an exact prescription. There are weaknesses to Hofstede’s Five Dimension theory as it may too easily encourage stereotyping. Even in countries as small as the UK, not all citizens are alike – e.g. it is argued that the culture in the North of England is quite different to the South. Hofstede has also been criticized for being too simplistic; however Hofstede’s theory does give us a general base to work from. 74 countries are listed on Hofstede’s website from which information can be drawn to make comparisons not only between countries but against the world average to give a broader picture. The following graph gives a comparison between Germany and China. It also allows for assessment against the Asian average and World average and our own British culture as benchmarks. Hofstede Comparison: UK, Germany, China Asian Average and World Average [pic] Comparison of Germany and China [pic] Power Distance Index Germany 35 LOW China 80 HIGH Individualism Germany 67 HIGH China 66 LOW Masculinity Germany 66 HIGH China 66 HIGH Uncertainty Avoidance Germany 65 HIGH China 30 LOW Long Term Orientation Germany 31LOW China 118 HIGH Power Distance Index – PDI Power Distance measures equality of power in society and how much people are willing to allow or give in to...
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...International Business MBAE Group Assignment 5/23/2013 Submitted By: Tamima Shan Chowdhury, ID: 0712270987 Table of Contents Contents | Pg No. | Introduction | 4 | Part A: Importance of SWOT | 5 | Part B: Importance of Stakeholders | 7 | Part C: Importance of PESTLE Analysis | 8 | Part D: Modes of Entry | 9 | Part E: Importance of Cultural Implication | 11 | Part F: International Human Resource Strategy (IHRS) | 15 | Conclusion and Justification | 20 | List of References | 21 | List of Figures Figure | Description | Page No. | 1 | Components of SWOT Analysis | 5 | 2 | Components to be considered in PESTLE Analysis | 8 | 3 | Macro Environmental Forces Impacting any Organization | 10 | 4 | Modes of Entry for International Businesses | 11 | 5 | Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions- Comparison between Thailand and Norway | 17 | Introduction The globalization of the world economy has prompted organizations to expand their business market ventures. One of the strategies through which an organization can expand their business in the international context is by operation as a multinational company (MNC). The characteristic of a MNC is that it operates in multiple countries. The transformation towards adaptation of the MNC strategy has been due to the advantages the organization can benefit from compared to the other strategies. With the advent of improved communication and the advancement of technology, organizations such as Telenor have...
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...assessing HRM policy-fit with the organisation’s strategy, stakeholder interests and recognises the situational factors influencing HR strategy (Wilton N, 2013, cited in Parkinson&McBain, 2014:125). Situational factors Business strategy and conditions: external context The external context will be explored using Farnham’s PESTLE framework (2010, cited in Henley, 2016), which provides an array of factors influencing the organization's operating environment. Political The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act is aimed at advancing economic transformation and participation of previously disadvantaged individuals (PDIs). It mandates employers to implement measures that ensure equitable representation of designated groups in the workforce with specific gender and race targets. This has impacted the organization's approach to recruitment and skills development, with PDI status becoming a requirement for employment. Economic The economy is in a recession, reporting two consecutive quarters of negative growth (Appendix 1.2). Furthermore, a weakening currency (Appendix 1.3) and the recent sovereign credit rating downgrade has contributed to a negative economic outlook. This will result in currency devaluation, increased inflation and impact the country’s unemployment rate of 27.7% (Appendix 1.4). Lower consumer spending implies that organisations will postpone IT infrastructure projects, placing pressure on theP&L, resulting in headcount freezes and other cost cutting measures...
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...and visions. In Japanese culture employees can contribute regardless of status. Furthermore informal meetings are seen as occasions to build personal relationships and should contain no direct business discussions. Since Japan has one of the most indirect languages, and many messages are metaphorical it is important to refrain from saying terms such as “No” and “You”; these terms can be seen as rude and should be placed with appropriate terms. Instead of saying “You”, refer to contact by their last name and title (i.e. “sir” or “madam”). Lastly an important tool that can be used to analyze the intercultural differences between Canada and Japan is Hofstede‘s 5D Model. This analytical tool breaks each culture into five parts, Power Distance (PDI), Individualism (IDV), Masculinity (MAS) Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) and Long-term Orientation (LTO). Culture is a something that is different...
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...Indonesia: Searching For The Ratu Adil In the 1966 Italian film ‘The Battle of Algeries, the insurgent leader Ben M'Hidi is having a conversation with one of his foot soldiers named Ali. During this scene Ben M’Hidi makes an observation that was true of many nationalist movements for self-determination during the 20th century by stating “It's hard to start a revolution. Even harder to continue it, and hardest of all to win it. But, it's only afterwards, when we have won, that the true difficulties begin. In short, Ali, there's still much to do. “ (Pontecorvo, 1966). Ben M’hidi’s words have rung true of a great many of the national revolutions as the world moved from an imperial world order to one of sovern nation states. The Indonesian archipelago has a history of civilization going back as far as the 7th century CE, but not a united one. The diversity of the region is exemplified in its current national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (Unity in Diversity). However, prior to the 20th century this unity was largely nonexistent, and instead consisted of rival kingdoms and sultanates, vying for power with each other and technologically and socially backwards in relation to the Imperial powers which were becoming aware of the potential the region could serve to those who controlled its trade routes and resources. In the 17th century CE, Dutch traders realized the potential of East Indies trade, and set forward in consolidating power over the region. To gain control over the...
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...Singapore Singapore, a country with mixed nationalities and mixed cultures, attracts numerous culture experts and enthusiasts to study on it. Here in this article, the writers would like to discuss Singapore and introduce Singapore to you from the aspects of the general knowledge of Singapore, the factors that influence the Singaporean culture, Lewis’s theory about cultural categories, Hofstede’s theory about cultural dimensions and Edward’s theory about communication styles. Brief Introduction of Singapore Singapore, officially called the Republic of Singapore, the world's busiest port, though physically small, is an economic giant. It has been Southeast Asia's most modern city for over a century. The name of Singapore comes from Malay language, which can be directly translated into the lion city. Frist of all, Singapore is located in Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia. The main island is about 42kilometres from east to west and 23 kilometers from north to south. Singapore’s total land area, including that of the smaller islands, is 697.1 square kilometers. Singapore's strategic location at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula has ensured its importance, which is greater than its size might seem to justify. Singapore consists of the island of Singapore and some 63 islets within its territorial waters. Like most of Southeast Asia, Singapore is generally hot and humid. It's warm and humid year round, with the temperature almost never dropping...
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...Chapter One – Using Objectives and Strategies Key Terms Corporate Objectives – The long-term goals of an organization. Corporate Strategies – The medium to long-term plans to achieve the corporate objectives of a business. Corporate Tactics – The short-term actions taken in a response to opportunities or threats and with the ultimate aim of achieving corporate objectives. Functional Objectives – The targets of each functional area of a business based around the corporate objectives. SMART Targets – Establishing objectives that are specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and time bound. Exam Advice Everything you do in Unit 3 needs to think about the impact that it will have upon the corporate objectives and the other functional areas of the business. You must get used to thinking about the impact of decisions upon the entire business. Corporate Objectives These are the overall goals of an organization and will vary between businesses depending on their size and available resources. Objectives might include: • Growth • Diversification • Maximisation of profits • Survival Functional Objectives These are the goals held by individual functional areas of a business that are ultimately trying to fulfill the corporate objectives. The four functional areas that you need to consider in your exam are: • Marketing • Finance and Accounting • Human Resources • Operations Corporate Objectives, Functional Objectives and Functional Strategies are medium to long-term...
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...level. It is important for a company to use the national culture efficient. International companies develop management and other practices in accordance with national culture they are operating in (Kogut, Singh, 1988). The effect which caused by the national culture on people's values and behaviours is the essential part of the multinational corporations' success within the global competition. With a good use of national culture, the company can have a better and deeper understanding of the local circumstances which is a critical ability for a managers who want to enter into the international markets (Esterby-Smith,1997). This report will compare three core cultural dimensions between Chinese and Australia national cultures. It will focus on how the national culture influence the corporations in the two country and the difference between the two cultures. one two three four seven six five chart talk The second part of this report will introduce the concept of culture which include the typically aspect of culture, values and behaviours. It will also discuss the theoretical frameworks of national cultures which can be used to analysed the difference between China and Australia. The main body of this report is the three dimensions of culture: approaches to power distribution, approaches to social relationships and approaches to uncertainty and social control. A conclusion will also be made to summary the reasons for the culture difference in those two countries. Concept of culture...
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...SIGIR 2010 Geneva, Switzerland July 19-23, 2010 DESKTOP SEARCH Workshop of the 33rd Annual International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval Organised by David Elsweiler Gareth J.F. Jones Liadh Kelly Jaime Teevan Copyright ©2010 remains with the author/owner(s). Proceedings of the SIGIR 2010 Workshop on Desktop Search (Understanding, Supporting and Evaluating Personal Data Search). Held in Geneva, Switzerland. July 23, 2010. Preface These proceedings contain details on the invited talks and the papers presented at the SIGIR 2010 Workshop on Desktop Search (Understanding, Supporting, and Evaluating Personal Data Search), Geneva, Switzerland, 23 July, 2010. Despite recent research interest, desktop search is under-explored compared to other search domains such as the web, semi-structured data, or flat text. Even with the availability of several new desktop search tools, users are more successful finding information through browsing their personal collections and subsequently show preference for this approach. Problems with existing desktop search tools include performance issues, an overreliance on good query formulation, and a failure to fit within the user’s work flow or the user’s mental model. As the available storage for desktop collections becomes cheaper and more plentiful and new media types continue to appear, the size and types of items stored in personal collections is growing rapidly. The need for effective methods...
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...by innovating. (F) Humans make adaptations to changing environments through innovation. Individuals learn culture from social institutions through socialization (growing up) and acculturation (adjusting to a new culture). 4. We are less likely to evaluate a person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us because we use our self-reference criterion (SRC). (F) The self-reference criterion (SRC) is especially operative in business customs. If we do not understand our foreign counterpart’s customs, we are more likely to evaluate that person’s behavior in terms of what is familiar to us. 5. People from cultures with high Power Distance Index scores are more likely to have a general distrust of others. （T） People from cultures with high PDI (Power Distance Index) scores are more likely to have a general distrust of others (not those in their groups) because power is seen to rest with individuals and is coercive rather than legitimate. 6. Economically prosperous countries do not display strong nationalistic feelings. Although militant economic nationalism has subsided, nationalistic feelings can be found even in the most economically prosperous countries. (F) 7. Foreign investment can be perceived as a threat to sovereignty. (T) 第 1 页 共 33 页...
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...Portfolio of Reflective Cultural Practice Assignment Contents Page Portfolio of Reflective Cultural Practice Assignment 1.1. Introduction In recent times, there has been seen an increased change in the composition of the workforce in organisations because of the rapidly growing globalisation which has made the world increasingly more interrelated (SOURCE). Therefore most business’s around the world including the hospitality and tourism industry need to enter into a cross-cultural alliance to become more effective due to globalisation having a significant impact on the personal characteristic in the workforce because of the increasing cultural diversity (Lloyd and Hartel, 2010). Ferraro (2005) argues that globalisation is not just a passing trend but has submerged acting as a replacement for the cold war system. Therefore this reflective portfolio aims to explore some of the theories surrounding cross-cultural behaviour in order to relate and understand the behaviours of the cultures in respectively Denmark and the US. However in order to do so, a definition of the meaning culture will be primarily discussed and what stereotypes Denmark and the US the authors carries toward both countries. Through the analysis and the information gathered from the theories, potential opportunities and difficulties will be identified between the two countries cultural diversity in relation to motivation, teams, communication channels and conflict and dispute resolution. Lastly...
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