Group 2 K17A2

The GLOBE cultural taxonomy

Project GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness)

An ongoing research effort, which was conducted by Robert J.House and his team, study of differences in cultural patterns

The team has collected information from nearly 20,000 middle managers in 61 cultures who were asked to describe both the cultural practices and the cultural values in their cultures

The GLOBE research program builds on Hofstede’s work and on that of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck

9 dimensions are used to describe the dominant patterns of a culture:Power distance

Uncertainty avoidance In-group collectivism Institutional

collectivism Gender egalitarianism Assertiveness Performance

orientationFuture orientation

Humane orientation.

based on the work of Hofstede

based on the work of Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck

1. Power distance Definition: Refers to the degree to which

cultures believe that social and political power should be distributed disproportionately, shared equally and concentrated among a few top decision makers.High power-distance cultures

Low power-distance cultures

(In France, Argentina, Nigeria)

•It’s very appropriate to have differences among social classes

•Upward mobility ought to be limited

•The decisions of the powerful authorities should be met with unchallenged acceptance

(In Australia, Denmark, Albania)

•It’s important to minimize or eliminate social class differences

•Upward mobility is high

•Questioning and challenging the decisions of authorities is each person’s duty and responsibility

2.Uncertainty Avoidance

Definition: The extent to which

cultures feel threatened by the unpredictability of future and establish more structure in the form of rules, regulations, rituals and mandatory practices.

High uncertainty avoidance cultures

Low uncertainty avoidance cultures

(in Sweden, Switzerland and China)

•Prefer to avoid uncertainty as cultural value, desire or demand consensus about societal goals

•Do not tolerate dissent or allow deviation in the behaviors of cultural members

=>Prefer to develop many ways to control people’s social behaviors:

Formal regulations, informal rules about acceptable conduct, elaborate rituals and religious practices.

(in Russia, Bolivia and South Korea)

•Have a higher tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity

•Are much more comfortable with the unpredictability of life

=> Rules and regulations are kept

to a minimum, dissent is tolerated

and deviance is regarded as

peculiar or eccentric rather than as

threatening.

3.In-Group Collectivism Reflects the degree to which people express

pride, loyalty and solidarity with their family or similar group.High in-group collectivism cultures

Low in-group collectivism cultures

(in Georgia, Morocco and Philippines)

•Individuals take pride in and define their sense of self in term of their family or similar group

•People’s identities within collectivistic cultures are closely tied to their ingroups

•Strong Group membership are required and desired

(in New Zealand, Finland and the Netherlands)

•The independence and autonomy of the individual is an overriding feature.

•People’s identities are separate from those of the group.

•Group membership is regarded as voluntary and allegiance with one’s ingroup is not expected to be strong.

4.Institutional collectivism

Concerned with the basis upon which decisions are made and the group's resources are allocated.

Represents the degree to which cultures support, value, and prefer to distribute rewards based on group versus individual interest

High institutional collectivism cultures

Low institutional collectivism cultures

(in Qatar and Japan)

Decisions that juxtapose the benefits to the group with the benefits to the individual nearly base the decision on what is best for the group

=> Group activities are typically preferred to individual actions. 

(in Italy and Greece)

Decisions are based on what is good for the individual, with little regard for the group.

=> The person is the primary source of motivation, individual autonomy and actions tend to dominate.  

5.Gender Egalitarianism According to Hofstede, masculinity-femininity dimension

have been separated into :A belief in equality between women and menA preference for forcefull assertiveness

Gender Egalitarianism

Definition: The extent to which a culture minimizes differences ingender expectations for men vs women

Cultures at the midpoint of the gender egalitarianism

Cultures low in gender egalitarianism

(In Hungary and Poland )

Gender quality is preferred

•Men and women should be treated in the same way

•Unequal treatment solely because of one’s biological sex or gender constitutes discrimination and should not occur.

(In Austria anh Egypt)

Engage in unequal treatment of men and women

•The differences between men and women require dissimilar expectations and treatment

•View the divergence in gender roles and expectations as normal and natural.

Requires every culture to find a solution, pertains to the

cultural preference for : Dominance and forcefulness Nurturance and social support

Describes the extent to which people value and prefer: Tough aggressiveness Tender non-aggressiveness

6.Assertiveness

High-context culturesValue strength, success and taking the initiative

•Competition is good, winning is desirable and rewards should go to those who are victorious.

•People are encouraged to be competitive, visible and successful

•Representative cultures: Germany and Hong Kong

Low-context culturesValue modesty, tenderness, warm relationships and cooperation

• Competition is bad, a win-lose orientation is unacceptable and rewards should be shared among all.

• Nurturance and social support are important, a sense of solidarity.

• Friendliness is much more important than brilliance

• Typical cultures: Kuwait and Thailand

7.Performance orientation

Definition

The degree to which a culture encourages and rewards people for their accomplishments

The ways people are regarded as superior to others

Because of who they are: the “correct” family background, age, gender, birth order, school.

Based on personal achievements: the amount of education, success in business, physical strength, occupation…

High performance- oriented cultures(In Canada and Singapore)

Status is based on what a person has accomplished.

•Schooling and education are critical to one’s success

•People are expected to demonstrate some initiative in work-related tasks and expectations are high.

Low performance-oriented cultures

Low performance-oriented cultures(In Colombia and

Guatemala)

Status is based on who you are.

Attending the “right” school is important, as are family connections, seniority, loyalty and tradition.

People‘s preferred relationship to the natural and spirit world

As Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck suggested:

Some cultures view nature as something to be conquered and controlled.

Others view themselves as subjected to nature.

High performance - oriented cultures• Assert their dominance over nature and try to shape the world to fit their needs

•Getting the job done is far more important than maintaining effective relationships

•What really matters is the task-related results that show what someone has accomplished

•People value competitiveness, assertiveness and achievement.

Low performance-oriented cultures

•People feel more controlled by nature and want to live in harmony with the natural and spiritual environment.

•Maintaining effective relationships is more important than is getting the job done.

•What matters most are cooperation, integrity and loyalty.

Edward Hall’s conceptHigh performance - oriented cultures

Low performance-oriented cultures

Tend to be low-context

•Prefer to use messages that are clear, explicit and direct

•Have a monochronic approach to time.Time is valuable and limited, events are sequential and punctuality is preferred.

Tend to be high-context

•Use high-context messages more often

•Their intent is to avoid direct confrontations and maintain harmony in their relationships

8.Future orientationDefinition: the extent to which a culture plans

for forthcoming events

It describes the degree to which cultures advocate long-term planning

Deferred gratification or the deeply felt satisfaction that comes from experiencing the simple pleasures of the present moment

Cultures are high in future orientation

(Iran, Hong Kong)

Cultures are low in future orientation

(Portugal, Venezuela)

•Believe that current pleasures are less important than future benefits.

=> Believe in planning, self-control and activities that have a delayed impact

•Want to save money and other resources

=>Believe in strategic planning, value economic success

•Like to live “in the moment” and are less constrained by doubts about the past or concerns about the future

=>Prefer to enjoy fully the experiences currently under way.

•Are more likely to spend now rather than save for later

=> View material and spiritual achievements as opposing goals and prefer the latter.

9.Humane orientation Refers to the extent to which cultures encourage

and reward their members for being benevolent and compassionate toward others or are concerned with self-gratification

Cultures high in humane orientation

Cultures low in humane orientation

•Value expressions of kindness, generosity, caring and compassion.

•People who express social support for others are admired

•Representative cultures: Zambia and Indonesia

Value comfort, pleasure, satisfaction, personal enjoyment

•Expected to confront personal problems by themselves

•Concerned primarlty with individual gratification

Representative cultures: Spain and white Africa

Comparing the GLOBE dimensionsCultural patterns represent a universal social

choice, made by each culture and learnt from the family and throughout the social institutions :

In the degree children are encouraged to have their own desires and motivations

In the solidarity and unity expected in the family Throughout the messages that are conveyed

See table 5.4: Information on each of the GLOBE practices for 61 countries

Table 5.5: Information on GLOBE values

The GLOBE research helps to clarify our understanding of cultural patterns in 2 ways: 1.It separates cultural practices from cultural values

(the ways people typically behave in everyday communication)

Cultural practices and culturalvalues are not always similar.

Eg: In Spain, power distance is very high but the ideal power distance is low

In Nordic European cultures, institutional collectivism is high but the peference for it is much lower

(what people regard as important and believe is ideal)

2. It helps to explain the complex nature of cultural patterns by:

Providing updated information on a wide range of cultures

Refining the distinctions that differentiate among cultures

Revising and expanding the cultural dimension

Eg: Whereas Japanese are extremely high in institutional collectivism, they are below the average for in-group collectivism

Cultural Taxonomies and Intercultural Competence

Cultural Taxonomies Cultures vary systematically in their choices

about solutions to basic human problems The taxonomies :• Offer lenses through which cultural

variations can be understood and appreciated• Help to describe the fundamental aspects of

cultures• Provide mechanisms to understand all

intercultural communication events.

Intercultural Competence In any intercultural encounter, people may be

communicating from very different perceptions

The competent intercultural communicator must recognize cultural variation in addressing basic human issues will always be a factor in intercultural communication

The Taxonomies allow to use culture-specific knowledge to improve intercultural competence:

Begin by seeking out information about the cultural patterns of those individuals you engage with

Study the patterns of your own culture.Requires only a willingness to reflect on your

personal preferences.Consider your own preferences by

juxtaposing them with the description of typical person from another culture.

Summary Three important taxonomies that can be used

to describe cultural variation:

Edward Hall placed cultures on a continuum from high to low context

Geert Hofstede described seven dimensions along which dominant patterns of a culture can be ordered:

The GLOBE researchers identified nine dimensions of culture and distinguished between cultural practice and cultural value