Hofstede's Cultural Dimension (singapore)

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University of Information Technology & Sciences (UITS) Assignment on: Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Course code: MGT 315 Course title: Organizational Organizational Behavior Submitted to: Shumi Sarar  !e"turer# !e"turer# S"hool of Business Submitted by: Ozair $lam %d &o 1351()** Date: 31+(3+1* 1 Singaore %f ,e e-.lore Singa.orean "ulture through the lens /Singa.ore is a multi0ethni" so"iet ,ith Chinese around 22# %ndian around *# Mala around 15 and e-.atriates around )4# ,e "an get a good overvie, of the dee. driving fa"tors of Singa.orean "ulture relative to other  ,orld "ultures+ !o"er Distance This dimension deals ,ith the fa"t that all individuals in so"ieties are not eual 6 it e-.resses the attitude of the "ulture to,ards these ineualities amongst us+ 7o,er Distan"e is defined as the e-tent to ,hi"h the less .o,erful mem8ers of institutions and organisations ,ithin a "ountr e-.e"t and a""e.t that .o,er is distri8uted uneuall+  Singa.ore s"ores high on this dimension /s"ore of 294+ :ith a Confu"ian 8a"ground /the Chinese4 the normall have a sn"reti" a..roa"h to religion# ,hi"h is also the dominant a..roa"h in Singa.ore+ One of the e .rin"i.les of Confu"ian tea"hing is the sta8ilit of  so"iet# ,hi"h is 8ased on uneual relationshi.s 8et,een .eo.le+ Confu"ius distinguished five  8asi" relationshi.s ruler0su8;e"t< father0son< older 8rother0ounger 8rother< hus8and0,ife< and senior friend0;unior friend+ These relationshi.s are 8ased on mutual and "om.lementar o8ligations+ Here ,e "an see the high 7D% as a "onseuen"e+  7o,er is "entralized and managers rel on their 8osses and on rules+ =m.loees e-.e"t to 8e told ,hat to do+ Control is e-.e"ted and attitude to,ards managers is formal+ Communi"ation is indire"t and the information flo, is sele"tive+ :e "an see the high 7D% also in the government>s defined five ?shared values@ 14 &ation 8efore "ommunit and so"iet a8ove self+ Individualism The fundamental issue addressed 8 this dimension is the degree of interde.enden"e a so"iet maintains among its mem8ers+ %t has to do ,ith ,hether .eo.leAs self0image is defined in terms of ?%@ or ?:e@+ %n %ndividualist so"ieties .eo.le are su..osed to loo after themselves and th%eir dire"t famil onl+ %n Colle"tivist so"ieties .eo.le 8elong to in grou.s> that tae "are of them in e-"hange for loalt+   Singa.ore# ,ith a s"ore of )( is a "olle"tivisti" so"iet+ This means that the ?:e@ is im.ortant# .eo.le 8elong to in0grou.s /families# "lans or organisations4 ,ho loo after ea"h other in e-"hange for loalt+ Here ,e "an also see the se"ond e .rin"i.le of the Confu"ian tea"hing The famil is the .rotot.e of all so"ial organizations+ $ .erson is not .rimaril an individual< rather# he or she is a mem8er of a famil+ Children should learn to restrain themselves# to over"ome their individualit so as to maintain the harmon in the famil+ Harmon is found ,hen ever8od saves fa"e in the sense of dignit# self0res.e"t# and  .restige+ So"ial relations should 8e "ondu"ted in su"h a ,a that ever8od's fa"e is saved+ 7aing res.e"t to someone is "alled giving fa"e+ 2  Communi"ation is indire"t and the harmon of the grou. has to 8e maintained# o.en "onfli"ts are avoided+ $ ?es@ doesn>t ne"essaril mean ?es@< .oliteness taes .re"eden"e over honest feed8a"+ The relationshi. has a moral 8asis and this al,as has .riorit over tas fulfilment+ The fa"e of others has to 8e res.e"ted and es.e"iall as a manager "almness and res.e"ta8ilit is ver im.ortant+ #asculinity $ high s"ore /Mas"uline4 on this dimension indi"ates that the so"iet ,ill 8e driven 8 "om.etition# a"hievement and su""ess# ,ith su""ess 8eing defined 8 the ,inner  8est in field  6 a value sstem that starts in s"hool and "ontinues throughout organisational life+ $ lo, s"ore /eminine4 on the dimension means that the dominant values in so"iet are "aring for others and ualit of life+ $ eminine so"iet is one ,here ualit of life is the sign of  su""ess and standing out from the "ro,d is not admira8le+ The fundamental issue here is ,hat motivates .eo.le# ,anting to 8e the 8est /Mas"uline4 or liing ,hat ou do /eminine4+  Singa.ore s"ores 9E and is in the ?middle@ of the s"ale 8ut more on the eminine side+ This means that the softer as.e"ts of "ulture su"h as leveling ,ith others# "onsensus# sm.ath for  the underdog are valued and en"ouraged+ Being modest and hum8le is seen as ver im.ortant< thus sho,ing that one no,s it all and therefore has "ome to edu"ate the "ounter.arts is not lied+ Confli"ts are avoided in .rivate and ,or life and "onsensus at the end is im.ortant+ During dis"ussions 8eing "autious is im.ortant# not to 8eing too .ersistent+ :e "an also see the feminism in the governments defined five ?shared values@ again 34 Communit su..ort and res.e"t for the individual+ Uncertainty Avoidance The dimension Fn"ertaint $voidan"e has to do ,ith the ,a that a so"iet deals ,ith the fa"t that the future "an never 8e no,n should ,e tr to "ontrol the future or ;ust let it ha..en This am8iguit 8rings ,ith it an-iet and different "ultures have learnt to deal ,ith this an-iet in different ,as+ The e-tent to ,hi"h the mem8ers of a "ulture feel threatened 8 am8iguous or unno,n situations and have "reated 8eliefs and institutions that tr to avoid these is refle"ted in the s"ore on Fn"ertaint $voidan"e+   Singa.ore s"ores E on this dimension and thus s"ores ver lo, on this dimension+ %n Singa.ore .eo.le a8ide to man rules not 8e"ause the have need for stru"ture 8ut 8e"ause of  high 7D%+ Singa.oreans "all their so"iet a ?ine "ountr+ ou>ll get a fine for everthing@+ $ong Term %rientation This dimension des"ri8es ho,ever so"iet has to maintain some lins ,ith its o,n .ast ,hile dealing ,ith the "hallenges of the .resent and future# and so"ieties .rioritise these t,o e-istential goals differentl+ &ormative so"ieties+ ,hi"h s"ore lo, on this dimension# for  e-am.le# .refer to maintain time0honoured traditions and norms ,hile vie,ing so"ietal "hange ,ith sus.i"ion+ Those ,ith a "ulture ,hi"h s"ores high# on the other hand# tae a more 3  .ragmati" a..roa"h the en"ourage thrift and efforts in modern edu"ation as a ,a to .re.are for the future+ Singa.ore s"ores 2)# this high s"ore is refel"ted in Singa.ore ,hi"h sho,s "ultural ualities su..orting long0term investment su"h as .erseveran"e# sustained efforts# slo, results# thrift<  8eing s.arse ,ith resour"es# ordering relationshi. 8 status and having a sense of shame /see also again the Confu"ian tea"hing4+ Singa.ore has also 8e"ome one of the five dragons ,ith an immense e"onomi" su""ess+ :hereas ,esterners have 8een looing for the truth# the Singa.oreans are em.hasizing virtue and the ,a ou do things+ The are al,as ee.ing their o.tions o.en as there are man ,as to sin a "at+ :esterners 8elieve that if $ is right# B must 8e ,rong# ,hereas .eo.le from =ast and Southeast $sian "ountries see that 8oth $ and B "om8ined .rodu"e something su.erior+ This mindset allo,s for a more .ragmati" a..roa"h to 8usiness+ Indulgence One "hallenge that "onfronts humanit# no, and in the .ast# is the degree to ,hi"h small "hildren are so"ialized+ :ithout so"ialization ,e do not 8e"ome ?human@+ This dimension is defined as the e-tent to ,hi"h .eo.le tr to "ontrol their desires and im.ulses# 8ased on the ,a the ,ere raised+ Ielativel ,ea "ontrol is "alled ?%ndulgen"e@ and relativel strong "ontrol is "alled ?Iestraint@+ Cultures "an# therefore# 8e des"ri8ed as %ndulgent or Iestrained+ %s it not .ossi8le to determine a .referen"e on this dimension 8e"ause of Singa.ore's intermediate s"ore of 9*+ 4