Comparing Singapore And Australia In Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions And Essay.

Your task is to compare Singapore and Australia in terms of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, and then discuss how national culture influences French & Raven's 'Five Bases of Power'.

Five Bases of Power

This essay deals with explaining the concept of power and change that influences the programs. In the assignment, main emphasis has been given on the cross-cultural influences on change that discuss the topic that derail change programs (Yacout, Omneyaand Lamiaa 2015, pp. 37-52). The theory of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions explains a framework that revolves around cross-cultural communication that was devised by Geert Hofstede. In addition, the dimensions explain the impact of the culture ingrained in society on the values of the members of that society. Furthermore, the framework describes the relationship between the principles as well as performance. The theory mainly signifies the aspects of culture as well as provides rating on a comparison scale (Geert-hofstede.com 2017). Cultural dimensions is one of the significant facet where the information of the manner differentiate the features of the trade in different cultures that help managers for understanding and sailing successfully in and across the international business market. Cultural norms play an important role in maintaining interpersonal relationships at work. It depends upon where the individual had grown and that directly links with behavioral norms in the society and reactions. All human beings are unique by nature and differ completely by behavior, actions, feelings and preferences. Hofstede cultural dimensions help in evaluating the approach and based on the general sense on how people in a particular society might think and react (Upadhyaya, Shikhaand Terri2015, p. 59).

Legitimate is one of the base of power that comes from belief where a person has the formal right for making demands as well as expecting others to be complaint and obedient (Upadhyaya, Shikha and Terri 2015, p 59).

Reward is one of the bases of power that results from one-person ability for compensating another for compliance (Rallapalli, Kumar and Cameron 2015, pp. 73-77).

Expert is one of the bases of power that is based on person who poses high level of skills as well as knowledge (Upadhyaya, Shikha and Terri 2015, p 59).

Referent is one of the bases of power that results of a person perceived attractiveness as well as worthiness and right of other’s respect (Mazanecet al. 2015, pp. 299-304).

Coercive is one of the bases of power that comes from belief where a person can be punished others especially in case of non-compliance (Yacout, Omneya and Lamiaa 2015, pp. 37-52).

Explaining the positive and negative aspects of the use of power in change programs will be as follows –

Explaining the Positive and Negative Aspects of the Use of Power in Change Programs

Introducing and defining Hofstede’s cultural dimensions

Power Distance- The measurement deals with the fact where all the persons in culture are equal as it articulates the approach of the traditions towards inequalities. Power Distance means the level to which the less powerful members of institutions as well as trade enterprise within a country anticipate and recognize where power is dispersed unequally (Makambe, Ushe and Rene Pellissier 2014).

Individualism – One of the basic issues that are addressed in the given measurement is the degree of interdependence where a culturepreserve among its other members. As far as individualist societies are concerned, people are mainly supposed for looking after their direct family. On the contrary, collectivist societies explain people where they belong in groups as they take care of them in exchange of loyalty (Khan andShahid 2014, p 239).

Masculinity –A high score in the Masculinity measurement reveals that the cultureare well driven by rivalry, achievement as well as accomplishment where success defined by the winner or best in the field (Upadhyaya, Shikha and Terri 2015, p 59). A low score in the feminine measurement reveals the fact that the dominant values in society as well as caring for others and excellence of life. In addition, feminine society is one where quality of life begins as the sign of achievement as well as standing out from the crowd that is not estimable. The main subject here is what motivates public and them wants to be best that can be either masculine or feminine (Huret al. 2015, pp. 487-508).

Uncertainty Avoidance –Uncertainty Avoidance is one of the dimensions where society deals with the fact and tries best for controlling over the future activities as far as possible (Geert-hofstede.com 2017). The sense of ambiguity aligns with anxiety as well as various cultures for learning anxiety in different ways. The members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations for creating beliefs as well as institutions so that they avoid the score that are mentioned in the uncertainty avoidance measurement to the extent. People in low Uncertainty Avoidance Index scoring countries are more relaxed, inclusive as well as open (Hofstede 2014).

Long-term orientation – Long-term orientation is the dimension that explains how each culture need to preserve some of the links with its own past at the time of commerce with the challenges that are faced by society in present or future as well as societies prioritize two existential goals in different ways (Yacout, Omneya and Lamiaa 2015, pp. 37-52). Scoring low in the normative societies in the dimension that prefers for maintaining time-honored traditions as well as norms at the time of looking at communaltransform with thought. Scoring high in the pragmatic societies in the measurementreally encourages thrift as well as efforts in contemporaryteaching for the near future. The dimension had been added recently as it lacks the depth of data. Self-enhancement is essential along with person desire for pleasing their elders (Dartey-Baah and Kwasi 2013, p 39).

Introducing and Defining Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

Indulgence – Indulgence dimension defines as the extent to which people try for controlling their desires as well as impulses (Upadhyaya, Shikha and Terri 2015, p 59). Weak control is known as indulgence as well as strong control is known as restraint.Countries that have high indulgence score allows or encourages relatively free gratification of people own drives as well as emotions at the same time. On the contrary, country that have low indulgence score keeps more emphasis on suppressing gratification as well as regulation on people conduct and behavior for showing stricter social norms (Chienet al. 2016, pp. 841-845) 

Exploring the power-related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions:

Compare and contrast the power-related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions between Australia and Singapore

A company which went through change will be an Australian listed company named as Wesfarmers Limited that had acknowledged that the world is changing because of cultural change. In that case, most of the communities are experiencing the need for cross-cultural recruitment and how it helps in daily activities. The company actually engages in recruiting right people for right job so that the recruited employees know their responsibilities well and work hard for becoming the asset in the near future. 

In conclusion, on comparing both countries such as Australia and Singapore, it is now understood their cultural dimensions by implementing Geert Hofstede Model. This model had been classified into six broad categories such as power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation and indulgence. After comparing countries like Australia and Singapore and argued that Singapore scores higher in power distance than that of Australia. In case of individualism, Australia scores higher than that of Singapore. In case of masculinity, Australia scores higher than that of Singapore. In case of uncertainty avoidance, Australia scores higher than that of Singapore. In case of long-term orientation, Singapore scores higher than that of Australia. In case of indulgence, Australia scores higher than that of Singapore. After making the comparison, it was clearly taken into account that the model help in highlighting the unique culture that these two countries (Australia and Singapore) follows in their daily lives. It is important to keep a score of each country and then evaluate the performance as well as carrying out further research for future activities. Making cultural sensitivity considers as the daily part of the life and valuing people differences on how to respect things that make people who they are. It is necessary for challenging oneself about one culture and comparing it with Hofstede score as well as determining their accuracy and relevance.

Reference List

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Chien, Shih-Yi, Katia Sycara, Jyi-Shane Liu, and AsiyeKumru. "Relation between Trust Attitudes Toward Automation, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, and Big Five Personality Traits." In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 841-845. Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, 2016.

Dartey-Baah, Kwasi. "The cultural approach to the management of the international human resource: An analysis of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions." International Journal of Business Administration 4, no. 2 (2013): 39.

Geert-hofstede.com. 2017. Australia - Geert Hofstede. [online] Available at: https://geert-hofstede.com/australia.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2017].

Geert-hofstede.com. 2017. Singapore - Geert Hofstede. [online] Available at: https://geert-hofstede.com/singapore.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2017].

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Khan, Shahid N. "Impact of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions on Subordinate’s Perception of Abusive Supervision." International Journal of Business and Management 9, no. 12 (2014): 239.

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