Intercultural skills
Hofstede's dimensions, context and time according to Hall, the difference between a stereotype and a generalisation, British understatement and the gaps between British and American English.
- 22 cards
- 5 topics
- Free
The outline, topic by topic
Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.
- Concepts
- Questions
- Sort and link
- On the timeline
- Scenarios
A few cards from the deck
Power distance: what is it?
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The degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept that power is distributed unequally.
When high, hierarchies are marked and people rarely challenge their boss; when low, exchanges between levels are more direct. It is one of Hofstede's dimensions.
A project manager notes that his team asks for written procedures for everything and hates vague instructions. Which Hofstede dimension is high?
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Power distance
- Individualism
- Indulgence
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Uncertainty avoidance
The need for written rules and discomfort with vagueness are what uncertainty avoidance looks like. Power distance is about accepting unequal power, not about the need for structure.
Hofstede's six dimensions are power distance, individualism, motivation towards achievement, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation and ….
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Hofstede's six dimensions are power distance, individualism, motivation towards achievement, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation and indulgence.
"Indulgence" means letting people freely satisfy their desires, as opposed to restraint. It is the sixth dimension, added after the first five.
Uncertainty avoidance: what is it?
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The degree to which a society feels uncomfortable with ambiguity and the unknown, shown by a need for precise rules and structures.
A team with strong avoidance prefers detailed plans and written procedures; a team with weak avoidance is more ready to improvise.
In a meeting, a Dutch colleague says "This plan won't work" in front of the manager, and your Japanese colleague goes silent. What do you do to get his opinion?
- Ask him loudly in the meeting why he stays silent.
- Take his silence as agreement and move on.
- Tell the Dutch colleague to stop sharing opinions.
- Ask him one-to-one after the meeting what he thinks.
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Ask him one-to-one after the meeting what he thinks.
Two styles collide: direct frankness on one side, saving face and high context on the other. A private or written exchange lets the opinion come out without exposing anyone. Taking silence for agreement is the classic mistake.