Submitted by: Submitted by eerasmus
Views: 122
Words: 1042
Pages: 5
Category: Other Topics
Date Submitted: 10/23/2014 12:36 PM
Edward Williams
January 9, 2014
Essay #1
Cross Cultural Management
Based on Hofstede’s original four dimensions, individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity/femininity, along with universalism/ particularism and Fons Trompenaars’s achievement versus ascription I will show how my own culture of the United States differs from that of the country of my choice, South Africa. “Differences in work related attitudes exist across a wide range of cultures”(Adler and Gundersen,2008 p.50). Although there are many similarities between the two countries this quote displays one must account for the variety of attitudes one will face when comparing different countries culture’s as it relates to cross cultural management and the dimensions mentioned above. Throughout this essay I will analyze the similarities and differences the U.S. and South Africa have in culture as it relates to these six different dimensions.
The first comparison comes with analyzing individualism and collectivism. Before analyzing we must first distinguish the difference between the two. Individualism happens when people make their main commitment to themselves and see themselves as separate individuals or in other words when people look out for their own best interests. Collectivism on the other hand focuses group related activities or more organizational aspects not individual accolades that focus on self-interest. According to the Hofstede Centre the U.S. and South Africa are individualistic cultures who look out for themselves and their immediate families. This research also indicates that Americans tend to do business with anyone and are not shy about approaching prospective colleagues to attain or seek information. One discrepancy I found between the two is that being individualistic in South Africa causes guilt and low self-esteem. Both the U.S. and South Africa base hiring and promotion on what one has done or can do.
Next there is the...