Hofstede's Dimensions

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People’s Republic of China

The globalization trend has impacted China in such way, especially around the advanced city such as Shanghai and Beijing, that most young adults now had been influenced and shocked by many cultures altogether. This, of course, would have an impact on the future cultural standing of China, and also the changes concerning the Hofstede’s 5 dimensions (Cohen, n. d.; Powell, 2015; Browaeys & Price, 2011).[pic 13]

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China’s view towards distribution of power, inequality, and quality (figure 1) ranked highly with the value of 80 on the PDI scale, which indicated the hierarchical management system among the society. This led to the dependency towards the higher or upper rank (laoban) among the workplace without any hindrance of discussion, debate, or any unnecessary risk taken by new or inexperienced worker. The situation often reduce the inefficiency, uplifted the team’s productivity, and delivering the goal that has been set. Having a passive set of workflow, however, could limit the creativity, innovation, and the employee-led ability to inquire ideas (Hofstede, 1980; Powell, 2015).

Exploring to the IDV scale of 20, China unsurprisingly, combined with the writer’s own experience, scored low on the individualism and hinted the collectivism based society. This pointed the tendency of the people to work in the group rather than individually. The situation could also lead to the favoritism or preferential treatment among the closer group or family in the workplace than that which were not. Yet having a closer group of people working together could also increase the productivity of the group which the company could also benefit (Hofstede, 1980; Powell, 2015).

China also leaned more towards the masculinity, with the score of 66, which mean the society were more likely to be success oriented and driven, rather than the quality of life that stood from the crowd (femininity) (Hofstede, 1980; Sanders, 2014).

Countries like China who had low accepting UAI score of 20, attempted to have the least amount of laws and regulations as possible, and the society leaned more towards apathetic and thoughtful, and did not usually shows expression (Hofstede, 1980; Powell, 2015; Sanders, 2014).

Republic of Indonesia

Indonesia was quite an interesting case, since natives and mixed-blood were all considered Indonesian but has different culture and influence. Indonesia, like China, has also been crossed culture by many first and third world countries. The country also has more than twenty ethnic group consisted of different culture in the different part of the islands within the country, but the main backbone of the culture stays relatively similar. Some regulations, however, might be needed to be noted that the laws of the country consisted of local adat (old cultural or ethnical customs) and the country’s based laws.[pic 15]

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Indonesia’s score (figure 2) on the dimensions were quite similar to China, particularly on the PDI scale with Indonesia having 78, and China 80, which explained the same case of acceptance in unequally power distribution, and direct management among the society (figure 3). The second that came close were IDV and UAI, with both having less than 20 points difference among the two countries, having the mindset of grouping and discretion, except, in such case as Indonesia, the UAI represents two group: majority and minority. Majority, the Natives of Indonesia, were prone to be discreet, and direct communication as conflict solution was considered as threatening. Minority, the mixed-blood, mainly Chinese Indonesian, prefer more to the direct point, and also shows more expression, but also in the same time, appreciate discretion (Hofstede, 1980; Author’s Experience, 2010).[pic 17]

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The major differences were the MAS and LTO, Indonesia having 46 points, China 66 for MAS, 62 and 87 for LTO which made the difference of 20 and 25. The masculinity was significantly lowered after the Javanese heroine Raden Adjeng Kartini, in 1903, led a revolution to the rights of women, and the struggles of women in daily basis of society, which now allowed women to live more independently and legal Presidential voting (Hofstede, 1980; Biography Editors, 2014).

A case of LTO, again, divided by the two groups of minority and majority. Based on the author’s family and experience, the majority of Indonesian has a short term orientation regarding money spent from earnings, thus differ from the compiled data. The minority of Chinese-Indonesian, influenced by China’s based culture of long term orientation, prefer to save rather than spent on unnecessary items, and only to spend occasionally or only a necessity. Culture-wise, however, both showed to adapt traditions and pragmatic approach regarding education for a way to devise the future (Hofstede, 1980; Biography Editors, 2014; Author’s Experience, 2011; Cote, 2014).

China and Indonesia had history with many individual culture for the ethnic groups, yet all were combined and considered not long after the unity of the country in mid 40s after the colonization and war (Mark, 2012). The rich ancient culture from the kingdoms era to the government parties and leaderships were not lost, but progressed and combined along with the advancement of digital era and globalization, to produce a mixed cultural phenomenon that might not be possible before the rapid industrial revolution and the leaders to open the heart of the nation to welcomed brand new experience of many culture around the world and being able to interact and communicate even with the undeniable distance.

Word Count: 1560

Reference List

Anastasia. (2015). Understanding Cultures & People with Hofstede Dimensions Retrieved November 20, 2016, from https://www.cleverism.com/understanding-cultures-people-hofstede-dimensions/

Browaeys. H.-J., & Price, R. (2015). Understanding Cross-Cultural Management (2nd Edition.). Harlow, England: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.

Catalin, P. (2012). Author Info. Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, XII(1), 644–649. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ovi/oviste/vxiiy2012i12p644-649.html

Cohen, G. Modern day China Culture. Retrieved November 22, 2016, from http://traveltips.usatoday.com/modern-day-china-culture-17217.htm

Cote, J. J. (2014). Raden Ajeng Kartini and cultural