Question

Compare how the United States differs from Fiji on Hofstede’s six dimensions of culture.

Answer 1

POWER DISTANCE- A high score of 78 points to Fiji's having a hierarchical culture. That means people are embracing a hierarchical order in which everyone has a position and no further justification is required. In an organisation, hierarchy is seen as representing inherent inequality, centralization is commonplace, subordinates expect to be told what to do, and the ideal boss is a benevolent self-government.

This dimension deals with the fact that not all individuals in societies are equal, and expresses the culture's attitude toward these inequalities in power among us. Power gap is characterized as the degree to which the less powerful members of a country's institutions and organizations anticipate and agree that power is unequally distributed. It has to do with the fact that the followers approve of the inequality of a society as much as the leaders do.

INDIVIDUALISM- The comparatively low score on Power Distance(40) in tandem with one of the world's most individualistic (91) societies is expressed in the following: the American concept of "equality and justice for all." This is illustrated by an strong focus on equal rights in all areas of American society and policy. Hierarchy is built for ease within American organisations, subordinates are accessible and managers rely on individual workers and teams for their expertise. Both managers and workers expect collaboration, and regular exchange of information. At the same time, contact is informal, direct and to some degree participative

An extraordinarily low score of 14 means Fiji is known as a collectivistic society. This is apparent in a close, long-term devotion to the 'gang' member, whether it is a spouse, extended family, or extended relations. Loyalty is paramount in a collectivist system, which overrides any other laws and regulations in society. The culture encourages good partnerships in which all take responsibility for their group's fellow members. In collectivist societies: offense leads to guilt and loss of face, relationships between employer and employee are viewed in moral terms (like a family connection), hiring and promotion decisions take into account the in-group of the employee and management is the gr management

MASCULINITY- In this aspect, Fiji obtained an intermediate score of 46 so no strong cultural preference can be demonstrated at this time. The US score on Masculinity is high at 62, and that can be seen in traditional American patterns of behaviour. The combination of a strong masculinity drive with the most individualistic drive in the world can explain this. In other words, so to speak, Americans are all displaying their individual Masculine energy. Although, in this respect, the British have the same history. This difference is a reflection of the higher score of the US on Uncertainty Avoidance than of the UK.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE- The US scores below average on the Ambiguity Avoidance element, with a low score of 46. As a result, the perceived context in which Americans find themselves will have a greater impact on their behavior than if the culture had either scored higher or lower With a relatively low score of 48, Fiji has a relatively pragmatic culture of avoidance of uncertainty. This means that it needs generalists as well as experts. Planning is the priority, and these plans can be altered and improvisations made at short notice. In such cultures, emotions are not seen much; people are treated equally, and are not averse to taking risks.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION- Americans are likely to examine new knowledge to see if it's valid. Therefore, culture does not make most Americans realistic, but this should not be confused with the fact that Americans are very practical, evidenced by the above-mentioned "can-do" mindset. So to speak, the above division is strengthened by the fact that many Americans have very clear opinions about "good" and "evil." This can apply to topics such as abortion, drug use, euthanasia, weapons or government size and rights versus states and residents.

INDULGENCE- The U.S. scores on sixth dimension as an Indulgent (68) culture. This is expressed in the following conflicting attitudes and behaviors, in conjunction with a standard score: Work hard and play hard. The States have waged and are still very busy fighting a war on drugs, and opioid abuse in the states is higher than in many other affluent countries. It is a responsible culture, but even some well-known television-angelists seem unethical.