Post on 11-May-2015
Requires every culture to find a solution, pertains to the
cultural preference for : Dominance and forcefulness Nurturance and social support
Describes the extent to which people value and prefer: Tough aggressiveness Tender non-aggressiveness
Assertiveness
High-context culturesValue strength, success and taking the initiative
•Competition is good, winning is desirable and rewards should go to those who are victorious.
•People are encouraged to be competitive, visible and successful
•Representative cultures: Germany and Hong Kong
Low-context culturesValue modesty, tenderness, warm relationships and cooperation
• Competition is bad, a win-lose orientation is unacceptable and rewards should be shared among all.
• Nurturance and social support are important, a sense of solidarity.
• Friendliness is much more important than brilliance
• Typical cultures: Kuwait and Thailand
Performance orientation
1.Definition
The degree to which a culture encourages and rewards people for their accomplishments
2.The ways people are regarded as superior to others
1. Because of who they are: the “correct” family background, age, gender, birth order, school.
2.Based on personal achievements: the amount of education, success in business, physical strength, occupation…
High performance- oriented cultures(In Canada and Singapore)
Status is based on what a person has accomplished.
•Schooling and education are critical to one’s success
•People are expected to demonstrate some initiative in work-related tasks and expectations are high.
Low performance-oriented cultures
Low performance-oriented cultures(In Colombia and
Guatemala)
Status is based on who you are.
Attending the “right” school is important, as are family connections, seniority, loyalty and tradition.
3.People‘s preferred relationship to the natural and spirit world
As Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck suggested:
Some cultures view nature as something to be conquered and controlled.
Others view themselves as subjected to nature.
High performance - oriented cultures• Assert their dominance over nature and try to shape the world to fit their needs
•Getting the job done is far more important than maintaining effective relationships
•What really matters is the task-related results that show what someone has accomplished
•People value competitiveness, assertiveness and achievement.
Low performance-oriented cultures
•People feel more controlled by nature and want to live in harmony with the natural and spiritual environment.
•Maintaining effective relationships is more important than is getting the job done.
•What matters most are cooperation, integrity and loyalty.
4.Edward Hall’s conceptHigh performance - oriented cultures
Low performance-oriented cultures
Tend to be low-context
•Prefer to use messages that are clear, explicit and direct
•Have a monochronic approach to time.Time is valuable and limited, events are sequential and punctuality is preferred.
Tend to be high-context
•Use high-context messages more often
•Their intent is to avoid direct confrontations and maintain harmony in their relationships
Future orientationDefinition: the extent to which a culture plans
for forthcoming events
It describes the degree to which cultures advocate long-term planning
Deferred gratification or the deeply felt satisfaction that comes from experiencing the simple pleasures of the present moment
Cultures are high in future orientation
(Iran, Hong Kong)
Cultures are low in future orientation
(Portugal, Venezuela)
•Believe that current pleasures are less important than future benefits.
=> Believe in planning, self-control and activities that have a delayed impact
•Want to save money and other resources
=>Believe in strategic planning, value economic success
•Like to live “in the moment” and are less constrained by doubts about the past or concerns about the future
=>Prefer to enjoy fully the experiences currently under way.
•Are more likely to spend now rather than save for later
=> View material and spiritual achievements as opposing goals and prefer the latter.