Greece recently signed in the first female President, not only is this ground breaking because well she is the first female President in Greece but also because she doesn’t have a political background (Labropoulou, 2020). After reading about Mexico ranking high in masculinity and learning, “You would expect to see leadership in organizations to be primarily males, whereas you would only see women in roles such as administration if you saw them in the workplace at all” (PSU, n.d.), I really wanted to know how Hofstede’s dimensions apply to this historical event in Greece. After refreshing on the six dimensions, I identified masculinity, long term orientation, and individualism as factors that allowed for this historical event.

Greece ranked a 57 in masculinity which is a median score. Unlike was we learned about Mexico, generally seeing male and female specific jobs, this is said less for Greece. Even though “men consider it a personal honor to care for their female” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.), women are not limited in the workplace as in Mexico. The Greece culture can be described as “success oriented and driven” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.).

The long term orientation dimension is defined as “how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). This has to deal with the normative of society, for Greece there is a balance to “maintain time-honored traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Historically in Greece women had few rights, while they maintain traditions they have embraced societal changes. I think it is important to note that Greece had an intermediate ranking for long term orientation dimension.

Lastly, individualism is described as “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). Scoring a 35, Greece is a collectivist culture, “which means that in this country people from birth onwards are integrated into the strong, cohesive in-group (especially represented by the extended family; including uncles, aunts, grandparents and cousins) which continues protecting its members in exchange for loyalty” (Hofstede Insights, n.d.).

With consideration to these three dimension, I believe that culturally this historical event took place because Greece scored fairly median, there weren’t any extremes. In turn, Greece culturally is still embracing historical traditions while being able to grow. The new President, has a lot of a knowledge and diverse experience, though not political, that citizens feel she will be able to do great things.

References:

Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). What about Greece? Retrieved from: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/greece/

Labropoulou, E.(2020, January). Katerina Sakellaropoulou becomes Greece’s first woman president. Retired from: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/22/europe/greece-president-katerina-sakellaropoulou-intl/index.html

Pennsylvania State University. (n.d.). Lesson 09. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977868

Every culture has its own unique sets of values, traditions, and norms. Because of the historic heritage from the ancient civilization of the Aztec and Maya, the Mexican culture is one of the most well known and fascinating cultures of the world. To help understand the Mexican culture, the framework of Hofstede’s dimension of cultures has helped viewers to get a deeper understanding of the culture while comparing it to other cultures of the world. This model is a guide that provides an in-depth understanding of cultural dimensions such as individualism, power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence within a social group. Although understanding all the dimension of culture is equally as important, the two dimensions that differentiate the Mexican culture to others is long-term orientation and indulgence vs. Restraint.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

According to the Hofstede dimension of Individualism vs. collectivism, it addressed the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). To break it down, individualism simply means that individual choices and decisions are expected. People are supposed to look out after themselves and the direct family only (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). In collective societies, people belong “in groups” that takes care of them in exchange for loyalty with living up to the notion of “knows one place” in life (Geert Hofstede, n.d.). Mexico scored a low of 30 for the dimension of individualism, a score that is on the lower end of the category compared to the rest of the world (Pennsylvania State University, 2020). This can only indicate that Mexico is a collectivistic society. People in this culture prefer to work in groups from family members to extended family and or extended relationships. The roots of strong family traditions such as unity and selflessness continue as the family remains a top priority with greater emphasis on common goals rather can individual pursuits in the Mexican culture.

Indulgence vs. Restraint

On the higher end of the spectrum, Mexico’s indulgence vs. restraint scored a high 97 (Pennsylvania State University, 2020). In many studies, the world average on this dimension is 45.42 with the standard deviation of 22 (Pennsylvania State University, 2020). Because of the influences of the Aztecs, Mayas, Olmecs, and Zapotecs which are all well-organized societies played a large role in family traditions and structure to value the human needs and drives. To be indulgent is to exhibit behaviors that are impulsive and the desire of enjoying life and having fun (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). For example, the Mexicans are well known to have annual celebrations and fiestas. Fiestas provide opportunities for spending time with their inner-group families and extended families to honor the importance of special occasions. This also allows them to continue their practices of religious traditions that are deeply embedded in their culture.

The culture of Mexico is fascinating. For countries to collaborate and partner with each other, one must be sensitive to the other culture. Understanding the cultural dimensions of a country can really help provide cultural intelligence to be more successful in today’s global arena. Great leaders are required to demonstrate strong sets of knowledge and motivation with other countries to build relations that can help foster businesses and sustainability.

References

Geert Hofstede. (n.d.). Retrieved from The 6-D model of national culture: https://geerthofstede.com/culture-geert-hofstede-gert-jan-hofstede/6d-model-of-national-culture/

Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mexico: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/mexico/

Pennsylvania State University. (2020, March 10). Leadership in a global context–OLEAD410. Retrieved from Lesson 9: Central America and Mexico, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977868

Since the 1990’s India has been experiencing a wave of industrialization that looks to modernize its political and social infrastructure by altering long existing laws and traditions which limit its economic capability in a modern world. Possessing a well-educated, English speaking labor force along with natural resources has made India a long sought-after market for foreign investors. However, a protectionist mindset and a culture that is leery of foreigners has produced laws and customs adverse to such investment. However, with changes to their Constitution as well as leaders originating from the lower castes, India has adopted democratic policies which seek to leverage the power distance factor identified by Hofstede (Moran Abramson 2014), placing it in a better position to optimize the resources found in its labor force. Actions such as industrial deregulation, the privatization of formerly state-owned businesses, and reduced controls of foreign investment and international trade are examples of initiatives designed to bolster its economy (Moran Abramson 2014). One of the effects of this modernization is the pressure to abolish use of its ancient caste system, which has traditionally prevented upward mobilization of lower castes and isolated intermingling of members between castes.

For more than 3000 years India’s social structure has been dominated by customs and traditions established as a result of their dominant religion: Hinduism. It is through Hinduism that Brahma, the God of Creation in the Hindu belief system established and sanctioned the stratification of India’s people according to their family occupation within society. This system of division is referred to as the caste system. Each caste, or varna, is represented by a different part of Brahma’s body in order of descending priority beginning from the head moving down to the feet. Considered the most esteemed in society and therefore the highest caste, or varna, are Brahmins. Represented by the head of Brahma are doctors, teachers, engineers, and priests. Moving down in prestige, representing the arms, are the Kshatriyas, who are traditionally the rulers or warriors. Next are the Vaishyas. They are represented by the legs of Brahma and work as merchants, farmers, and traders. Next to last are the Shudras, who typically work as laborers, and are represented by the feet of the deity. A final caste of society which is believed to be excluded from this list due to the undesirable nature of their work are the Dalits. They serve as streetsweepers or latrine cleaners. They are considered the outcasts of society (BBC 2019). Within the main castes are to be found more than three thousand divisions of castes as well as twenty-five thousand subcategories. These are referred to as jatis. The caste system was developed as a way to organize people and add structure to society. Within the caste system members of different castes are not allowed to intermarry, socialize, or live within the same communities. Prior to the British colonialization of India in the eighteenth century, the caste system was not rigidly enforced. Members among the various castes experienced more relaxed social rules. However, during colonialization, the British, in an effort to conduct census and establish better systems of classification enforced the ancient tradition of the caste system.

As India’s economy becomes more industrialized and with it the creation of jobs requiring higher levels of education for both men and women, long held attitudes and values such as the role of women in society and the relegation of members to menial jobs based solely on the caste system are being challenged. With these challenges members of lower castes seek social mobility. Social mobility is the movement from the traditional occupation of one caste to a better occupation found within another. A study by Divya Vaid (The Caste-Class Association in India 2012) examines the effects of modernization on India’s caste system. It not only seeks to answer the question of whether these changes have facilitated social mobility between the castes, varnas, but also examines mobility of various classes of people, jatis, within the castes. What this study found is that upward mobility exists primarily amongst those members of the intermediate castes such as the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, leaving occupations traditional to their caste, and working in those found in higher castes. Interestingly enough, the author found the extremes of the caste system the most rigid when it came to social mobility. Those of the highest caste such as the Brahmins and those of the lowest caste such as the Dalits tended to remain in their traditional occupations. When the author examined the causes for this, her research indicated the Dalits wanted to advance into occupations of those held by upper castes, however, resistance from those of the higher castes wanting to sustain traditional roles was strong. Despite this trend, data indicates while members of the outcast groups found it difficult to move between castes, this did not imply that members of the uppermost caste were insulated from downward mobility.

This disparity between the castes is also changing as a result of a fluid political structure. As India becomes more socially liberal, which seems to be an inevitable byproduct of modernization, changes in the law follow. On 26 January 1950 the Indian Constitution was adopted. With this adoption came several changes in how society operates. One such change is the development of “reservations”. These are constitutionally recognized groups afforded preferential policies. As a result of this, quotas are reserved for those of the lower castes in institutions of higher learning, public sector jobs, and within the legislature. Also, today discrimination based on caste is illegal (Moran Abramson 2014). These initiatives reflect an India that recognizes that systems that may have worked in the past will no longer be appropriate in the future and that the road to advancement and prosperity lies with the undeveloped human resources inherent in its people across all castes and classes and not just the upper echelon. Two examples of this are BR Ambedkar, a member of the Dalit caste, who authored the Indian Constitution; and KR Narayanan, the nation’s first Dalit president. These two men represent examples of the benefits of the democracy in comparison to the caste system.

Resources

BBC. (2019). What is India’s Caste System? 19 June, 2019.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616

Vaid, Divya. (2012). The Caste-Class Association in India: An Empirical Analysis. Asian Survey, Vol. 52, No. 2 (March/April 2012). University of California Press pp. 395-422.

Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. Chapter 1: Global Leaders, Culture, and a Changing World. (New York: Routledge). p.19, 368, 369.

In the U.S. we are told we can become anything we want when we grow up. Not so much in India where hundreds of millions of people are held back by a deeply entrenched caste system that refuses to go away. Despite being outlawed in 1950, just three short years after the end of British rule, the nearly 90 years of British rule perpetuated and may have institutionalized the caste system for all future generations.

To understand what a caste system is, Wright tells us “Think of it as the opposite of the American Dream. Each caste is said to have come from a different part of the body of Brahma, the Hindu creator god. In the caste system, people are born into their situation in life, including the occupations open to them. And because they can only marry people within their caste, it’s a vicious cycle that never ends.”

With the election of an Indian President, from the lowest caste called Dalits, K.R. Narayanan, and the explosion of outsourced MNC (multinational corporation) jobs for entry-level workers, hope to increase the opportunities for those in lower castes is at a near frenzy. Outsourcing companies have exploded in India since the U.S. began outsourcing service jobs in the early 2000s.

Called BPO’s, (Business Processing Outsourcing Companies), these are the mega employers who front massive customer service call centers for some of the largest multinational companies (MNC’s) in the U.S. Clients like Microsoft, United Airlines, Infosys and Wells Fargo, just to name a few, are among the giants who have outsourced call center jobs to India. With these jobs comes the promise of a better life for those not wealthy enough for a college education. There is one catch however, proficiency in the English language is a must.

Gaining proficiency in the English language can become a game-changer for those in lower castes. Often families pool what little money they have together to give one of their family members a shot at changing everyone’s future. Teaching English proficiency and especially the removal of accents or the adoption of regional U.S. accents has become a big business in India. To address the demand of English-speaking countries, hundreds of these training centers have sprung up all over India – promising a future for the equivalent of $900 or more per class. Let’s put this in perspective.

To understand the impact of gaining a strong English proficiency Hartley and Walker provide a glimpse into the life of a young man named Krishna,

“Krishna Shah is 30 years old and unmarried. To a conservative Indian family like his, that combination is unacceptable. The South Indian comes from a culture where expectations are that men marry by the time, they are 25. But in India, one of the requisites of the desirable bachelor is a respectable job, and Krishna hasn’t been able to land one. Though he spent years working abroad in Dubai for a graphic design firm, he hasn’t been able to transfer that experience back into a job at home. Now, Krishna is anxious to settle down and start a family, pressured by the rumors circulating among his village 40 kilometers south of Mysore.
“My family and friends will speak fine when they’re in front of me, but as soon as I go away, they backstab me like anything,” he revealed during one of our class breaks, referring to gossip around the dining room table when he isn’t home.
Krishna thinks that a job at a call center is the key to tying the knot. In India, the customer service jobs are known to be respectable and well-paying, enough to give Krishna the income, and the title, to become a suitable bachelor. While a typical wage earner earns 5,000 rupees a month, a call center employee takes in as much as 15,000 rupees (300 dollars). “

Hartley and Walker continue on this subject, “As long as your accent is good, it’s not that hard to get a job on the floor, because of the high burnout rate and booming industry. There are over 265,000 BPO jobs in Bangalore alone, of which call center positions represent a sizable proportion.

While India has declared they are no longer discriminating against lower caste levels and there are, in some places, affirmative action guidelines it is by no means the norm to offer an opportunity to all. The barrier to entry might have been diminished and certainly more people than ever before have access to language training but economic mobility and opportunity are still out of reach by many.

In a country whose cultural norm for more than 5000 years is steeped in collectivism versus individualism, India also scores very highly on the Hofstede scale for power distance. Meaning they are more willing to tolerate a society with wide distances between rich and poor. These two areas seem, particularly at odds. Plus, when you factor in the impact of British colonialism which created even more power distance and reinforced the deeply entrenched caste practices already held in Indian society. There was an unintended consequence. “English as the language of status and achievement in India is creating another layer of societal hierarchy, internalized oppression, and control that the country can do without.” (Staff, 2017)

References
Hartley, M., & Walker, C. (2012, December 20). The culture shock of INDIA’S call centers. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/morganhartley/2012/12/16/the-culture-shock-of-indias-call-centers/#4004cd6272f5

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.

Staff, P. (2017, March 23). How English creates a new caste system in India. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://psmag.com/news/how-english-creates-a-new-caste-system-in-india

Wright, M. (2017, March 20). The Indian caste system explained. Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/the-indian-caste-system-explained

Latin America has been coined as being “one of the hardest places in which to do business” with (How to, 2017). One difficult place to conduct commercial agreements and to develop trade with is Brazil (How to, 2017). One major advantage this country has is it’s diverse economy due to its large number of human and natural resources (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). This involves the production of airplanes, orange juice, metals, automobiles, timber, shoes, and more (Moran et al., 2014). With businesses and economic opportunities constantly growing, Brazilians have developed a number of negotiation styles. There are many negotiation styles used in Brazil, however this article will give you an overview of the specific characteristics these negotiation styles have. A few characteristics to be mentioned are group over individual, relationship over task, and flexible over inflexible (Moran et al., 2014).

Moran et al. (2014) describe the group over individual characteristic as preferring the group over oneself in regard to sharing bonuses amongst other business situations. This type of personal preference for Brazilians shows just how much each one cares for individuals in their workplace since they are willing to negotiate for the team as a team player over their own preference. Brazilians have a very expressive communication style, which helps them to get their point across in the negotiation process (Moran et al., 2014). The authors also explain that friends are given preferential treatment because Brazilians have a traditional dominant value of community, loyalty, and generosity.

The second negotiation characteristic is relationship over task. Brazilians value friendship and relationships before even negotiating a task (Moran et al., 2014). The meaning behind this is because they do not believe a task can be completed with an impaired relationship. This is because there is a belief that “negotiations cannot be rushed”, since the development of personal relationships need an adequate amount of time before business deals and trust can be established (Moran et al., 2014). In regards to business deals, negotiations are more of an “open flow of information,” where the negotiation goal is to either build a relationship or a contract (Fang, Schaumburg, & Fjellström, 2017; Ghauri & Usunier, 2003).

Brazilians are also very adaptive, which leads up to the next characteristic being flexible over inflexible. Moran et al. (2014) infer that according to most Brazilians, they believe individuals lack intelligence and are considered to be unimaginative if an individual sticks to “following standard procedures”. This thought process is due to the fact that Brazilian laws, inflation rates, and exchange rates are consistently fluctuating. A few recent specific situations where this has happened are the lack of water supplies and periods of blackouts (Moran et al., 2014). Brazilians learned to adjust very quickly to change because of this and do not like to be inflexible with decisions, let alone negotiations.

All in all, it can be said that the Brazilian negotiation styles are very adaptive and can take quite a while when figuring out a business deal due to the fact that their relationships are grown and valued over time. Brazilians value ones trust and prefer to put their team over themselves because of their traditional dominant value of a sense of community and loyalty. Brazil’s natural and human resources are what makes the country so marketable. This is why there are a number of negotiating styles in Brazil to help in each particular circumstance involving business deals. In order to understand the Brazilian negotiation style, one has to thoroughly understand Brazil’s negotiating characteristics of putting one’s relationship over task, putting a group first over an individual, and how flexibility is valued more than inflexibility.

References

Fang, T., Schaumburg, J., & Fjellström, D. (2017). International business negotiations in brazil. The Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 32(4), 591-605. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1108/JBIM-11-2016-0257

Ghauri, P.N. & Usunier, J.C. (2003). International Business Negotiation (2nd ed.). Pergamon Publisher, Oxford.

How to do business in Brazil: Understanding a unique negotiating style from Latin America. (2017). Strategic Direction, 33(8), 36-38. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1108/SD-05-2017-0087

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.

There are numerous concepts on leadership and the best approach on working with others in the workplace. Parts of our leadership style here in America come from social norms of the dos and don’ts we experience. This is the same for others in around the world, for example Saudi Arabia and others in the middle east. Our leadership and management style here in American and that of the middle east differs vastly due to the differences in culture, social beliefs and norms. Because of these differences both groups have a difference approach on how to lead and manage people. Because the two social groups differ the expectation on what one can expect from management tends to follow with their own culture. In other words, those that live here in America have a sense of what leadership style they want and need from a American manager or leader and may not necessarily work if lead by an eastern style way of managing and leading.

I have been part of management for the last decade. I have lead small and large groups of people in different capacities. The common theme I have seen is the need for my subordinates to feel included in my decisions and how it affects them all the while being a servant leader. Collaboration and teamwork has never been so important when managing a younger group of people. In an article posted by Tara Duggan who is a Project Management professional (PMP) who has 25 years of experience and specializes in knowledge management and instructional design says, “Leadership styles commonly used by business leaders in the United States include the directive, participative, empowering, charismatic and celebrity. According to Robert J. House of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, six culturally endorsed leadership dimensions contribute to leader effectiveness, including charismatic, team-oriented, participative, humane-oriented, self-protective and autonomous. Attributes include trustworthiness, motivational and excellence-oriented (Duggan, n.d.). These are all attributes of what would be considered a great leader here in America. Though these are all great attributes not all would work in a different cultural setting for example in the middle east. To better understand the middle east style of managing we need to first understand their way of life and how it differs from those here in America.

The buzz around the Islamic way of living has many untrue connotations which is not fair to the people of that region. It is becoming increasingly upsetting that those who are spreading hatred and malicious way of thinking about Islamic lifestyle and putting them all under one umbrella should be firmly dismissed and discredited. We all have our own thoughts on the matter and what we learned from the lesson is the Islamic way of living has religion in mind in all aspects of their way of life. We learn from the lesson that, “followers adhere to its teachings in a different way than other religions. Many Islamic teachings make their way into law, and several countries in the region have theocracies, governments that are run by religious authorities. Islamic teachings, therefore, become law… Islam guides many people’s lives in the Middle East. The word Islam translates to “giving one’s self to Allah/God,” so the teachings that are found in the Qur’an (or Koran) guide people’s daily lives. But like every other religion, there are various branches that interpret the words of the Qur’an differently” (PSU, n.d.). Just like Christianity there are many branches of religion so we cannot assume a person who practices the Islamic style of living is the same as others. Because culture and religion differ vastly in both American and Islam how managers act and react to certain situations will differ. Those that are being managed also have a certain perception on leadership and can anticipate what a leader’s reaction would be and their demeanor on certain situations.

The management style in the middle east differs in many ways from America style of leading and managing. Looking back at the lesson we learned their religion has a major influence in their daily lives. This means how managers and leaders act and react has the Islamic teachings in mind. This also means subordinates, for the most part, will also act and react in a certain way because they too practice the same faith. In article posted by Professor Yucelt of Penn State he writes, “Another study stated that Saudis do things at a leisurely pace and they are unmindful of interruptions: Westerners, however, set time standards and objectives for completion. In addition, the Middle Easterners are highly sensitive to face-to-face criticism and they place great value on hard work and personal friendship. These differences in behavior and motivation help to explain differences in management styles…Managers of the middle Eastern nations are considered authoritarian rather than democratic, and tend to discourage participatory decision-making in the workplace. They believe that authority will produce both higher morale and productivity (Yucelt, 1984). Because of their culture and beliefs this has created a certain type of management style that works for them but might not work, for example, here in America. In contrast certain facets of business may require a more authoritarian in both America and Middle East as well as servant leader. This is not to say one side only does one style but simple an observation of how most do what in each region.

Duggan, Tara. “What Are Differences & Similarities Between American Leadership Styles & Global Leadership Styles?” Small Business – Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-similarities-between-american-leadership-styles-global-leadership-styles-55037.html. Accessed 04 March 2020.

Penn State University. (n.d.). Module Lesson 7: Islamic Life OLEAD 410, 001 Spring Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2041071/modules/items/27977820

Yucelt, U. (1984). Management Styles in the Middle East A Case Example. Management Decision, 22(5), 24-35.