The Geert Hofstede 6-D model of national culture explains conditions that an organization or a country can guild itself on. He named them power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term, collectivism-individualism, and indulgence-restraint. It is important to know that each of them has been expressed on a scale that runs approximately from 0 to 100. The range within which a country fall is related to the world average to ascertain how the respective country performed or is likely to perform. He claimed society’s social status is determined by these six dimensions.
I will be emphasizing power distance, individualism-collectivism, and a long-term orientation and compare them to some African countries and how its implementation has impacted the country. The country I will be comparing is in West Africa, namely Ghana and Nigeria. These two countries have a lot in common, and being from one of them enables me better understand their similarities and differences. These two countries are democratic and independent nations that elect their leaders through electoral voting.
According to Hofstede, power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that powers are distributed unequally. The result from comparing these two nations using the Hofstede dimensional model on power distance is the same. Both countries recorded 80 on a dimensional scale. This score is higher than the world average. A high power distance score means the cultural norm of that country accepts an unequal distribution of power. In order words, it is acceptable for some people to hold onto power. Therefore, the interaction of the rest of the world towards such countries is to expect high tolerance for the discrepancy between the ‘’rank and file’’ within the power structure. The people accept the hierarchical order of governance without any hesitation. Most African leaders like to hang onto power and therefore breaching the very democratic process that got them elected into power. For instance, the president of Ugandan Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for over 34years, is still clinching onto power and refusing to step down. According to Reuters (2021), ‘’Museveni has won five elections since 1996. Parliament has twice changed the constitution to allow him to run, first removing a two-term limit in 2005 and then abolishing the age limit of 75 in 2017’’. Similarly, the leadership of Nigerian and Ivory Coast seems to be taking the same path where they want to stay in power after their mandated tenure in office is over. “The new constitution authorizes me to serve two terms starting in 2020,” Ouattara, 76, told Jeune Afrique, implying that his two election wins under the old constitution would not count against the new constitution’s two-term limit’’ Reuters (2018). When power is centralized and the leaders stay in position for long, they manipulate the system to their advantage, and it becomes difficult for the oppressors to fight against it. That is because the institutions that are mandated to uphold the will of the people are been manipulated.
An individualism as explained by Hofstede is the extent to which people feel independent as opposed to being interdependent as a member of larger wholes. It is the opposite of collectivism. That has to do with whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of ‘’I’’ or ‘’we’’. The result show Nigeria score 30 and Ghana score 15 which means, they are a nation with more collectivist than individualistic. Society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. I society that is more united and works towards a common agenda is more than likely to progress than an individualistic culture. It is important to note that loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations.
The last I want to talk about among the Hofstede six-dimensional model is a long-term orientation. This dimension talks about how every society has to maintain some links with its past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future. In comparing the result, Ghana score 4, and Nigeria score 13 in this dimension. That means both countries have a strong preference for a normative way of thinking instead of pragmatism. This is attributed to their respect for their traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and focus on achieving the quick result. However, it is important to note that Ghana’s score is extremely lower to the world average than that of Nigeria. A score below the world average of long-term orientation means that such countries are just living more the moment than long-term planning for the future. Most Africa countries are poor and mostly rely on western donors for support because the countries are not self-sustainable and sufficient. Some of the contributing factors to these are political instability, corruption, poor leadership, low level of education, etc. As a result, the per-capita GDP is low. The people only think of what to sustain them now than the future, ‘’hand to mouth’’ approach.
To conclude my discussion on Hofstede’s 6-D model, it important to emphasize that Ghana and Nigeria are really strong on the 3 of the 6 dimensions talk about. That is power distance, individualism-collectivism, and long-term orientation. Leaders have to know that power belongs to the people, and for better governance, their voices need to be heard. Everyone needs to engage in decision-making, and it will be in the interest of all to think about the welfare of a whole than an individual. We need to create an enabling environment that is stable, free from vicious activities where opportunities and investment are encouraged. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
References:
Geert Hofstede. (n.d).The 6-D model of national culture, Retrieved on 2nd march 2021 from .https://geerthofstede.com/culture-geert-hofstede-gert-jan-hofstede/6d-model-of-national-culture/
Hofstede Insights. (n.d). Country Comparison. Retrieved on 3rd March 2021 from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/ghana,nigeria/
Reuters Staff. (January 13, 2021). Factbox: Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Retrieved on 3rd March 2021, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-presidents-factbox/factbox-africas-longest-serving-leaders-idUSKBN29I1N2
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