Cross Culture Between China and Uk
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This paper aims to analyze Chinese and British culture through Hofstedes five cultural dimensions.
Hofstedes theory of cultural dimensions is a framework developed by Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede to measure cultural differences between different countries. Culture, he argues, is a psychological process that people share in an environment that sets a group apart from others. Through his research, he summarized the differences between different cultures into five basic dimensions of cultural values.
This article contains the comparison of Chinese and British national cultures. It is well known that Britain is a country of high short-term orientation, while China is a country of high long-term orientation.
This comparison is due to the fact that both countries have a certain history length and have developed at a high speed in a certain period of time, and since I am a Chinese, I would like to make this comparison.
China
United Kingdom
Power Distance
Individualism
Masculinity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-term Orientation
Power distance
As Hofstede et al.(2010,p.61) have said, The definition of power distance is the expectation and acceptance of unequal distribution of power by the weaker members in a countrys institutions and organizations.. The UK has a power distance of 35 and is in a lower position in the power distance rankings – a number that implies a fairly low level of inequality between social classes and between people. A society expects to establish formal legal equality, and the nature of the organization is reasonable distribution. Less restrictive laws can increase transaction risk and flexibility in accounting practices. On the other hand, power distance index seems inconsistent with Britains established class system and inherent tension, but on the other hand, society is still consistent with legitimacy and the relationship is relatively arbitrary. China of 80 ranks high in power distance. It shows a high level of inequality between people, a tradition that is generally accepted in their lives. The relationship between superior and subordinate tends to be polarized in the form of centralized decision-making structure. Everyone has a protected position in their social order, and they should do their job without the desire to be beyond their risk. In order to maintain power inequality, sensitive information must be limited.
Chinas power distance is often much greater than that of the UK – a sign that British negotiators must pay careful attention to the organisational hierarchy of Chinese partners and recognise that Chinese counterparts are sensitive to hierarchy issues.Moreover, in Chinese culture with high power distance, the ideal leader would be a benevolent dictator, while in British culture with low power distance, the ideal leader would be a resourceful democrat.
For example when having a cross culture negotiation, The Chinese want British negotiators to be able to get into the conference room ahead of the Chinese team, or risk confusion over who is in charge. All should sit in the hierarchy of conference tables and work closely with interpreters. The UK is expected to avoid all talk topics that could damage relations, such as interrupting the Chinese leader, even if he makes a mistake in his speech. It is recommended that you jot down what is said and forward it to him outside the conference room. British team members should also avoid calling them by their Chinese names, instead recommending the use of full titles such as director or professor.
Individualism vs Collectivism
Individualism means that in such a society, the members of the society are loosely connected and each person only cares about himself or the people close to him. In collectivist societies, by contrast, people are born into strong, close-knit groups that offer lifelong protection in exchange for absolute loyalty (Hofstede et al.,2010,P.92) 89 UK individualism value higher than the average level in the west, only under the condition of some of the same country “from a highly individualistic culture like Britain and other western countries are more value than a harmonious uniqueness, compared with more important to agree to express their views, their defined as unique or different from groups of people” (Han, H., 2014).The British are highly individualistic and even sometimes their hobbies are unequal, and they are told to find their purpose in life and enjoy it in their private way. To sum up, high individualism can make British people energetic and innovative, but the prevalence of consumerism and less conservative accounting methods still exist. By contrast, China, with the value of collectivism of 20, is a highly collectivist culture. Compared with collective tasks, people will regard their own interests as subsidiary. The Chinese will see themselves as part of the team, regardless of whether their strengths have been exploited or whether their partners have done the rest of the work well. This behavior only makes them partially responsible for themselves, and partnerships with other colleagues are negotiated.
Masculinity vs Femininity
Masculinity represents a significant gender role gap in society. Men should act as confident, strong and material successful while women should be more modest, gentle and concerned about quality of life.(Hofstede,2001,P.297)In contrast, femininity means that the roles of the sexes overlap in society. Both men and women care about maintaining good relationships and showing solidarity with the weak.(Hofstede,1984) In this part, there are some similarities between the two countries, both of which are 66 points. Due to the traditional feudal hierarchy and rapid economic development, the social status of women has been continuously improved. Although the values of the two countries are the same, they are not as they appear. The UK of 66 is a male society – highly successful oriented and motivated. The results reflect the cultural emphasis on gender equality. This modest and cautious manner, which is partly influenced by British culture, leaves foreigners confused about whether they understand it or not. In their minds, they still have clear goals and ambitions to