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Unit 2: Cultural Aspect of International Assignments

These cultural dimensions can be used for explaining the differences between various countries Notes
and how countries can be described in terms of pairs of dimensions.
Americans have very high individualism and relatively low power distance. They prefer to do
things for themselves and are not upset when others have more power than they do. Americans
are taught that every one is equal, so individuals having important titles or jobs do not overly
impress them. Australians, Canadians, British, New Zealanders have the same basic values and
therefore can be clubbed together in one cluster.

The integration of these cultural factors into a two-dimensional plot – the uncertainty avoidance
index against power distance – explains culture’s effect on behaviour. A number of dimensions
are at work and sometimes they do not all move in the anticipated direction. Also certain other
factors affecting the organisational culture are:
1. Universalism-particularism: In some cultures people see rules and regulations as apply
universally to everyone, regardless of who they are. In cultures which are more particularist,
people see relationships as more important than applying rules that are same for everyone.
There is an inclination to apply the rules according to friendship and kinship relations.
This has implications for recruitment and promotion policies in organisations in some
Asian countries, which may be at variance with practices in countries such as the United
States and Britain.

2. Achievement-ascription: Status is accorded to people on the basis of what they achieve in
their jobs and their lives (achievement) or who they are and where they come from such
as family background, their school or some other prior factor (ascription). This may
influence recruitment and promotion policies which may be at variance with practices in
some (but not all) Western cultures. On some measures Austria, Belgium, Spain and Italy
are more ascription oriented, and Denmark, Britain and Sweden more achievement
oriented.
3. Locus of control: People tend to believe that what happens to them in life is their own
doing (internal locus of control), or they have no or little control over what happens to
them (external locus of control), the causes of which are external to them.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
6. G. Hofstede found that work-related values are universal.
7. G. Hofstede found that a multinational that tries to insist on uniformity is in danger of
creating morale problems and inefficiencies.
8. The salary gap between levels is higher in Power distance.
9. People with external locus of control tend to believe that what happens to them in life is
their own doing.
10. The workplace has a cordial atmosphere and managers give more credit and freedom to
employees to act in countries with a low masculinity index.

2.3 Cultural Diversity at Work Place

Cultural differences affect the organisational work behaviour within the countries and cultures.
The knowledge of the culture helps in understanding the beliefs, attitude and orientation of the
employees and workers from the countries internationally. Pattern of behaviour and thinking

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