Cultural Models and Cultural Dimensions

Cultural Models and Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede) Cultural studies atomic number 18 not a unified theory but a diverse field of view of study encompassing more than(prenominal) different approaches, methods and academic perspectives. As in any academic discipline, cultural studies academics frequently debate among themselves. Cross-cultural communication, as in many scholarly fields, is a combination of many early(a) fields. These fields include anthropology, cultural studies, psychology and communication.Thither exists no uniform valuation system or model of cultural aspects to date. However, the variety of the available models oft more illustrates how multifaceted the approach domiciliate be. Nevertheless, there be nearly general dimensions for the to the highest degree cultural models such as concept of condemnation and space, equal (or non-equal) rights of men and women and position of the individual in the society. The most best-selling(predicate) cultural models come primarily from the English-speaking questiones H only (1989), Hofstede (1991), Oksaar (1988).Wierzbicka is famous for her reverse in semantics, pragmatics, and mark-cultural linguistics and has established the idea of so called global Human Concepts and their realisation in the language (Wierzbicka, 1992). Looking for an appropriate fundament cultural model for this look a short comparison of the most known models needs to be done. The contrasts begin at the definition of finis or even at avoiding any definition, at the objectiveness take aim (e. g. amount and homogeneity of the interviewed persons) as advantageously as at mathematical function of different cultural dimensions. sidestep 6 contains a comparison surrounded by gondoladinal most popular cultural models of Hofstede, Hall and Gesteland though the latter should be concerned more as a collection of a life story experience in how to be fool in business with success worldwide. Table 6 equation of Cultura l Models (Astapenko, 2008 92) This comparison take the stands the lack of homogeneity of the research basis. While the amount of the interviews done by Hall is relatively high, he surveys only three countries. Gesteland on his hand does his research without any statistics victimization his own experience.Comparing to this the cultural model of Hofstede is more representative and homogeneous. He worked on interviews of IBM-employees in all over 50 countries who therefore work in the said(prenominal) sector in comparable positions and use up a similar kind status. It is obviously that every cultural model has to be approached with great admonish and an uncritical reading of cultural dimensions mess lead to false conclusions. and even if Hofstedes conceptualization of culture has attracted some criticism he is though one of the most renowned and most cited experts.The continuity of his researches weed be observed over decades and the approach of his scientific school is still universe use and improved. Moreover, his research approach establishes a connection to the active bar measures mentioned in Chapter 2. As his social classification system will be employ to make a comparison of the involved do principal(prenominal)s later in this chapter, it adds to the harmony of this report to explain his definition. Hofstede defines culture as the collective programming of the wit that distinguishes the members of one stem or category of people from others (Hofstede et al. , 2010 6).Investigating culture is an onslaught to catch general trends among a large group of people on a very general take aim. Therefore, the purposes in this report should not be applied on an individual level, as this whitethorn lead to miscommunication or even stigmatisation. There argon different levels of culture (national, regional, ethnic, religious, gender, social class or even organisational level) but regarding Transferability of Road Safety measures the national level wa s suggested to be the subject for further research. Strictly speaking, the concept of a common culture applies to societies, not to nations.Based on elaborate research from 1967 to 1973, Hofstede developed a model that tries to capture culture through holds on quartette values, so-called cultural dimensions (given be moo). Later researches added further dimensions which force outnot be fully evaluated here collectible to other focuses in this project. The complete description of the cultural dimensions rear be found on the website (Hofstede, 2011). The four main dimensions according to Hofstede atomic number 18 Power Distance tycoon (PDI) the extent to which the less roleful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) select and mold out that power is distributed unequally.Individualism (IDV) the degree to which individuals argon integrated into groups. masculinity (MAS) refers to the statistical distribution of roles and values betwixt the genders. Th e women in feminine countries have the same modest, feel for values as the men in the masculine countries they atomic number 18 pretty assertive and competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap amidst mens values and womens values. suspense Avoidance Index (UAI) a societys tolerance for uncertainty and am freeuity. Based on the values for these dimensions of the 19 europiuman countries for which cultural dimension rafts are available, an average European invoice was calculated. After a comparison between Europe, India and brazil nut based on the official study data from Hofstede the research for metropolitan areas of Sao Paulo and Delhi which was done for this goicular project by the local partners victimisation the questionnaire of Hofstede is being presented.On the basis of its results the project partners awareness of the cultural differences and similarities between brazil, India and Europe should be sharpened in order to consider them d uring the transfer of European Safety measures to Emerging Economies. This al get-gos to avoid misunderstandings and to exclude from the beginning those measures which cannot be transferred due to cultural originators. 1. 1. 1. parity of Cultural Dimensions of Europe, brazil-nut tree and IndiaA first issue that arises when canvas the regions that are cooperating in SaferBraIn is the difference in analysis levels how should one analyze the cultures of dickens countries (India and brazil) with the culture of a continent (Europe)? Having some insight in the European states cultures, it is safe to say that significant differences can be famous between the European member states. Therefore an average European gradation was calculated based on a mathematical analysis of Hofstedes cultural dimension tally.Even if there are in some cases significant differences between European countries like Italy and Germany, Spain and Sweden, this average score al poors comparing the cultures of Europe, India and brazil-nut tree. The future(a) figure presents the scores on the four dimensions for these three regions. It must be stressed at this stage that it is not the authors intention to make grievous statements roughly cultures. As was indicated before, Hofstedes research can only be used to describe general trends in the average culture of a verdant. This should under no circumstances be translated to an individual level.Figure 20 Comparison of Europe-India-Brazil on Hofstedes 4 cultural dimensions Figure 20 indicates that the power distance is relatively large in India and Brazil, compared to Europe. This could mean that individuals in these two countries operate in a more hierarchical system. Following Hofstedes definition, hierarchy in India and Brazil is not only accepted, it is also expected. It may be interesting to keep this in mind when analyzing the corresponding transaction systems and when designing pilots to be implemented in these two countries.Esp ecially concerning the enforcement of safety measures, the knockout power orientation influences its exercising. It is known that Brazil and India already have many road facilities and road safety measures but they are not fitting used by population. Due to that well-seter enforcement measures are necessary to improve the borrowing of hot technologies and facilities. One can also notice that Europe appears to have a more individualist culture than India and Brazil. This drawency toward individualism can be found in several Western countries. The United States of the States for example, have a score of 91 on Hofstedes scale.Individualist cultures assert more on media and less on their social networks. Different surveys demonstrate that in an individualist culture employees are expected to act at their own responsibility and organise their work gathering their own interests with those of their employers. In a collectivist culture an employee is a part of a group and has to act according to its interest. This should be considered cooperating in pilot projects for SaferBraIn. Moreover, collectivist cultures tend to have high power distance that individualist ones.So a strong hierarchy and acceptance of higher positioned partners can be presupposed working with India and Brazil. Considering susceptible road users a health-care survey mentioned by Hofstede showed that individualist and collectivist cultures differently deal with disability. A special part of the survey was dedicated to change children. In the individualist communities , people with disabilities tended to remain cheerful and optimistic, to resent dependence and being helped, and to plan for a future life as prevalent as possible.In the collectivist communities , there would be more expression of grief, shame, and pessimism family members would be asked for advice and assistance, and they would make the main decisions somewhat the persons future (Hofstede, 2010 116). Translating this fin ding to the SaferBraIn project, it can be supposed that collectivist cultures like India and Brazil would not have sophisticated facilities for disabled VRUs and these persons would not be well integrated in the society. This could be therefore a useful part of the safety measures? ransfer though the awareness of local partners cannot be assumed. The scores on the masculinity dimension show the smallest differences between the investigated regions. The scores are close to 50-60 which can be interpreted as a quite equilibrate value between masculinity and femininity in the compared countries. However, one can notice that Europe has the highest score. A thorough look at Hofstedes full definition for this dimension could interpret it as follows Europe has a more assertive culture overall than India and Brazil, while India and Brazil have a moderately more modest culture.In relation to this report, it may be important to safeguard these cultures higher need for modesty. Even if the m asculinity dimensions scores are very different indoors Europe, the average score demonstrates the overriding masculine character. In masculine societies there is a feeling that conflicts should be resolved by a good fight, where challenge, earnings, recognition, and advancement are important, whereas in feminine cultures there is a preference for resolving conflicts by compromise and negotiation pore on relationships.Since the scores difference for surveyed countries are minimal, this dimension cannot evoke critical misunderstandings within SaferBraIn project. Finally, the level of unbelief Avoidance (UA) shows strong differences between the three regions. Though, UA is not the same as luck avoidance and these two concepts should not be mixed. Risk is focused on something specific and refers on a known and expected event. Avoiding risk we prevent something what we can foresee and not what is completely unpredictable.Hence, it would be mistaken to conclude that showing a relati vely low level of UA, a potentially higher sense for risk taking can be assumed for India. Cultures with high Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) like Brazil or to a lesser extent Europe shun indeterminate situations and try to prevent them with more laws, rules, and regulations. Brazil has more law schools than all countries in the world together. There are 1,240 higher education courses for the teaching of lawyers in the outlandish while the rest of the planet comes to about 1,100 universities (CNJ, 2010).Cultures with low UAI like India believe that many problems can be solved without buckram rules and that the latter should be established only in case of implicit necessity. Paradoxically in countries with weak UA where rules are less scared they are often better followed. Translating these findings to the needs of SaferBraIn even when European experts can expect hindered possibilities for Road Safety measures enforcement due to low legacy level in India they can presuppose th eir better acceptance. On the contrary in Brazil it is assumed that every measure would first need a legitimate regulation.However, in countries with strong UA laws can fulfil a need for warranter even when they are not followed. Another finding done by Hofstede that is relevant for SaferBraIn shows an interesting correlation between the strength of UA and the maximum zip ups allowed in the country. The relationship is positive stronger uncertainty avoidance means faster driving. smart driving, other things being equal, means more fatal accidents, thus more risk. However, this is a familiar risk, which uncertainty-avoiding cultures do not mind running.Their emotionality provides them with a sense of stress, of urgency, which in turn leads to wanting to drive faster. The higher speed limits in stronger uncertainty-avoidance countries show, in fact, a priority of saving time over saving lives (Hofstede, 2010 198). 1. 1. 2. Cultural Research for metropolitan areas in Brazil and Ind ia Brazil and India are countries of contrasts concerning climate, geography, income distribution, and educational level of its people. Because of the diversity we cannot consider that knowing the countrys culture we also know cultural dimensions of its metropolitan areas.For this antecedent the Hofstede? s theory of Cultural Dimensions using the interviews based on his questionnaire was applied in Sao Paulo city and Delhi the big metropolises which can be compared in their reference point and live rhythm and in which the use of western experience can be assumed. Local partners (IMR for Brazil and A+S for India) have initiated interviews of about 200 people each in Sao Paulo and Delhi to have representative scores for these metropolitan areas. Of course, analogue researches can be done for every region or city where the transfer of safety measures is planned.The detailed information to the results of these researches can be found in Annexes 6 and 7. Though, the difficulties with the questionnaire are worth to be shortly mentioned at this point. Although questionnaires in local languages (Portuguese and Hindi) were used, the interviewees in India could not endlessly interpret question un ambiguously. It was established especially dealing with scorn and lower middle class that a certain level of education is cheap for the answers. Many easy understandable issues from the European point of view compulsory to be explained.In contrary, the upper-class representatives preferred to use the English version of the questionnaire. The main outcomes of the research are the differences between Individualism (IDV) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) scores. For Brazil also the Masculinity (MAS) score features diverse scores. Power Distance Index (PDI) remains very similar in Brazil and India for both country average and metropolitan area (Figure 21). Figure 21 Comparison PDI incl. Sao Paulo and Delhi As mentioned before countries with high PDI tend to have well-built hie rarchical relations within the society and need strong enforcement.Concerning wearing of helmets to protect two-wheelers, Error course credit source not found. should be studied. Following the law, the motorcycle driver is wearing a helmet. At the same time more unsafe passengers (two children and the lady) are not protected. Hence, only the stronger member of the family, having more power, is protected. Figure 22 exploitation helmet on motorcycle in India IDV (Figure 23) shows very high divergence between the country average and metropolitan area in both Brazil and India.Though, the development goes in both countries in opposite directions. While the inhabitants of Sao Paulo turn out to be extremely individualistic the population in Delhi tends to more collectivism. Figure 23 Comparison IDV incl. Sao Paulo and Delhi With reference to the assumption in Chapter 4. 3. 2 according the interrelation between the individualism score and the treating of disabled succeeding(a) examples can be used due to motivate this assumption. Delhi roads are equipped with convenient, wide footpaths.Though, the level of most kerbs on Delhi roads is inconveniently high (Figure 24). This prompts unglamorouss to walk along the roadside especially when they have physiological problems in climbing high steps. Figure 24 High kerbs in India However, in modern projects like the Rapid Bus Corridor (RBC) in Delhi a segregated and safe corridor for pedestrians and non-motorized transport is provided. Also for the VRU with disabilities special facilities like dropped kerbs, low floor buses or platform-bus adjustment are provided.In the City of Sao Paulo, where the individuality score is very high, dropped kerbs and tactile pavements are applied on most study junctions in the consolidated part of the road system (Figure 25). Figure 25 Tactile pavements in Sao Paulo Another example for extremely low IDV in Delhi is the unspoken rule to never cross the highway alone. They always ask to gather a group of some persons and cross the street in a crowd feeling safer as a part of a group and providing counterweight to motorised traffic (Figure 26).Figure 26 Crossing the street in Delhi Traffic rules require motorists to stop once a pedestrian steps on the zebra interbreeding. Practically this rule is not being followed, and crossing busy roads at zebra crossings is as dangerous for pedestrians as elsewhere. Pedestrians cross roads either in larger groups or whenever opportunity occurs. Concerning Masculinity score the research shows that Sao Paulo has a very high MAS (Figure 27), even higher that the European average. Therefore a conclusion can be pinched that the society of Sao Paulo is more oriented on financial recognition, earning and challenges.Possessing a big and expensive car means to be more powerful and respected. For this reason VRU have to subordinate whether crossing the street or waiting for a car blocking the footpath while garage or property. However, when a pedestrian shows his power by stepping to the road and focusing directly and confident on the driver he will be accepted and the car will let him cross the street. Figure 27 Comparison MAS incl. Sao Paulo and Delhi In Delhi even having an expensive do not automatically means to be more powerful.These cars can be scratched and damaged the same way as a simple rickshaw. Even animals are seen as the most vulnerable road users and are equal to others. These facts are related to the very low IDV which means that this society is relationship-oriented and tries to solve conflicts by compromise. Similar to IDV the tendency of the score for UAI develops in the opposite direction between the country average and metropolitan area (Figure 28). In Brazil it is drastically decreasing for Sao Paulo, in India it is slightly increasing for Delhi.It can be therefore concluded that in Sao Paulo new safety measures being to a certain degree always ambiguous would be easier accepted. On the cont rary, in Delhi more enforcement and education measures would be needed to promote acceptance of new safety measures. Figure 28 Comparison UAI incl. Sao Paulo and Delhi To sum up the research has identified several crucial differences between the countries? scores and the scores for metropolitan areas. It is important to consider it when talking about transferability of road safety measures or working on pilot projects.