Assignment 1

INDIVIDUALISM-COLLECTIVISM, POWER DISTANCE, ACHIEVEMENT-NURTURING ARE SEVERAL KEY VALUES THAT PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS SUBCRIBE TO. THESE VALUES PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ORGANISATIONS AND WOULD UNDENIABLY AFFECT THE ORGANISATIONAL PRACTICES IN THE ORGANISATION. DISCUSS AND REFLECT ON THESE VALUES.

Values are stable, evaluative beliefs that guide our preferences for outcomes or courses of action in a variety of situations. They are perceptions about what is good or bad, right or wrong. Values tell us what we ought to do. Values partly define who we are as individuals and as members of groups with similar values.

Individualism-collectivism, power distance, achievement-nurturing are several key values that people and organizations subscribe to.

Anyone who has worked long enough in other countries will know that values differ across cultures. Some cultures values group decisions, whereas others think that the leader should take charge. For example, meeting in Germany usually start on time, whereas they might be half an hour late in Brazil without much concern. We need to be sensitive to the fact that cultural differences exist and, although often subtle, can influence decisions, behavior, and relations among employees.

Individualism is one of the five intercultural dimensions developed by Hofstede. In short this cultural dimension looks at how much a culture emphasizes the rights of the individual versus those of the group (whether it is family, tribe, company, etc). Individualist cultures include the United States and much of Western Europe, where personal achievements are emphasized. Collectivist cultures, such as China, Korea, and Japan, emphasize the group such as the family and at work this manifests in a strong work group mentality. According to McShane and Von Glinow, individualism is the extent to which we value independence and personnel uniqueness. Highly individualists’ people value personnel freedom, self-sufficiency, control over their own lives, and appreciation of the unique qualities that distinguish them from others.

In my opinion, sometimes is good for us to apply the individualism value. It is because we cannot satisfy everyone’s point of view. If we are too concern of others opinion, it is hard for us to choose our own decision. For example, me, myself are forced by my father to study in MMU and taking the course that I don’t want to. The effect was, I cannot pay attention to my studies and tend to rebel by not taking my studies seriously. At the end, I failed many subjects.

Collectivism is a term used to describe any moral, political, or social outlook, which stresses human interdependence and the importance of a collective, rather than the importance of separate individuals. Collectivists focus on community and society, and seek to give priority to group goals over individual goals. The philosophical underpinnings of collectivism are for some related to holism or organics - the view that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Specifically, a society as a whole can be seen as having more meaning or value than the separate individuals that make up that society. Collectivism is widely seen as being diametrically opposed to individualism. Notably these views are almost always combined in systems. According to McShane and Von Glinow, Collectivism is the extents to which we value our duty to groups to we belong, as well as group harmony. Highly collectivist people define themselves by their group membership and the value harmonious relationships within those groups.


For example, as we can see the political scenario in our country, the opposition party is brave to join the strikes when they have many supporters. This is because they feel that they will be defended by their leaders if anything happens. Furthermore, they think that they are more powerful than the government.


"Power distance is the extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally." (Hofstede page 262). Power distance describes also the extent to which employees accept that superiors have more power than they have. Furthermore that opinions and decisions are right because of the higher position some has. In countries with high power distance employees are too afraid to express their doubts and disagreements with their autocratic and paternalistic bosses. The index for power distance describes the dependence of relationships in a country.

It is small in countries where bosses and subordinates work close together and consult each other. Subordinates and superiors consider each other as or less equal even there is a difference in education level. The hierarchical system can always change depending on the circumstances. The hierarchies are flat with a decentralized organization and a small number of supervisors who are expected to be accessible for their subordinates. Within a company the degree for unequal treatment is reduced to a low level. There is interdependence between employer and employee. The salary range is narrow between the top and bottom in companies. Subordinates expect to be consulted within the decision-making process.

In contrast in large power distance countries the relation between boss and subordinate is strictly ruled and dependent on the decisions of the boss. In companies with larger power distance which have a very centralized organization, subordinates expect to be told what to do from their superiors because they consider each other as unequal. Inequalities are normally expected and privileges are seen as desirable by superiors. There is a large extending to centralization and the salary range is wide. People in high power distance cultures positive emotions are expressed to superiors and negative emotions to subordinates.

People in Asian countries, for example Malaysia and Philippines are among the highest to have high power distance scores. They accept and value unequal power, value obedience to authority, and are comfortable receiving commands from their superiors without consultation or debate. As for me, myself, when I was young, I have no guts to protest if there something that I don’t like or I do not want to do. I always do whatever they asked. Its is not that they are strict or fierce, but maybe because of they are superior and I depend on them.

Achieving-nurturing orientation reflects a competitive versus cooperative view of relations with other people. People with high achievement orientation value assertiveness, competitiveness, and materialism. They appreciate people who are tough and favor the acquisition of money and material goods. In contrast, people in nurturing-oriented cultures emphasize relationships and the well-being of others. They focus in human interaction and caring rather than competition and personnel success. People in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark score very low on achievement orientation; this mean that they have high nurturing orientation. On the other hand, high achievement orientation scores have been reported in Japan and Hungary, while the United States and United Kingdom score near the middle, slightly toward the achievement orientation.

When I was in primary school, my parents applied the achievement orientation. They will reward me by giving presents and money if I get good results. They always forced me to study hard and they made a time table for me. They always compared and wanted me to become better than my cousins. I was not allowed to watch television and cannot answer phone calls from my friends at night.




References

1. McShane, S.L & Von Glinow, M.A (2008). Organizational Behavior. McGraw- Hill International Edition.

2. http://www.via-web.de/282.html

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivism

4. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/individualism.html