Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture in Canada
With much curiosity about the country, I dedicated this paper to discovering Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture for Canada. Although I have never been to the country, I found that Canada’s dimensions of culture are very similar to those of the United States. In many countries, it is common for the dimensions of culture, such as, masculinity/femininity, and long-term vs. short-term indulgence to effect Canada’s national culture as well as the management culture in the country.
In the United States, it is his/her free will to practice what we preach and make judgments for ourselves, based on how he/she sees fit. Without surprise, the United States has a 91% individualism rate throughout the country. Close behind, Canada falls 11% short of the United States at a rate of 80% individualism throughout the country. It has been found that Canada’s individualist culture closely relates to the culture of Americans. Within a loosely-knit community, it is not uncommon for Canadian individuals to look after themselves as well as their immediate families. I have found that the idea of individualism in Canada is valued more than a collectivism society. Like the United States, individuals of Canada do not believe one must sacrifice his/her values and goals for the group’s “greater good”. Similarly, Hofstede tells us that in the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are evidence of what one has done or can do (Hofstede Centre, 2012). On the other hand, a collectivist culture of Canada can also been seen in certain aspects. For example, although Canada doesn’t not conform to one group, ...
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...r in the United State, resulting in an exact dimension percentage. In both countries, the focus on achieving quick results is highly favorable. Because of this, Hofstede tells us that societies like this possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish (Hofstede Centre, 2012).
As one can see, The United States and Canada have very similar values when depicting Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture. But most importantly, it is fair to claim that the management culture of Canada is mostly effected by individualism and indulgence. With these two dimension greatly influencing the work place, one will find that individuals of management are more likely to favor their own values and pursue their beliefs for short-term satisfaction and success.
Curtis, J. E., Tepperman, L., & Albanese, P. (2012). Sociology: A Canadian perspective(3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ont: Oxford University Press.
Tim Horton's is a typical Canadian coffee shop. By observing and interpreting this setting, we can understand Canadian culture as it's expressed in that setting. Understanding this small part of Canadian culture can then be applied, in a broader way, to the culture of Canadian society. A certain language that is special to customers of Tim Horton's serves a purpose that most are not aware of, big business is changing and confusing our traditional culture with a new culture that is run and concerned with money by large corporations. Canadians are generally friendly and polite to one another but are not community oriented, they are more individualistic.
...nguage, and religion all make up Canada’s human face, but also front how the cultural accommodation will continue with the risk of losing Canada’s main traditions. Faultlines again come into perspective within demographic issues, especially with newcomers/old-timers, aboriginal population expansions, and French/English language. The core/periphery model is also represented. The end of the chapter places a focus on Canada’s economic face as well, dealing with stresses inside the global economy as well as its strong dependency on the U.S markets (Bone, 169) especially with the stimulating global recession. Canada’s economic structure leans on the relative share of activity in the primary (natural resource extraction), secondary (raw material assembly), tertiary (sale/exchange of goods and services), and quaternary (decision-making) sectors of the economy (Bone, 166).
Canada, G. o. (2013, 05 13). Defining Culture. Retrieved 03 12, 2014, from Statistics Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/87-542-x/2011001/section/s3-eng.htm
But she wonders if there is something else other than the spirit of citizenship that could hold the Canadians together. Are there values commonly shared by the Canadians? Chong has found out solution for these questions, and she states, “What sets Canadian society apart from others is that ours is an inclusive society” (Chong, 2015. P. 8). Canadian immigration laws are forward-looking than many other countries, because the Canadian immigrants and the naturalized citizens enjoy status. Canadians understand the importance of “Unity in Diversity”. The inclusiveness is the bridge that connects the Canadians, and this bridge is tempered with the values like tolerance, fairness, understanding and
Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
A person’s culture usually defines their identity, norms and values. I belong to the Canadian culture and will be examining the main elements of this culture such as its symbols, language, norms and values. Canada is considered to be a multiculturalist country, which can reveal why some aspects of my Polish heritage are incorporated into my culture and identity. Therefore, I believe that there is cultural diversity in Canada and that individuals can relate to different cultural identities in this culture, which is not the case for others around the world.
One noticeable cultural difference between the society pictured in this chapter and our American society seems to be a collectivist ideology. In America we value the individual and place emphasis on distinction from the group. This causes a strong sense of competition, and leads people to take actions that would benefit themselves in spite of negative effects that may trickle to other members of the community. The culture pictured in our reading, however, seems to place greater value on family and community goals rather than the needs or wants of specific individuals.
Finally, if the comparison were ever made a survey, it would really show the full scale of Americanization in Canada. But until now we can only see from the daily life, how American culture is inviting Canada. Today more then ever, Canadians are in real danger of loosing their national identity. It is unfortunate that if the study of this cultural influence will be done few years later, it might be too late to save Canadian culture and identity.
Multiculturalism is a significant fabric of Canadian society that defines its unique identity among the rest of the world. Enactment of the Canadian multicultural policy (1971) affirmed government position and recognition of multiculturalism as a vital element of Canada. It is imperative to understand that multiculturalism is a static concept that keeps changing overtime and has a multidimensional entity. Canadians have always and will continue to revise the concept of multiculturalism to suit the ever expanding needs of Canadian society. In this paper, I will evaluate the reasons behind Canada’s adoption of multicultural policy and assess whether the policy should be maintained or not. I will defend the thesis that Canada’s multiculturalism
“Individualistic cultures, in the western-hemisphere, [such as the United States,] emphasize… personal identity and self-determination. Conformity is far less pervasive in individualistic societies because democratic choices and laissez-faire viewpoints are somewhat considered.”
Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd.
The purpose of this paper is to do a personal assessment of Indian culture. I will also be explaining Hofstede's five dimensional model, will use it to analyze the Indian culture and talk about the five dimensional model from my own observations.
According to Robbins, DeCenzo, and Coulter (2011) “motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal” (p. 267). Organizations are always looking for new ways to motivate employees. In a global economy it is important to understand that cultural differences can impact how an organization can motivate its employees. Geert Hofstede (as cited in Sledge, Miles, & Coppage, 2008) believed there are five dimensions of culture. These five dimensions are power distance, individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity, and Confucian dynamism (p. 1670). This paper will discuss each dimension of culture and how they could effect employee motivation.
Miroshnik, V. (2002). Culture and international management: a review' The Journal of Management Development 21(7): 521-544