Hofstede’s Value Dimensions

Brazil vs. United States

     “Power Distance, or PDI, expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.” Brazil’s PDI is 69, which is relatively high compared to the United State’s PDI score of 40.               Individualism is listed in the online Oxford Dictionary as, “A social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.” Brazil scores a moderate to low 38 in this dimension, while the United States has an extremely high score of 91. The United States is considered to be the most individualistic country in the world, so it’s no wonder that their individualism score is so much higher than Brazil’s.

      Hofstede’s site states that masculinity represents “a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material reward for success.” Our class notes define a feminine culture, on the other hand, as emphasizing “the importance of life choices that improve intrinsic aspects of the quality of life.” Brazil is listed as a 49 for its masculinity score on Hofstede’s site, where the United States scores a 62. These scores are fairly close, with the United States being a slightly higher masculine country.

      Kwintessential defines uncertainty avoidance as “measuring a country or culture’s preference for strict laws and regulations over ambiguity and risk.” Brazil scores high in the UAI dimension at 76, proving that they show a strong need for rules and laws in order to maintain a steady lifestyle. The United States scores a mild 46 in this department, which shows that our country does not rely as heavily on strict legal systems in our every day lives.

      Hofstede elaborately defines long-term orientation as, “The extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view.” Brazil scores a high 65 in the LTO dimension compared to the United State’s weak score of 29. This shows that Brazil is a more future-oriented, long-term country, whereas the United States is much more concerned about our short-term success. 

 

This chart shows that the United States is the most individualistic country in the world, just ahead of the United Kingdom.

 

      As a U.S. leader or manager, I would certainly have to adjust my communication to adapt to Brazil’s culture. First and foremost, I would have to speak in more group-oriented terms. Because the United States has such a higher IDV score than Brazil, I would have to choose my words wisely. For example, if one person in the company was accomplishing twice as much as any other employee, I would try to encourage and praise the whole company rather than that one person. Or if we were talking about what we could do to save money, I would discuss different ways that the company could save money, not different ways that I could save money. 

      I would also have to make adjustments in the uncertainty avoidance dimension. Brazil has a much higher UAI score than the United States. If I was the boss or CEO of a Brazilian company, I could set strict rules and deadlines to show exactly how and when I want my employees to turn in their work. 

      Brazil is a very long-term oriented country, compared to the United State’s short-term view. As a Brazilian leader/manager, I would have to create and discuss different options that the company could save money for the future, rather than ways that the company could spend money in the present. 

Brazil

According to Wikipedia, Brazil occupies most of the eastern part of the South American continent and borders the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world – behind Russia, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States. Brazil’s official language is Portuguese and is spoken by an astonishing ninety-nine percent of the country. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/portuguese.htm suggests that Portuguese is spoken by roughly two hundred and forty million people worldwide, mostly in Brazil, and is a descendent of Latin. Besides Brazil’s geographical area being the fifth largest in the world, its population is also the fifth largest in the world at 193.9 million people (as of 2012). According to http://www.tradingeconomics.com/brazil/population, one out of every thirty-five people in the world are Brazilian, or roughly 2.85 percent of the world’s population. http://www.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle.jsp?id=944 states that Brazil is a federal republic and that its first constitution was derived in 1891. http://www.brazil.org.za/religion.html#.Ui0qSNAo4dU suggests that Brazil is the most religiously inclined South American country and that there are more Catholics in Brazil than anywhere else in the world.

Random Quote: “I did go into the Amazonian region of Brazil. They have prehistoric river fish that weigh in at around six hundred pounds, which you don’t see anywhere else.” – Anthony Bourdain (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/brazil.html). I am an avid fisherman so I thought that this quote was awesome. I wouldn’t mind trying my luck at catching one of those six hundred pound prehistoric river monsters.

  

Personal Worldview

According to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/worldview, worldview is defined as, “The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.” Every individual and country has its own worldview, whether they are conscious of it or not. Your worldview is gained early in life and it influences your every day life. As Professor Parish described it in class, “Worldview is a set of presuppositions which we hold about the make up of our world.” I have a religious worldview. I have been a Christian my whole life and I do my best to practice a good, Christian lifestyle. “When you believe the Bible is entirely true, then you allow it to be the foundation of everything you say and do.” This quote, which I found at http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/christian_worldview/whats_a_christian_worldview.aspx, is a quote that I try to live my life every day by. As a Christian, it is important to put God first and to live your life for Him. I know that there is more in life than birth, life and death. Following death, there is eternal afterlife with our Lord. I live my life with a purpose – to one day be with our Lord forever. “People always say, ‘Take the road less traveled.’ They say it because taking the road less traveled requires discipline, bravery and strength.” I came upon this quote at http://travelstowardhappiness.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-road-less-travelled-vs-road-not.html. I have heard this quote hundreds of times throughout my life and I always think of it when I am put in a sticky situation. Most people in the world choose the more popular path – the path more traveled. Travelling on the path less traveled takes huge commitment and sacrifice, but will be greatly worth it in the end. If everyone in this world were to be a little more selfless, thoughtful, loving and caring and work on bettering their selves and their relationship with God, the world would be a much better place.