第一篇：In the twenty years since the Cultural Revolution
Global Business / Business Policy
Ma fei
In the twenty years since the Cultural Revolution, China has maintained fast real growth.Before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Hearing on: “China as an Emerging Regional and Technology Power: Implications for U.S.Economic and Security Interests” China’s Influence Is Growing: China’s economic and diplomatic clout in Asia has dramatically increased since 1997, in the context of a Washington preoccupied elsewhere and a less economically potent Japan.China's increased power is reflected in the realms of economic power(remunerative), military power(coercive), and even ideas(normative), with the increase in economic influence being most dramatic.Further, in its diplomatic strategy in the region and the world beyond China is leading with its economic power, placing less emphasis on military power, with Taiwan being the principal exception in this regard.Nonetheless, American preeminence in Asia remains the central geopolitical and economic fact, a circumstance reflected in the PRC’s priority on maintaining productive relations with Washington.China's rise as an economic powerhouse is resulting in a rapid expansion of its business environment, more and more foreign companies set up subsidiary company in China.The Hofstede’s five dimensions as the following:
Power Distance Index(PDI)Hofstede’s Power distance Index measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions(like the family)accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.This represents inequality(more versus less), but defined from below, not from above.It suggests that a society’s level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.Individualism(IDV)on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups.On the individualist side we find societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate family.On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families(with uncles, aunts and grandparents)which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.The word 'collectivism' in this sense has no political meaning: it refers to the group, not to the state.Again, the issue addressed by this dimension is an extremely fundamental one, regarding all societies in the world.Masculinity(MAS)versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found.The IBM studies revealed that(a)
women's values differ less among societies than men's values;(b)men's values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women's values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women's values on the other.The assertive pole has been called 'masculine' and the modest, caring pole 'feminine'.The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring values as the men;in the masculine countries they are somewhat assertive and competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap between men's values and women's values.Uncertainty Avoidance Index(UAI)deals with a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity;it ultimately refers to man's search for Truth.It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations.Unstructured
situations are novel, unknown, surprising, different from usual.Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and
religious level by a belief in absolute Truth;'there can only be one Truth and we have it'.People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy.The opposite type, uncertainty
accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to;they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and
religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side.People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplative, and not expected by their environment to express emotions.Long-Term Orientation(LTO)versus short-term orientation: this fifth
dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars It can be said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth.Values associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift and perseverance;values associated with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition, fulfilling social obligations, and protecting one's 'face'.Both the positively and the negatively rated values of this dimension are found in the teachings of Confucius, the most influential
Chinese philosopher who lived around 500 B.C.;however, the dimension also applies to countries without a Confucian heritage.With the social development, many companies invested in China.SONY is a good instance.Its use the Hofstede’s five dimensions efficiently.1.Japanese firms have looked to China to provide cheap labor for the export markets-largely back to Japanese markets.US and European Multinationals have targeted China as a market of huge potential and not just a production base.2.Japanese firms have located few research and development facilities in China as they are reluctant to transfer technology.3.Japan has kept its production in China largely Japanese with a propensity for Chinese factories to operate as screwdriver plants for Japanese parts.4.Japanese firms have involved far fewer Chinese or local managers than their European and US rivals.5.Japan is the male chauvinism;it can give full play to man's Masculinity.These five dimensions, taken together, can give important insights for someone wishing to enter a new culture for business, study, or other purposes.It is important to resist the temptation of stereotyping, because these dimensions are tendencies not static descriptions of people’s behavior.They can be taken to predict actions of groups, societies, or nations, but provide little help in predicting the behavior of individuals.Hofstede’s Five Dimensions theory has been criticized on the grounds of being too static, or of being based on a weak theoretical foundation, but it is a well-known framework for cross-cultural dialogue.It will more than repay
careful study, and international business persons and others will find it widely used all over the world.
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