Cultures Generations Communications MICM Lectures Utrecht The Hague

Cultures, Generations, Communications MICM Lectures Utrecht / The Hague 15 / 28 November 2006 Henk Vinken www. henkvinken. nl

This Lecture Definitions and relations of dimensions of cultures : Hofstede & Inglehart Break Dynamics: cultural change and generations Culture and communications End Before, during, after this lecture: Interrupt, question, criticize as often as possible !!!

Cultures Culture belongs to a collective : a group, an organisation, a nation Culture is transferred from generation to generation : it is not congenital, but learned Culture is a guiding principle : it influences people’s behaviour

Cultures Core element : values (change slowest) Also : heroes, symbols, rituals (change faster) Value: fundamental tendency to prefer a certain state of affairs over another; the desired (vs. the desirable); that what is regarded good, beautiful, true

Cultural dimensions Latent (non-observable) collections of several interrelated values with which to compare groups, etc. Researchers seek to find the smallest set of dimensions (7, 5 or 2) with which to explain biggest set of behaviours

Hofstede’s five dimensions of national cultures hierarchy 1 Power distance (pdi) : equality or inequality ? truth 2 Uncertainty avoidance (uai) : ambiguity or certainty ? identity 3 Collectivism/Individualism (idv) : together or solo ? 4 Femininity/Masculinity (mas) : caring men and women or caring women and assertive men ? gender virtue 5 Short/Long-term orientation (lto) : rewards now or later ?

FIGURE 1 : fem : mas Well-being Quality of life Modesty Achievement Material growth Ambition caring & compromise assertiveness mas & uai in europe uncertainty tolerant : What is different is interesting Tolerance more truths Easy with rules den swe gb nor ire sla nl swi fin est wg ita spa fra uncertainty avoidant : What is different is dangerous Xenophobia bul hun cze tur bel rus rom por gre one truth Respect for rules Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500 -502. aus pol

FIGURE 2 : mas & idv in europe (in work domain) fem : empathy mas : challenge Instrumental work values Promotion by achievement Quality of Life Separation work-private life Service Material work values Promotion by protection Wealth and getting ahead Mix work-private life Leadership idv : individual What I want is what all want Task above relationships Work relations business-like Success = Personal excellence den swe gb nor ire sla nl swi fin est wd ita spa fra col : group Group needs unique Relationship above task Work relations moralistic Success = Conformism bul por gre Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500 -502. hun cze tur bel rus rom aus pol

FIGURE 3 : pdi & idv In europe idv : individual What I want is what all want Task above relationships Work relations business-like Success = Personal excellence low pdi : equal treatment high pdi : obedience / authority Decentralized power Student centered Pragmatic relations Rejection privileges / status symbols Boss: resourceful democrat Centralized power Teacher centered Emotional relations Privileges and status symbols popular Boss: well-meaning autocrat (father) den gb swe nl den nor nl aus ire swe nor fin est Group needs unique Relationship above task Work relations moralistic Success = Conformism ire bel fra swi wg cze est spa swi pol wd ita sla aus spa fra hun cze tur bra gre tur polbul bel rus rom por col : group gb hun ita bul por gre rom chi ido Source: Own analyzes based on Hofstede, 2001: 500 -502. rus

Inglehart Modernization : from traditional to secular-rational authority Postmodernization : from survival to self-expression (postmaterialism) Plotting an increasing number of nations on these 2 dimensions with the World Values Survey (wvs)

FIGURE 4 : inglehart in europe survival : Economic and physical security self-expression : quality-of-life Unhappy Have/would not sign petitions Homosexuality unjustifiable Low personal trust Happy Have/would sign petitions Homosexuality justifiable High personal trust sec-rat authority : God unimportant independence and determination Weak national pride Permissiveness Less respect for authority od lat rus bul lit nor slo fra hun por trad authority : God important obedience and faith Strong national pride Strict moral rules More respect for authority swe blr rom wd estczs bel gb aus ita spa tur pol nir Source: Own analyzes based on estimates derived from Inglehart, 1997: 93. ire swi ice fin nl den

Summary pdi individual control survival/self-expression uai, mas group integration trad/sec-rat authority gap east-west : value selfdetermination, need for autonomy gap north-south : normative, favour big, allencompassing organisations Dekker e. a. 2006 Europese Verkenningen 4 [European Outlook 4] The Hague: Sdu/Ministery of Foreign Affairs

Break Break Break

Dynamics Impression: cultures change, e. g. , in NL … higher mas & uai less self-expression, less empathy & quest for more traditional authority one truth (assertive ‘macho’ call for ‘integration’= adaptation to a monoculture) yet: emotional debate (limit public nuisance, more law enforcement, defense of ‘old’ securities)

Dynamics Assumptions: cultural diversity … is stable across time (distances between cultures are stable) Hofstede is changing over time (distances decrease and/or increase) Inglehart data: likely for pdi & uai, unlikely for idv & mas data: no simple, unidirectional change

Generations Vehicles of cultural change = Generations emerge when conscious of novelty of shared history ánd destiny (members remain different when growing old) New generations provide new answers to newly arising problems / challenges Cultures change by generational replacement (old die, new take over)

The pace of change Generation formation relates to pace of change 1 Slow : Continuation of tradition (no new answers needed / no new generations ) 2 Moderate : New cultures (new answers / generations ) 3 Fast : Constant innovation (new answers do not spread / no new generations ) In the midst of phase 3, or all youth merge in one superculture ?

The rise of a Mc. World generation ? Globalization yields one similar global culture Presupposes acceptance of globalization (other responses: rejection, coexistence, synthesis) (e. g. , ‘Davos’ culture in business/academic world) The Mc. World generation (participation in global modernity) (engagement in pop culture / media) (similar in valeus and choices) Evidence ? (young generations from different cultures should be more similar)

whole population young people (born 1970 -1987) source: world values survey/european values study 1999 -2000

whole population young people (born 1970 -1987) source: world values survey/european values study 1999 -2000

Preliminary conclusions • • Across the board : Young people close to national responses Which are very different in both Western and Asian societies Especially so on values of child rearing Less so on gendered values of combining work and family life Young generation NOT clear forerunner of value convergence Preliminary : survey studies have limitations Preliminary : repeat analysis with dimensions Preliminary: use repeated surveys to see if generations change

Communications Focus on individualism / collectivism (idv / col) On self-expression / survival ? idv : sample cues ‘inside’ persons (personal beliefs, attitudes, values) : behavior shaped by attitude (individual traits fixed : change situation) col : sample cues about events/groups (norms, roles, situations agreements) : behavior shaped by duties (situation fixed : adaptable self)

Communications idv : sample content of communication (verbal) col : sample context (level of voice, eye contact, emotional expression, the non-verbal) The self (I am busy) The other (my co-students think I am busy) Beware of prejudice and stereotyping ! Statements on cultures are not on individuals

Discussion All people want the same out of life; culture doesn’t matter I am different than others in my culture of origin, c. q. my cultural origin is not telling you who I am Understanding cultural diversity doesn’t help much in communication