Comparing Japanese and American Culture w/ Hofstede

Summary

In this video, Eric Hawkinson explores cultural differences using Gert Hofstede's six cultural dimensions, focusing on the United States and Japan. He discusses power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and indulgence vs. restraint. Eric highlights how these dimensions shape societal norms and organizational structures, emphasizing the significant contrasts between the two countries. He invites viewers to consider how these cultural aspects impact business practices and encourages further exploration of these topics.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Eric Hawkinson discusses cultural differences, focusing on Japan and the United States, using Gert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory.
• 🏛️ Power Distance: Both Japan and the United States have a moderate tolerance for power inequalities, indicating a balance between hierarchical and flat organizational structures.
• 🤝 Individualism vs. Collectivism: The United States scores high on individualism, valuing personal freedom and privacy, while Japan scores high on collectivism, emphasizing group harmony and societal pressures to conform.
• 🔧 Uncertainty Avoidance: Japan has a high score, indicating a preference for strict plans and structured approaches to avoid uncertainty, contrasting with the United States' lower score, which suggests a more relaxed attitude towards ambiguity.
• 💪 Masculinity: Japan ranks high on masculinity, upholding traditional gender roles, whereas the United States shows more gender equality and fluidity in societal roles.
• 🌱 Long-term Orientation: Japan values long-term perspectives, with a focus on future benefits and perseverance, in contrast to the United States, which tends to prioritize short-term goals and immediate rewards.
• 🍽️ Indulgence vs. Restraint: The United States scores higher on indulgence, allowing for more personal gratification and less societal restraint, while Japan leans towards restraint, promoting self-control and consideration for the group.
• 🏢 Hofstede's model helps to understand how cultural dimensions can influence business practices and organizational structures in different countries.
• 🌟 The script highlights the importance of recognizing and navigating cultural differences, especially in a global business context.
• 📚 Eric Hawkinson invites viewers to explore further discussions on these cultural dimensions and their impact on business and society.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is cultural differences, specifically focusing on the cultural dimensions theory by Gert Hofstede, and applying it to compare the cultures of Japan and the United States.

Who developed the cultural dimensions theory mentioned in the script?

Gert Hofstede developed the cultural dimensions theory.

What are the five cultural dimensions used by Hofstede to compare countries?

The five cultural dimensions used by Hofstede are Power Distance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity vs. Femininity, and Long-term Orientation.

What does Power Distance refer to in Hofstede's model?

Power Distance refers to the degree of inequality within a society and the extent to which people in a society accept this inequality.

How do Japan and the United States compare in terms of Power Distance?

Both Japan and the United States are quite similar in terms of Power Distance, ranking somewhere in the middle among the countries studied by Hofstede.

What does a high score in Individualism vs. Collectivism indicate?

A high score in Individualism vs. Collectivism indicates that a society places a higher value on individual freedoms, time, and privacy, whereas a low score indicates a higher collectivism, emphasizing group contribution and harmony.

Which country has a higher Individualism score, the United States or Japan?

The United States has a higher Individualism score, being ranked number one in the world for individualistic culture.

How does Uncertainty Avoidance differ between Japan and the United States?

Japan has a higher Uncertainty Avoidance score, indicating a society that is uncomfortable with ambiguity and prefers strict plans and structures. The United States has a lower score, showing a more relaxed attitude towards uncertainty and risk.

What is meant by Masculinity in Hofstede's cultural dimensions?

Masculinity in Hofstede's model refers to the degree to which a society values traditional male and female roles, with a higher score indicating a clear distinction between these roles and a lower score indicating more gender equality.

Which country ranks higher in Masculinity according to Hofstede's model?

Japan ranks higher in Masculinity, being one of the top countries in the world for this cultural dimension.

What does Long-term Orientation mean in the context of Hofstede's cultural dimensions?

Long-term Orientation refers to the extent to which a society values and practices long-term commitments and rewards over short-term gains.

How do the concepts of 'instant gratification' and 'gamman' illustrate the difference in indulgence between the United States and Japan?

The concept of 'instant gratification' is more prevalent in the United States, indicating a higher indulgence culture. In contrast, 'gamman' is a Japanese concept of willful patience and self-restraint, illustrating a lower indulgence culture in Japan.

What is the sixth dimension added to Hofstede's model, and what does it measure?

The sixth dimension added to Hofstede's model is Indulgence vs. Restraint, which measures the extent to which a society allows the gratification of desires and impulses versus curbing them.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Power Distance in Culture

This paragraph introduces the concept of cultural differences and focuses on the first dimension of Girt Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory: power distance. Power distance refers to the degree of inequality and the extent to which societies accept this inequality. The discussion compares the United States and Japan, noting that both countries have a relatively low power distance score, indicating less hierarchical structures and more equal treatment within organizations. The speaker uses examples such as the military and democratic societies to illustrate the concept. The key takeaway is that high or low scores in power distance are not inherently good or bad but are used to highlight cultural differences.

05:03

🤔 Individualism vs. Collectivism

The second paragraph delves into the cultural dimension of individualism versus collectivism, explaining that individualism values personal freedom and privacy, while collectivism emphasizes group interests and contributions. The United States is highlighted as the most individualistic country, whereas Japan is more collectivist, with societal pressures to conform and fit in. The speaker contrasts this with sayings from both cultures, illustrating the cultural differences. The United States values the 'squeaky wheel gets the grease' mentality, encouraging individual expression, whereas Japan's 'the nail that sticks out gets hammered down' reflects a preference for conformity and group harmony.

10:03

🌀 Uncertainty Avoidance

This section discusses the third dimension: uncertainty avoidance, which measures how comfortable a society is with unpredictability and ambiguity. Japan is described as having a high uncertainty avoidance score, meaning it values strict planning, rules, and structure to minimize uncertainty. This is attributed to Japan's high exposure to natural disasters, which has shaped a culture of preparedness. In contrast, the United States is portrayed as more comfortable with risk and less concerned with detailed planning, reflecting a lower uncertainty avoidance score.

15:05

💪 Masculinity and Long-Term Orientation

The third paragraph covers two dimensions: masculinity and long-term orientation. Masculinity refers to the traditional gender roles in society, with Japan scoring high on this scale, indicating a clear distinction between male and female roles. The United States is more egalitarian in this regard. Long-term orientation is the next dimension, where Japan is noted for its focus on long-term goals, savings, and future planning, in contrast to the United States, which tends to prioritize short-term results and individualism. The speaker provides examples such as savings habits and corporate leadership to illustrate these cultural tendencies.

🍽️ Indulgence and Restraint

The final paragraph introduces the sixth dimension of indulgence versus restraint, which measures a society's tolerance for gratifying desires. The United States is characterized as more indulgent, with a culture that encourages instant gratification and less restraint. Japan, on the other hand, is described as more restrained, with a culture that values patience and self-control for the greater good or long-term goals. The concept of 'gaman' is introduced as a Japanese term that encapsulates this idea of willful patience and self-restraint. The speaker reflects on how these cultural dimensions might impact business practices and organizational structures in the two countries.

Keywords

💡Cultural Differences

Cultural differences refer to the variations in customs, values, and social norms that exist between different societies or groups. In the video, Eric discusses how these differences manifest between the United States and Japan, using Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a framework. This concept is central to understanding the video's theme, as it sets the stage for exploring how societies function differently and what implications these differences have for individuals and organizations.

💡Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions

Hofstede's cultural dimensions are a set of six dimensions that were developed by Geert Hofstede to compare the values and customs between different cultures. The video uses these dimensions to analyze and compare cultural aspects of Japan and the United States. This framework is crucial for the video's narrative as it provides a structured way to understand and discuss cultural differences.

💡Power Distance

Power distance is the first dimension of Hofstede's model and refers to the extent to which a society accepts and expects power to be distributed unequally. In the video, Eric explains that a higher power distance score indicates a more hierarchical structure, while a lower score suggests a more egalitarian society. The United States and Japan are said to be similar in this regard, both ranking in the middle of Hofstede's scale, which is exemplified by their democratic nature and relatively flat organizational structures.

💡Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualism versus collectivism is a cultural dimension that contrasts societies where the individual's goals are prioritized over the group's (individualism) with those where group goals are more important (collectivism). The video highlights that the United States scores high on individualism, valuing personal freedom and privacy, while Japan scores high on collectivism, emphasizing group harmony and societal pressures to conform. This concept is illustrated through proverbs like 'the nail that sticks out gets hammered down' in Japan versus 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' in the United States.

💡Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance is a dimension that measures a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance prefer structured, predictable environments with strict rules and policies. Eric points out that Japan scores very high on this dimension, reflecting a preference for planning and preparation, which is attributed to its history of natural disasters and the need for societal readiness. Conversely, the United States scores lower, indicating a more relaxed attitude towards uncertainty and a willingness to take risks.

💡Masculinity

Masculinity, in Hofstede's model, refers to the degree to which a society values traditionally masculine traits such as assertiveness and competition. The video notes that Japan scores high on masculinity, with well-defined gender roles and a preference for traditional male and female roles. This is contrasted with the United States, which scores lower, indicating a culture that is more accepting of gender equality and fluidity in roles. The video uses the example of female board members in Japan's top corporations to illustrate the impact of this cultural dimension.

💡Long-term Orientation

Long-term orientation is a cultural dimension that contrasts societies focused on long-term rewards and perseverance with those that prioritize short-term gains and quick results. The video discusses how Japan scores high on this dimension, valuing patience, thrift, and a strong work ethic for future benefits. This is contrasted with the United States, which scores lower, suggesting a preference for immediate gratification and short-term achievements. The video uses the example of savings habits and the focus on quarterly reports in the United States to illustrate this difference.

💡Indulgence vs. Restraint

Indulgence versus restraint is a newer dimension that measures a society's tendency to allow the gratification of desires versus the restraint of such urges. The video explains that the United States scores higher on indulgence, indicating a culture that encourages the pursuit of personal pleasure and instant gratification. In contrast, Japan scores lower, reflecting a society that values self-restraint and the curbing of impulses for the sake of long-term goals or group harmony. The video uses the concepts of 'instant gratification' in the United States and 'gamma to do so' (self-restraint) in Japan to exemplify this cultural difference.

💡Societal Pressures

Societal pressures refer to the influences and expectations that a society places on its members to conform to certain behaviors and norms. In the context of the video, Eric discusses how Japan's collectivist culture creates strong societal pressures to fit in and be part of the group, which contrasts with the individualistic culture of the United States where personal expression and standing out are more valued. This concept is integral to understanding the cultural dynamics at play in the two countries.

💡In-Group vs. Out-Group

The terms 'in-group' and 'out-group' refer to the distinction societies make between members who belong to one's own group and those who do not. The video mentions that Japan has a strong in-group, out-group structure, which reinforces collectivist tendencies and the importance of group harmony. This concept is used to explain the cultural emphasis on fitting in and the consequences of standing out in Japanese society, as opposed to the more individualistic and inclusive approach in the United States.

Highlights

Introduction to cultural differences and their impact on nationalities, corporations, and groups.

Discussion of Girt Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a framework for understanding cultural values and customs.

Explanation of the first dimension: Power Distance, and its implications for organizational structure.

Comparison of the United States and Japan on the Power Distance scale, highlighting their similarities.

Introduction of the second dimension: Individualism versus Collectivism, and its societal impacts.

Analysis of the United States as the most individualistic country and Japan's collectivist tendencies.

Cultural sayings illustrating the difference between individualism and collectivism in the US and Japan.

Exploration of the third dimension: Uncertainty Avoidance, and its correlation with societal comfort with unpredictability.

Contrasting Japan's high Uncertainty Avoidance with the United States' more relaxed approach.

Discussion of the fourth dimension: Masculinity versus Femininity, and its reflection on gender roles in society.

Japan's high Masculinity score and its traditional gender role expectations contrasted with the United States.

Introduction of the fifth dimension: Long-term versus Short-term Orientation, and its influence on societal priorities.

Japan's focus on long-term goals versus the United States' more immediate focus, with examples of savings and debt.

Inclusion of the sixth dimension: Indulgence versus Restraint, a newer addition to Hofstede's model.

Comparison of the United States' indulgence with Japan's restraint, including societal norms and behaviors.

The concept of 'Ganbatte' in Japan as an example of willful patience and self-restraint.

Implications of cultural dimensions on business practices and organizational structures in the US and Japan.

Invitation for further discussion on cultural dimensions and their impact on international business.

Transcripts

well well well well

hello there Eric here and today I'd like

to talk to you a little bit about

culture namely cultural differences

between nationalities but this can also

be applied to culture within

corporations culture leadership and

culture just in between groups of people

and I live in Japan I'm American so I'm

going to be incorporating my experiences

between these two cultures and I'm going

to be using Girt Hofstede's

cultural dimensions if you don't know

about those kurt Hofstede i developed

these cultural dimensions as a way to

measure different values and customs and

importances between cultures and he did

most of this important work working at

the IBM research labs between 1967 and

1973 where he used these five cultural

dimensions to compare 70 countries

around the world and today we're going

to be looking at Japan and the United

States so the first dimension is power

distance and this is the degree of

inequality but even more than that it's

the degree in which societies a group of

people will tolerate big gaps in power

in organizations you might see this more

as a vertical unless a flat organization

so some of the values you might see in

there a higher power distance score

might be a more centralized structure

the hierarchy is more vertical and

stronger there might be some gaps large

gaps in compensation between groups and

individuals and also gaps between

Authority and respect shown to

individuals within that group and the

lower power distance score means a more

flatter organization a more flat Society

supervisor employees are considered more

as equals

they might get even more equal pay and

as we go through this higher scores and

lower scores aren't necessarily good or

bad they're just ranking to show a

difference between two cultures so keep

that in mind so a high power distance

score doesn't mean that the organization

or country is better in any way so

thinking about power distance the extent

to which a society lets gaps or a

vertical sight types organization rather

than a flat one which one do you think

scores higher as far as power distance

goes where the United States and Japan

give you one second to think about that

and a lower score again means that the

group is considered more and it's more

flat a flatter organization on an

actuality United States Japan are quite

similar in this regard if for an example

of its organization having a very power

distance driven type organization you

can think about the military very flat

one might be a more democratic type

situation and both the United States and

Japan are very democratic as now so

there isn't a whole lot of difference

between them as far as power distance is

concerned and both of these countries

rank somewhere in the Middle's in the

seventy countries in the this

decade-long study the next one is

individualism versus collectivism so

this is the strength the bonds that tie

people together in the community do

people put the individual first yourself

first or do they put the group first and

this is a

sometimes the score is commonly looked

at as higher individuality ranking or a

higher collectivism ranking so in this

context the higher score meeting more

value is placed on the individuals time

the individuals freedom the respect for

the individuals privacy and the lower

score is higher collectivism so there's

more emphasis and more value put on your

contribution to a group and therefore

you might find an emphasis on building

your skill becoming a master at

something because it perhaps that you

may be more useful to a group if you

were skilled at one thing and you might

be better off as an individual if you

value those being kind of a

jack-of-all-trades

so again higher score individualistic

lower score or collectivistic which one

do you think I think this one's probably

pretty easy because for these two

countries these are drastically

different and if you guess the United

States being higher score here you are

correct actually the United States is

the number one in the world is scoring

as far as being individualistic and

Japan thinks more about the group

there's more societal pressures to be

part of the group and this all comes

with the type of society built around in

your upbringing to be to fit in to the

group there's more of an in-group

out-group structure in Japan as well one

way I'd like to illustrate this is two

very well-known sayings one in Japan

they Toto give a hoot on a dough and the

squeaky wheel gets the grease the first

saying is translate basically into the

nail that sticks out gets hammered down

basically if you want to survive keep

your head down don't make yourself No

being a part of the group fit in

basically is what that saying says if

you make yourself too loud to make stick

yourself out too much you're going to

get run over as it were and in contrast

to that the sweetie wheel gets the

grease

if you complain if you say something if

you make some thumb something known and

if you're loud enough in the States you

might just get what you want or get what

you need next one uncertainty avoidance

this is a degree which society is

comfortable without having a strict plan

of what's going to happen in the near

future or without knowing exactly what's

going to happen or going into unknown

situations without being able to play it

by ear as it were or being comfortable

with playing it by ear not not needing a

fixed plan or a fixed contingency plan

as it were so a higher you a I in this

score would be more formal need more

rules you need more policies and you

need to adhere to a strict structure and

you want to avoid differences and a

lower you AI is a little more informal

you're more accepting to risk you're

more accepting to not going into

something without necessarily knowing

the outcome or not not even maybe

knowing how you'll get through it

entirely step-by-step so as again what

do you think the higher score meaning

you accept ambiguity and the lower score

meaning you don't I'm sorry it's the

opposite if you want to avoid

uncertainty that's the higher score here

and that is Japan and one of the highest

scores in the world actually one of the

reasons I tribute this is

Japan has some of the highest rates of

natural disasters in the world so there

is big it's been a big part of the

culture to be prepared for whatever

might go wrong and there's constant

large-scale public drills everything is

planned out into great detail for almost

everything and it's very uncomfortable

in Japanese society to even have a large

budget in organisations without going

over every detail very minutely and on

the on the Traverse side of United

States is fairly low on the scale very

easygoing as far as that's concerned you

don't need to consider all the

contingencies oh it's okay to take a

little risk and see what happens kind of

thing played by here next one is

masculinity and this is the degree of

society and values that places a high

emphasis on of traditional male and

female roles so a higher masculinity

score means men are masculine and women

are feminine in this again this is more

traditional sense of those words the

distinction of what males are to do a

society and the roles and which females

fit into society are well established

and there is a lot of deviation from

that and the lower scores it's more of

an equal playing field women are in more

positions of leadership and power

successful women are more admired and

respected and not only that women are

drawn to these things a little bit more

than in a higher masculine Society

higher mass of a society women are more

comfortable playing might feel more

comfortable in the traditional roles

so this one might be a little bit easier

higher score high masculinity lower

score a little more of a ambiguity

between the sexes so if you said Japan

is high you are correct

Japan is also one of the highest in the

world in this ranking I believe they're

either one or two and the that just as

an example of that in the top fifty

corporations largest corporations in

Japan there is only one or two female

board members that's into all of the top

50 country organizations in Japan and I

believe that company is Sony and that

woman is actually a four not Japanese

and in the States

it's a little more equal as far as those

concerned women are going for more

leadership roles and are we see little

more househusbands and things like that

in the States

next is long-term orientation so this is

a short-term view or a long-term view

which one is more important to focus on

if you're a higher long-term oriented

type Society you're going to put more

emphasis on things that will pan out in

the long run and things that are better

in the long run that usually comes down

to importance on things like education

training if instructor family and also a

struggle work ethic because you're you

don't need necessarily see rewards for

what you're doing right away and on the

lower score this sense would mean the

little more creativity and individualism

and more looking at short-term goals or

short-term

rewards from what you're getting at and

think about Japan and United States

again which one do you think is more

long-term orientated again Japan and the

United States differ for this very

greatly Japan just as an example here

the average savings the average person

in Japan is one of the top in the world

average Japanese person will have a

large amount of money in their savings

account in the bank and I believe in the

United States the average is negative

the average American does not have any

savings the average American has quite a

bit of debt so that's just one thing

looking in the long term also in

Americans are a little more concerned

with the quarterly report a little more

concerned with the election cycle and

Japan's a little more concerned with

what's going to happen in the long run

it might be also connected to the age of

these two societies as well there is I

said in beginning there is actually five

dimensions but there was a sixth added

since I last looked at this three or

four years ago and that is the idea of

indulgence and this is a sixth dimension

fairly new and it's the extent to which

people in society people within that

society control people to curb their own

impulses and desires so a higher

indulgence a higher score in this sense

would be that you're free to enjoy life

society doesn't restrain you in any way

you can look for instant gratification

they're less they're loose or social

norms on you going after what you want

to do and a lower score in here would be

a higher level of constraint your self

constrained society is telling you to

self constraint

want to curb your gratification and the

social norms are a bit more strict so

higher indulgences lower score meaning

restraint so what do you think now if

you said the United States is more

likely to indulge you are correct

Japan is a little more likely to curb

yourself or stretch yourself off or

because there's an idea of saving face a

lot more in Japan you don't want to look

like you're taking out of goes a good

with the group analysis that I've put a

layer you don't want to stick out you

know what I look like you are having too

much fun because we're all supposed to

be you know in and together kind of idea

and to illustrate this we got the noun

generation this is going along with the

technology these days we need instant

gratification in the States and we want

it now we want it right away moving more

and more towards this as we move along

being able to for example fast food and

order things and make it receive the

next day on the internet on the other

side of things there's this phrase or

concept more of a concept really and

that is gamma to do so do is do gum on

translates as patients but it's more

than that it's willful patients it's

holding yourself back on purpose for the

good of either the long term or the good

of the group it's self restraint in a

way and this term is widely used all

over Japan it's very hard to be

translated into English and I think it

kind of exemplifies this idea of a less

indulgent society here in Japan and just

to compare these once again power

distance United States a little bit

lower individualism United States top

number one America number one

masculinity Japan number one in the

world and certainty avoidance big a gap

there between the two cultures short

term versus long term huge gap between

these two societies indulgence and

restraint also not so big but a little

bit of difference there too and one

thing to start thinking about is how

this might affect how you do business in

these two countries how these

organizations will be built in these two

countries if you want to discuss that

further I invite you to look in the

description and watch for further videos

right again this is Eric Hawkinson

talking about cultural dimensions and

I'll see you next time

well well well