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  • Essay / Cultural Differences of Pakistan and Its Advantages and Disadvantages

    Culture is a pattern of behavior that repeats itself and over time it becomes a way of life for a particular group of people within a country, of an organization and a family. However, people often do not realize how culture affects their thinking or behavior because most people are heavily immersed in their own culture. To overcome this problem, there are many suggestions to compare countries on cultural similarities and cultural differences across borders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Therefore, Hofstede's cultural dimensions are one of the most used and well-known frameworks, comprising 6 cultural dimensions such as power distance, individualism/collectivism. , masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long/short term orientation and restraint/indulgence which were introduced by Geert Hofstede. Gerard Hendrik Hofstede or well known as Geert Hofstede born October 2, 1928 is a Dutch researcher in the fields of organization studies, economics and cultural and organizational management. He is also a former IBM employee and Professor Emeritus of Organizational Anthropology and International Management at Maastricht University, Netherlands, known for his pioneering research on cross-cultural groups and organizations. In this, his most remarkable work consisted of developing the theory of cultural dimensions around six cultural dimensions which are Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Hofstede's cultural dimensions aimed at a large database of cultural statistics. Hofstede analyzed the results and discovered clear patterns of similarity and difference between responses along these six dimensions that represent independent preferences for one situation over another and that distinguish countries rather than individuals from one another. As a result, culture can be used meaningfully in comparison with this model of 6 cultural dimensions. The first dimension is power distance. This refers to the degree of inequality that exists and is accepted between people with and without power. A high power distance score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and that people understand their position in the pecking order or recognition of the status quo. For example, in the workplace, employees tend to recognize the authority of the boss and lead to a centralized structure and autocratic leadership. Indeed, power inequalities are normal, as evidenced by hierarchical relationships between boss and subordinate, typically in countries like Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mexico. Although the low power distance means that power has been shared and well dispersed, it shows that members of society view each other as equals. For example, in the workplace, superiors and subordinates are able to view each other as equal in power, resulting in more harmony and cooperation, such as in Scandinavian countries and New Zealand. The second cultural dimension is individualism/collectivism which refers to the strength of bonds between people. have to others within the community. Individualism defines people who take care of themselves and their immediate family and only neglect the needs of society. Countries with a high individualism score suffer from a lack of interpersonal connections and weak sharing of responsibilities, beyond family andmaybe from a few close friends who take the lead before the relationship. For example, employing a family member in one's organization was termed as nepotism and hated or considered illegal in many organizations like the United States, Britain, and Australia. Whereas collectivism is defined as belonging to groups that care for them in exchange for their loyalty. Low individualism shows more collectivism which would have strong group cohesion and result in high loyalty in respecting group members. For example, hiring and promotion practices are based on paternalism like Japan, Pakistan and Panama. The third cultural dimension model is masculinity/femininity. This dimension does not refer to the roles of men and women but to the value that typically characterizes the two genders in order to determine the extent to which society holds to values ​​and traditions. Higher masculinity scores define a culture's values ​​like competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, and power, which represent a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness. self and the material reward of success. For example, women are generally expected to stay at home and raise a family and most senior managers will be men, as is the case in Japan and Mexico. While low masculinity shows a culture of femininity that places more value on relationships and quality of life, it represents a preference for cooperation, modesty, concern for the weak, and quality of life. For example, in the organization there tends to be more women in high-level jobs, which will lead to less conflict or stress at work and a reduced need for assertiveness, such as in Denmark countries and Sweden. Hofstede's fourth cultural dimension is uncertainty avoidance related to the level of anxiety in society. Tolerance for situations of uncertainty or ambiguity reflects the extent to which a member of society attempts to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. Therefore, a high uncertainty avoidance score shows a culture that is more emotional and tries to minimize unknown and unusual circumstances through more careful changes in planning and implementing rules, laws, and regulations. For example, the manager tends to make low-risk decisions, employees show little aggression, and lifetime employment is common. While for a low uncertainty avoidance score, most people accept and feel comfortable in unstructured situations of changing environments, are more tolerant of change, and try to have some rules as much as possible. For example, managers are willing to take more risks and job mobility is high, such as in the countries of Denmark, Great Britain and the United States. The fifth cultural dimension of the model is long-term/short-term orientation which indicates how much society values ​​seniority over seniority. traditions and short-term values. The dimension of long-term orientation towards society shows an ability to adapt traditions to changing conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, an economy that leads to perseverance in achieving results. For example, accepting the outcome of an action may take time and compliance with social and statutory obligations within certain limits. However, for a short-term orientation, determine normative thinking and focus on achieving quick results from which people expect short-term rewardsend of their work. For example, do something related to the results and achievements already set and which can be achieved on time and regardless of cost. The final cultural dimension of the model is indulgence/restraint where indulgence tends to allow relatively free satisfaction of related basic and natural human desires. enjoying life and having fun while exercising restraint is the belief that this gratification must be curbed and regulated by strict social norms. Example of indulgence including more people actively participating in sports and a greater emphasis on leisure activities and most people reporting themselves as very happy. Additionally, restraints show a perception of helplessness, fewer people actively involved in the sport, and less emphasis on leisure activities. In conclusion, Hofstede's cultural dimension helps people become more aware of cultural differences, provides general insight and a rough understanding of others. cultures in order to be able to maintain respectful intercultural relations. In intercultural communication, Hofstede's cultural dimension developed by Geert Hofstede plays a role as a framework theory that shows the effect of a society's culture on the value of its members. behavior instead using this model to determine national cultures. Therefore, using this framework can help people understand the differences in culture of Pakistan between countries and distinguish between different national cultures. The percentage of cultural profiling in Pakistan is the origin and latest of the Hofstede Insight website. The first dimension is the power distance indicated in Pakistan with an intermediate score and has a fairly high power distance index of 55%, which shows that it is not possible to determine a preference for Pakistan in this dimension . For example, Pakistanis generally favor a hierarchical society in which everyone is aware of their role and accepts the hierarchical order. Therefore, communication in Pakistani culture is most important because communication style can influence social hierarchy and Pakistan is a collectivist society. The second cultural dimension is individualism/collectivism. Pakistan has a low individualism score of 14%, considered a collectivist society. Pakistanis focus more on the welfare of the group than that of the individual for their success, with loyalty and responsibility being their main factor in saving face. For example, family ties are strong in Pakistan and family comes first because of its religious, cultural, economic and societal value. Pakistani society is not ruled by individualism where family and other relationships are strong. The third cultural dimension model is masculinity/femininity. Pakistani scores of 50% on this dimension indicate an intermediate score. We cannot say that Pakistan has a preference for masculinity or femininity. Sometimes Pakistanis are known to be a male-dominated society. For example, in Pakistani culture, the male member of the family holds a key position because the family was headed by a man and he is the only source of income for other family members. However, Pakistanis are very hospitable and so is the culture of femininity which tends to take a gentle approach, especially to guests, tourists and visitors, whether domestic or international. For example, Pakistanis encourage showing love and respect towards guests due to the culture and religion of Islam whichteaches that they should receive the best treatment possible because a guest is a blessing from God. Hofstede's fourth cultural dimension is uncertainty avoidance which shows that Pakistan had scored 70% on this dimension and has a strong preference for uncertainty avoidance. Pakistani culture determines the rules, precision and regulated activity are valued because they can affect the emotional. For example, Pakistanis consider safety to be an important element of individual motivation and try to avoid and minimize any innovation that could lead to risk-taking. Indeed, Pakistanis can feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations. The fifth model cultural dimension is long-term/short-term orientation which gives Pakistan an intermediate score of 50%. It is difficult to indicate a preference. This can be defined in both orientations which means Pakistanis can show long-term orientation since Pakistanis are a very collectivist society which considers more the well-being of long-term relationships and achievement for the sake of the group . However, Pakistanis can also demonstrate short-term orientation by avoiding uncertainty and avoiding that results and achievements must be achieved within a given time frame because time is money and Punctuality is a standard for them. The final cultural dimension of the model is indulgence/restraint. Pakistan has an extremely low score of 0% on this dimension. It can be said that it is a very sober society with a tendency towards cynicism and pessimism. Although Pakistanis do not give much importance to leisure and do not control the fulfillment of their desires, they love sports, especially cricket introduced by the British to Pakistan. Other sports such as hockey, squash and badminton are also widely practiced and enjoyed. These sports or games can reflect our cultural identity.Advantages and Disadvantages of Cultural Diversity of PakistanThe knowledge base on cultural diversity is most important to help us understand different perspectives and dispel negative stereotypes and personal biases regarding different groups , whether nationwide or within the country. However, instead of improving our understanding of other cultures through cultural diversity, cultural diversity also has advantages and disadvantages. social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural circumstances. Furthermore, there are more than 15 major ethnic groups in Pakistan which differ in their physical characteristics, historical lineages, customs, clothing, food and music. Pakistan's cultural diversity has several advantages. First, a diverse ethnic group will always be guided by the same national identity. Indeed, ideologically, Pakistan is well known as an Islamic state. Pakistani culture is therefore mainly based on the Islamic way of life. For example, all cultural aspects of Pakistan are inspired by Islam and people of certain languages, customs and traditions generally follow one religion which is Islam. Additionally, a diverse society encourages a caring relationship. Although Pakistanis have very diverse social behaviors according to each ethic, they are friendly with each other and even have gender segregation. Indeed, Islamic and tribal influences lead them to have conservative expectations in terms of interactions between men and women. Furthermore, these cultural and religious beliefs of Islam encourage Pakistanis to demonstrate.