Country's profile on Geert Hofstede - Cultural Dimensions
According to the Geert Hofstede - Cultural Dimensions an overview of Taiwanese culture relative to other world cultures is like this:
i. The Power Distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal, it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities.
Taiwan has a relatively high score of 58 on this dimension which indicates that it is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification.
ii. Individualism
It is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies, people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.
Taiwan, with a score of 17 is a collectivistic society. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. A society fosters strong relationships, where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivistic societies, offense leads to shame and loss of face. Employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms, hiring and promotion take account of the employee’s in-group.
iii. Masculinity
A high score on the masculine indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement, and success, with success being defined by the winner/best in the field. A low score on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).
Taiwan scores 45 on this dimension, a lower intermediate, and is thus considered a slightly Feminine society. In Feminine countries the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity, and quality in their working lives.
iv. Uncertainty Avoidance
Should we try to control the future or just let it happen? The extent to which Taiwanese feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these situations.
Taiwan scores 69 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. In these cultures, there is an emotional need. Innovations may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.
v. Long Term Orientation
Normative societies. which score low on this dimension prefer to maintain time-honored traditions. A culture that scores high takes a more pragmatic approach and encourages thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
Taiwan scores 93, making it a pragmatic, long-term orientation culture. Societies with this orientation show an ability to adapt traditions to a modern context, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.
vi. Indulgence
This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is the Indulgence and Restraint means strong control.
Taiwan has a very intermediate score of 49 which does not indicate the dominant preference on this dimension.
To summarize, honestly, I don't know how they got these results. But, I think these experts have their own algorithms and norms. The theory of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions constitutes a framework revolving around cross-cultural communication. It also describes the relationship between values and behaviors based on factor analysis. In short, this theory studies significant aspects of culture, and most importantly, it provides enterprises a comparison scale while trying to do businesses in different countries and can help managers in sailing successfully across the international business market.
However, I think the theory is trying to simplify a complex question. Basically, it is also a psychological product which means it does not precisely sweep the board. I think flexibility can be the seventh dimension to a better format of the cultural dimensions since cultures are always changing and even faster in recent years. The flexibility can be scored by the changes in each of the six dimensions. A higher score in flexibility means the culture is more likely to change. Therefore, multinational companies should reassess their strategies. In addition, Environmental Sensitivity can also be a crucial dimension of the cultural dimensions that constitutes a framework. It reflects how we react to our environmental changes.
What do you think of the mere concept of culture as a group of individuals having the same traits?
Although the theory of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions constitutes a framework revolving around cross-cultural communication, I’m not going to tar all the people in the same group with the same brush. I think "most" of the British people are very polite and gentle. However, I don't think "every" British person is polite and gentle.
Reference
Taiwan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/taiwan/
Understanding cultures & people With HOFSTEDE DIMENSIONS. (2019, September 20). Retrieved April 18, 2021, from https://www.cleverism.com/understanding-cultures-people-hofstede-dimensions/
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