1. Introduction
My cultural background comes from two countries: The Phillippines and the United Kingdom. During my practical education, I received a different supervisor in every outlet. What I had noticed was that there were differences in the behavior of the leaders, depending on whether they were Dutch or not. Most of my supervisors were Dutch and I was able to see a difference in how they approached their role as managers in comparison to the international students. I found that sometimes I did not agree with their management styles, and was sometimes baffled by it. After researching the four cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede, I realized that the differences in leadership styles may relate to the nationality of the individual, as …show more content…
The Four Dimensions of Hofstede
The four cultural dimensions consist of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity versus Femininity and Individualism versus Collectivism.
Power Distance refers to the distribution of power within the workplace or society. In cultures with a lower power distance, the distribution of power should be more equal, like in the case of flat organizational structures in which it is also acceptable that those in lower echelons can influence the organization. On the other hand, a country with a high power distance reveals that power is distributed only to the few on top of the hierarchy, like in a taller organizational structure.
Cultures can be divided into two categories and can be considered either individualistic or collectivistic. Individualism versus Collectivism refers to the degree of interdependence maintained amongst a society’s members, whether the culture focuses more on the achievement of personal goals (Individualistic) or if the welfare of the entire group is more important …show more content…
My two managers were Dutch. In the kitchen there was a lot of yelling and offensive swearing, which was sometimes degrading, and its purpose was apparently to motivate our team to work harder. What it did do was make our team less responsive and agitated with our supervisors. Sometimes it resembled Gordon Ramsey’s “Hell’s Kitchen”, which made it extremely stressful. Gordon Ramsey is British, so it may seem that they are similarities in the leadership styles of our cultures, but compared to the stereotypical British leadership characteristics, Ramsey’s approach is different, which is why he became
My cultural background comes from two countries: The Phillippines and the United Kingdom. During my practical education, I received a different supervisor in every outlet. What I had noticed was that there were differences in the behavior of the leaders, depending on whether they were Dutch or not. Most of my supervisors were Dutch and I was able to see a difference in how they approached their role as managers in comparison to the international students. I found that sometimes I did not agree with their management styles, and was sometimes baffled by it. After researching the four cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede, I realized that the differences in leadership styles may relate to the nationality of the individual, as …show more content…
The Four Dimensions of Hofstede
The four cultural dimensions consist of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity versus Femininity and Individualism versus Collectivism.
Power Distance refers to the distribution of power within the workplace or society. In cultures with a lower power distance, the distribution of power should be more equal, like in the case of flat organizational structures in which it is also acceptable that those in lower echelons can influence the organization. On the other hand, a country with a high power distance reveals that power is distributed only to the few on top of the hierarchy, like in a taller organizational structure.
Cultures can be divided into two categories and can be considered either individualistic or collectivistic. Individualism versus Collectivism refers to the degree of interdependence maintained amongst a society’s members, whether the culture focuses more on the achievement of personal goals (Individualistic) or if the welfare of the entire group is more important …show more content…
My two managers were Dutch. In the kitchen there was a lot of yelling and offensive swearing, which was sometimes degrading, and its purpose was apparently to motivate our team to work harder. What it did do was make our team less responsive and agitated with our supervisors. Sometimes it resembled Gordon Ramsey’s “Hell’s Kitchen”, which made it extremely stressful. Gordon Ramsey is British, so it may seem that they are similarities in the leadership styles of our cultures, but compared to the stereotypical British leadership characteristics, Ramsey’s approach is different, which is why he became