Intercultural Competence

Chapter 5 Notes
Derry Parler

Be able to discuss each of the taxonomies in Chapter 5 as they will be the basis for your cultural
analysis.
 Hall’s High and Low Context Taxonomy
o Hall argued that every human being is faced with many perceptual stimuli-sights, sounds,
smells, tastes, and bodily sensations-that it is impossible to pay attention to all of them.
Therefore, one of the functions of culture is to provide a screen between the person and
all of the stimuli to indicate what perceptions to notice and how to interpret them. Some
cultures have messages of a high context while others are mostly of a low context.
 Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy
o People carry mental programs that are developed during childhood and reinforced by
their culture. These mental programs contain the ideas of a culture and are expressed
through its dominant values.
 Power Distance – the degree to which the culture believes that institutional and
organizational power should be distributed unequally and whether the decisions
of the power holders should be challenged or accepted.
 Uncertainty Avoidance – the extent to which the culture feels threatened by
ambiguous, uncertain situations and tries to avoid them by establishing more
structure.
 Individualism-Collectivism – the degree to which a culture relies on and has
allegiance to the self or group.
 Masculinity-Femininity – indicates the degree to which a culture values
“masculine” behaviors, such as assertiveness and the acquisition of wealth, or
“feminine” behaviors, such as caring for others and the quality of life.
 Time orientation
 Indulgence-restraint
 Schwart’s Cultural Taxonomy
o Three primary cultural dimensions:
 Autonomy versus embeddedness
 Egalitarianism versus hierarchy
 Harmony versus mastery
o Each dimension identifies alternative solutions to a central problem that every culture
must resolve.
 Globe Cultural Taxonomy
o Researchers identified nine dimensions of culture:
 Power distance - similar to Hofstede
 Uncertainty avoidance – similar to Hofstede
 Ingroup collectivism – refines Hofstede
 Institutional collectivism – based on Hofstede
 Gender egalitarianism – based on Hofstede
 Assertiveness – derived from Hofstede
 Performance orientation – task or work-related accomplishments
 Future orientation – preferences for delayed versus immediate gratification
 Humane orientation – fairness and generosity
 Analyze the culture you have selected by using one of the cultural taxonomies described in
Chapter 5. Place information in a table like the sample below.
 Link the taxonomy elements to the culture and explain how each applies to the culture.
Example: Hofstede’s Elements Host Culture
Power Distance Haitians generally have a low degree of
power distance. They have a detailed
history in overthrowing power structures
that do not deliver on their promises.
Uncertainty Avoidance Haitians generally take things on a day-to-
day basis. That is not to say that they do not
lead structured lives but rather they have
resounding ability to adapt and to adjust to
the unexpected while still maintaining their
social norms.
Individualism-Collectivism Haitians tend to be group oriented. When
disaster and unexpected phenomena
challenges them, they look out for each
other and show great resiliency as a group.
Masculinity-Femininity This is very paradoxical. In some instances,
one can say that Haiti is a masculine culture
where men are expected to be assertive and
women nurturing. On the flip side, Haitian
women are empowered and are not
subservient to the men. In fact, most
households are matriarchal.
Time Orientation Tardiness is commonplace and often
expected, however for business
arrangements most make every effort to be
punctual. Interpersonal relationships may be
valued over stringent schedules.
Indulgence Versus Restraint Haitians are relatively balanced when it
comes to indulgence versus restraint. They
are a group of people that are dutiful, but
put equal value in the pleasures of life.

 Application
 Biblical /World View Links