INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH

(IUB)
School of Business
MBA Program
Spring-2020
Course: MBA 514 (International Business)

Submitted By
Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Mahfuz

Submitted To
Showkatul Islam
ID: 2022900

2nd March 2020

The 6-D model of national culture

POWER DISTANCE INDEX

This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and
expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is how a society handles
inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of Power Distance
accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further
justification. In societies with low Power Distance, people strive to equalize the distribution of
power and demand justification for inequalities of power.

INDIVIDUALISM VERSUS COLLECTIVISM

The high side of this dimension, called Individualism, can be defined as a preference for a
loosely knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves
and their immediate families. Its opposite, Collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit
framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular
in group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society’s position on this
dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we.”

MASCULINITY VERSUS FEMININITY

The Masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievement,
heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success. Society at large is more competitive. Its
opposite, Femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and
quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. In the business context Masculinity
versus Femininity is sometimes also related to as “tough versus tender” cultures.
UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE INDEX

The Uncertainty Avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which the members of a society
feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society
deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just
let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour, and
are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed
attitude in which practice counts more than principles.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION VERSUS SHORT TERM NORMATIVE ORIENTATION

Every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of
the present and the future. Societies prioritize these two existential goals differently. Societies
who score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and
norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, on
the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern
education as a way to prepare for the future. In the business context, this dimension is referred to
as “(short-term) normative versus (long-term) pragmatic” (PRA). In the academic environment,
the terminology Monumentalism versus Flexhumility is sometimes also used.

INDULGENCE VERSUS RESTRAINT

Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural
human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that
suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms
The 6 dimensions of national culture in Bangladesh

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 amongst us. Power Distance is defined as the
extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country
expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Bangladesh scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which means that people accept a
hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification.
Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular,
subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat

INDIVIDUALISM

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society
maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms
of “I” or “We”. 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.

Bangladesh, with a score of 20 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close

long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or extended
relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal
rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes
responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame
and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family
link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is
the management of groups.
MASCULINITY

A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by
competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field –
a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life. A low score
(Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and
quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing
out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people,
wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).

Bangladesh scores 55 on this dimension and can be considered a a Masculine society. In

Masculine countries people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and
assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by
fighting them out.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact
that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This
ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in
different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or
unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in
the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.

Bangladesh scores 60 on this dimension and thus has an high score. Countries exhibiting high
Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of
unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if
the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work
hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important
element in individual motivation.
LONG TERM ORIENTATION

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while
dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential
goals differently. Normative societies. which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to
maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion.
Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they
encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future. Bangladesh
has an intermediate score at 47, this does not indicate a strong preference in either direction.

INDULGENCE

One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small
children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”. 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 called “Indulgence” and relatively strong control is
called “Restraint”. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

Bangladesh has a very low Indulgence score of 20. This makes it a Restrained country. Societies
with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast
to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control
the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their
actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.
The 6 dimensions of national culture in SRI LANKA

If we explore Sri Lanka’s culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview
of the deep drivers of Sri Lanka’s culture relative to other world cultures.

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 amongst us. Power Distance is defined as the
extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country
expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

With a slightly high score of 80, Sri Lanka is a relatively hierarchical society. This means that
people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further
justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities,
centralisation is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a
benevolent autocrat.

INDIVIDUALISM

The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society
maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms
of “I” or “We”. 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.
A low score of 35 in this dimension means that Sri Lanka is considered a collectivistic society.
This is evident in a close, long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family,
extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and
overrides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where
everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies: offence
leads to shame and the loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral
terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-
group and management is the management of groups.

MASCULINITY

A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by
competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field –
a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring
for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of
success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what
motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).

Sri Lanka, with a very low score of 10, is thus considered a 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. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and
negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favored. Focus is on well-being and
status is not shown or emphasized.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

This dimension, Uncertainty Avoidance, has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact
that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This
ambiguity brings anxiety with it, and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in
different ways. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or
unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in
the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.

The relatively intermediate score of 45 indicates that Sri Lanka does not indicate a strong
preference.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while
dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential
goals differently. Normative societies. which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to
maintain time-honored traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those
with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they
encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.With an
intermediate score of 45, Sri Lanka does not indicate a strong preference in this dimension.

INDULGENCE

One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small
children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”. This dimension is
defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way
they were raised. A tendency toward a relatively weak control over their impulses is called
“Indulgence”, whereas a relatively strong control over their urges is called “Restraint”. Cultures
can be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

There is currently no score for Sri Lanka in this dimension.