Hofstede's in Nepalese Culture

Country comparisons are implemented with scores. The rule is that if score is under 50, the value is considered relatively low. If a country scores over 50, it’s high in that value. With dimension individualism, if a country scores under 50 it’s considered collectivistic thus above 50 refers to more individualistic features of cultural values.

This section compares all the countries’ cultural values. However, it is important to notice that generalizations concern groups and scores are relative like humans. All cultures have same features, and realizing those aspects may reveal new sides of person’s own culture.

Country comparisons are actualized with scores. The standard is that if score is under 50, the score is viewed as generally low. On the other chance that a nation scores more than 50, it’s high in that value. With dimension individualism, if a nation scores under 50 it is regarded as collectivistic accordingly over 50 alludes to more individualistic highlights of cultural qualities. This segment analyses all the 4 countries’ social qualities.

Mines (2010) acknowledges that Nepal, the country of several ethnic groups in South Asia implemented the caste system for distinguishing different kinds of humans from the others. People tend to get married with a person from the same caste and people from the upper caste avoid eating with those from the lower level. Mines (2010) recognizes that Nepal, the nation of a many ethnic groups in South Asia actualized a kind of rank framework for recognizing various types of people from the others. The caste system separated and gave an identity of each people of that country.

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Individuals in general get married with a person from a similar caste and individuals from the upper standing ignore from eating with those from the lower level. Although nowadays research appears that caste boundaries have expanded and people are more flexible, there’s still four-class division of humans: Brahmans (priests and scholars), Ksatriyas (warriors and kings), Vaisyas (merchants and farmers) and Sudras (servants of the other three). (Mines 2010, 145-146.)

Leadership styles in organizations reflect power distance. High amount of emotional approach is involved in Nepalese leadership style. India, the neighbor of Nepal, shares a common understanding of business, which is strongly considered as personal. Initiative strategies and styles in associations reflect power separation. High measure of passionate methodology is associated with Nepalese leadership style. India, the southern neighbour of Nepal, shares a typical comprehension of business, which is considered as close to home. Friendship and companionship are more crucial criteria for choosing partners. (Lehtipuu 2010, 179.) Leaders are ‘good fathers’ who are expected to give both personal and emotional support. Power is centralized in Nepalese business culture, where top managers hold the executive power and decisions and orders are top-down. (Lewis 2005, 90-91.)

Brown (1995) announces the political system in Nepal continues its hierarchical and centred nature, despite the end of authoritarian rule. Distribution of power is still in the hands of the elite, the Indo-Aryan men from the hills. Those men, known also as Khas, were originally from the west and the south. Over several centuries rule they established few principal elements in Nepal. One was Thakuri aristocracy, second priestly Brahman caste and warrior caste of Chettri. Brown (1995) reports the political scenario in Nepal proceeds with its various levelled hierarchical and focused nature, regardless of the finish of authoritarian rule. Distribution of power is still in the hands of the first class, the Indo-Aryan men from the hilly area of the country. Those men, who are called as Khas, were initially from the west and the south. After a few centuries rule they set up major components in Nepal. One was Thakuri aristocracy, second holy Brahman caste and warrior position of Chettri. The elite language of Khas ended up to be the official language of Nepal, Nepali. (Brown 1995, 1-2.)

When negotiating in Nepal, meetings usually start with announcing all participants’ names and titles. A person in lower level doesn’t usually question opinions of upper level and if ordered even may act consciously wrong. (Lehtipuu 2010, 177-178.)

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Most of the people in our world live in societies where the interest of the group dominates over the interest of an individual. Those societies are called ‘collectivist’, referring to the power of the group. In collectivist societies an extended family consists of several people living together. The vast majority of the individuals in our reality live in social orders where the enthusiasm of the gathering commands over the enthusiasm of a person. Those social orders are called ‘collectivist’, alluding to the intensity of the gathering. In collectivist social orders a more distant family comprises of a few people living respectively.A child learns to be part of the ‘we’ group and all the members of the group are dependent on each other, both practically and psycho-logically. (Hofstede etc. 2010, 90-91.)

The minority of people in our world live in individualistic societies, where the interest of individuals rules over the interest of a group. Family with two parents and one or two children form nuclear family. Children learn to see themselves as ‘I’ and personal identity is distinguished from others. Education targets to independency, where children are able to stand on their own feet. (Hofstede etc. 2010, 91.)

Hofstede’s (2010, 92) definition of this dimension goes as follows:

‘’Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him- or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivism as its opposite pertains to societies in which people from birth onward are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’s lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.

Characteristics of individualism in Nepal:

• -The value standards differ among in-groups and out-groups: exclusionism
• -Harmony should always be maintained and direct confrontations avoided
• -The employee-employer relationship is moral, like a family link
• -Relationship prevails over the task
• -Management is management of groups

Nepal has exclusionist features and people treat each other on the basis of group affiliation. They aspire to harmony and good relationships within one’s in-group. At the same time, they can be rude, inconsiderate and indifferent towards people from out-groups. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 98.) Nepotism is a part of responsibility taking and reducing risks in business.

Masculinity vs. Femininity

Masculinity and femininity refer to country’s degree of valuing gender-specific roles and the degree of valuing masculine or hard values (ambition, acquisition of material goods and achievement) or feminine or soft values (quality of life, serving others and nurturance) (Martin & Nakayama 2010, 49).

There is variety among the modern and the traditional societies where behaviour is considered masculine or feminine. This is most visible in occupations. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 137.)

The role pattern where men are expected to be assertive, competitive and tough, women are nurturing and tender has most likely developed as followed: when a mother bore a child and breast-fed the baby, she needed to stay close to her offspring. At that time, men were more free to move and able to protect family from other men and animals. (Hofstede 2005, 138.)

According to anthropological studies, fertility (number of children in the family) is related to masculinity in traditional cultures. Those studies conclude population increases in those societies where women are subservient to males. Smaller child number in wealthier countries means aging population and turning towards more feminine values. The improvement of technology reflects to jobs as development brings out new jobs and traditional ones get eliminated. Those new jobs may include creativity and human contacts, which supports shifting towards more feminine values. On the other hand, the poor part of the world shifting towards feminine values is not likely. In many Asian countries female births are prevented and having sons is more desirable. According to Valerie Hudson and Andrea den Boer (2004), this domination of young men is connected to more violence and authoritarian political systems. (Hofstede 2005, 184-185.)

Hofstede etc. (2005, 140) determine masculinity vs. femininity as follows:

‘A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on mate-rial success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.

A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles are overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.’

Masculinity is not correlating with economic development of a country. There are countries with high masculinity score along with high economic development. For instance, Japan is the second in masculinity index. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 140-141.) It’s also crucial to make distinction between individualism and masculinity, because those are independent dimensions. Where individualism concentrates on in-group and out-group dependency, masculinity points out a stress on ego versus stress relationship with others. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 146.). Age is a factor that effects to masculinity. When people grow older, they tend to be-come more feminine in values. At the same time the gap between women and men’s values get smaller. Conversely young people prefer values related to more technical interests and masculinity. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 150.)

Nepal has more masculine values. Together with many South Asian countries, gender roles and nature of women’s work are dependent on caste and class. Upper-status women of rural areas are more educated, but tend to stay at home for the family. Lower caste women work hard on fields, with road construction and informal sector. (Mines 2010, 76.) Agriculture is the major source of incomes and occupations in Nepal and only a few women work at high-level or technical jobs in urban areas. (World Trade Press 2010.)

Marriage has a huge impact on South Asian women’s life, also in Nepal. Arranged marriages are still common, usually organized by the elder family members. Love marriages are getting popular among the urban families but relationships before marriage are rare. Child marriages are still part of Nepalese culture. (World Trade Press 2010.)

Madisson (2015) discussed about common child marriages of Nepal. Some small rural areas of Nepal apply child marriages to preserve cultural traditions. Dowries are illegal, but because of the loose and defunct law enforcement, fathers give their daughters away with high price. Depending on the husband’s status and the girl’s age, the price varies between thousand and ten thousand euros.

South Asian men don’t need to go through so many transformations during their life. Man can move outside for work and marriage usually demands wife to move away from her childhood home. Men are generally expected to marry, have children, to be economically productive and when getting old, surrender much of their power to the juniors. Basically men are more free to move along with job, hang out at the tea stalls and play cards with other men. (Mines 2010, 77.). Approximately 80 % of the Nepalese people are Hindus (Tiimonen 2005, 207). Religion affects to masculinity and gender roles, so it’s relevant to mention here. Hindu ideologies emphasize men’s higher position where a man is god for his wife. Thereby respect and serving husband refers to women’s lower status. (Mines 2010, 77.) Illegal dowries and child marriages indicate that as well. Interesting is, how basic scripts of Hinduism, Vedas, disclose totally opposite viewpoints. According to Ramarajan (2009), those scripts manifest women’s right to make choices on husband and family. Also their freedom and divinity is present:

‘’Where women are worshipped, there Gods are pleased. But where they are not honored, no sacred rite reward yields’’

There’s a fading position of women in Hindu societies today. The changes in politics and society affect the interpretation of religious philosophy, even though the Hindu faith is the same (Ramarajan 2009.) Different aspects and traditions vary between the rural areas and the city. For example, many Buddhist Newars of urban Kathmandu see the marriage more like matter of fact- issue and divorce is not much criticized (Bista 2013, 25).

Uncertainty avoidance

Avoiding uncertainty is a part of every society its people: we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. The insecure future can be eased with technology, laws, rules and religious ways. Technological development has helped societies to tame unpredictable nature. Laws prevent uncertainties towards other people’s behaviour and religion helps dealing with otherworldly forces, which controls personal future. Uncertainty is a subjective feeling that may be shared with other members of the society. Learned and attained feelings of uncertainty and how to cope with them are a part of the cultural heritage. (Hofstede etc. 2005, 189-190.)

Hofstede etc. (2005, 191) again defined this fourth value dimension as follows:

‘’the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambig-uous or unknown situations.’’

Long-term vs. short-term orientation

The fifth dimension strongly refers to teachings of Confucius and deals with a society’s search for Virtue. Confucius was a Chinese teacher of practical ethics, without religious content. Here is the difference between the East and the West; In the East, people are searching for Virtue and for Western people Truth is the key. (Hofstede etc. 2010, 247.)

Hofstede etc. (2010, 239) determines this dimension as follows:

‘’long-term orientation stands for the fostering of virtues oriented to-ward future rewards – in particular, perseverance and thrift. It’s opposite pole, short-term orientation, stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present – in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of ‘’face’’ and fulfilling social obligations.’’

The problem of this dimension is that it’s only available for fewer countries and there’s no index for Nepal.