Hofstede's Power Distance Index in Management - Essay Example

Name: University: Instructor: Date: Hofstede Analysis – Selection Management values and practices differ from one country to another in terms of the every country’s unique traditions and culture. The cultural inheritance has an enormous impact on the country’s political, societal, and economic structure. These influence the development of management values as well as practices within the country. Power Distance Index Power distance index (PDI) according to Hofstede (9) is the level of inequality existing between individuals with and without power. Therefore, a country that scores highly on PDI is considered to have unequal power distribution and every person fathoms his/her position in the system. On the other hand, a low PDI score connotes that power dispersed and shared widely, and unequal power distribution is rejected within the society. Zara’s home country has high PDI score; this denotes that Spain is a hierarchical nation, whereby the hierarchical order is accepted by everyone. In a hierarchical organization, centralization is widespread, inequalities are prevalent, and employees are always told what to do. The PDI score of Oman is also high, and this indicates that is less tolerant to Western influence and new ideas. Employees in both Spain and Oman cannot initiate any action unless directed or guided by their superiors. \ Individualism vs. Collectivism According to Hofstede (11), this dimension connotes the social ties’ strength between people and other members of the society. Individualism refers to a society that is loosely integrated while refers to a tightly integrated society whereby people distinguish between out-groups and in-groups. Spain is considered to be a Collectivist; therefore, Spaniards can associate easily with other cultures, especially the non-European culture. In Spain, teamwork is perceived as natural; therefore, workers are inclined to work effectively in teams without being motivated by the management. Oman is also considered a Collectivist culture since Islam places emphasis on the idea of unity. As a collectivist culture, people in Oman are normally controlled more through societal pressure from external sources (At-Twaijri and Al-Muhaiza 127). Both Oman and Spain value people's time as well as their need for freedom and privacy. Masculinity vs. Femininity This dimension has been described by Hofstede (12) as roles’ distribution between men as well as women. In societies perceived as masculine, men normally conduct themselves assertively. In feminine societies, modesty compromise, consensus, cooperation, and negotiation are considered to be the important virtues. Spain scores low this dimension; therefore, a consensus is considered to be the main virtue and excessive competitiveness and polarization are not appreciated. Managers in Spanish companies normally consult with their subordinates with the objective of getting their opinions and involving them in decisions making process. Oman is considered to be a feminine country since the tribal system and Islamic teachings emphasize the concept of cooperation and caring. In both Oman and Spain, success can highly be achieved through collaboration and negotiation at every level. Uncertainty Avoidance Index This dimension according to Hofstede (10) defines the level to which members of the society feel endangered by ambiguous situations and the level to which such situations re avoided through the formulation of formal rules, improved career stability, eliminating deviant behavior and ideas, and agreeing to the prospect of outright truths. Spain score in uncertainty avoidance is exceedingly high since the country has rules in almost everything. Most Spaniards consider change as a stress situation that should be avoided and they normally avoid confrontation so as to reduce the likelihood of personal stress. At-Twaijri and Al-Muhaiza (127) posit that Oman is considered to be the safer GCC country because of its location. Nationals’ employment is less likely to be terminated unless the employee commits a criminal act. The organisations are more structured, rigid, and conservative. Long Term Orientation and Indulgence Hofstede (2011) asserts that this dimension defines how societies should maintain a number of connections with their own past when managing present and future challenges. Spain is considered a normative country since most Spaniards have less concern about the future. Still, both Spain and Oman are not indulgent; however, they exhibit the tendency to pessimism as well as cynicism. Candidate Profile Age The company is looking for old and experienced employee who is motivated and skilled in matters of HRM at global level. Therefore, recruiting someone aged more than 40 years would be appropriate because they are highly productive and his experience would be very to the company because they are very reliable and responsible. The manager would be a key asset to the company because the Muslim community respects the elderly employees more than the young employees. In Oman, every person is expected to behave properly towards the elders; therefore, Zara needs someone matured who can make decisions fast and offer directions easily to the junior staff. Marital Status and Children The potential candidate should be married and have kids, since Oman people highly respect married people and are also seen as role models for the young employees. Gender Given that women have been isolated in issues affecting Oman, currently women are considered as equals to their male counterparts. Since the potential candidate is expected to assume managerial position, it is appropriate for the candidate’s gender to be male because until now women are not taken as seriously as men in the workplace. Experience The main role of the manager will involve recruiting, selecting, hiring, as well as retaining qualified and skilled employees. Furthermore, the role of the manager will involve educating the workers regarding nontraditional benefits packages, like the flex time, telecommuting, and parental leave. The manager is expected to introduce effective training program that could improve Zara’s operations efficiency in various locations across Oman and also lessen the risks associated with cultural miscommunications. The manager will be tasked with terminating or reassigning staffs whose job roles are no more needed. Another responsibility will be ensuring legal compliance by knowing the policies and laws of Oman and ensuring that Zara remains entirely legal every time. Training The candidate must have master in HRM from recognized institutions in Spain like University of Granada and University of Barcelona. He should also be trained in ICT and HRM systems such as Management information systems and Knowledge management systems. Language The national and official language in Oman is Arabic, but some people understand English, especially those living in tourist and urban areas. Some other people speak Hindu, Urdu, and Swahili. Therefore, he candidate should be fluent in English and they will be enrolled in Arabic classes once they report to work. Computer skills The candidate must have various computer skills such as Microsoft Office, Human Resource Information System (HRIS), customer relationship management (CRM), and quick books. Other skills include management information system and enterprise resource planning systems. Nationality The candidate should be Spanish, a former expatriate, and worked in the management position in any Spanish company with footing at global level. Personality (Consequences of Hofstede Analysis) With the view to the Hofstede Analysis between Span and Oman, the candidate must have a number of personalities. In terms of power distance, the candidate must be ready to espouse the status of leadership. In the areas of individualism versus collectivism, the candidate must be able to focus on building skills and be able to maintain harmony among the members of the group, should suppress emotions and feelings that could threaten harmony and avoid offering negative feedback. In terms of masculinity versus femininity, the candidate must be able to achieve success through collaboration and negotiation, should focus more on life quality, and place much emphasis on the work-life balance and workplace flexibility. In the areas of uncertainty avoidance index, the candidate should be less conservative, able to encourage creative thinking, highly energized, and be able to learn quickly the cultural expectations. Lastly, with regard to long term orientation and indulgence, the candidate should consider education as a positive, values modesty, be future-oriented, and optimistic. Leadership Style The candidate should be a participative leadership, since people of Oman value being involved in making decisions. The candidate should offer every employee at Zara an opportunity to participate in decision making, to exchange ideas without restrictions, and encourage discussions. Culture Awareness To be successful, the candidate should be able to operate effectively across national cultures and boundaries and be able to formulate goals, which are appealing to all people regardless of their cultural boundary. Adjustment to Change The manager should successfully adapt to changing environments and situations and be able to remain calm when facing difficulties. Aside from taking new challenges easily and adapting quickly to new environments, the manager should effectively manage to change workloads and priorities. Works Cited At-Twaijri, Mohammed I. and Ibrahim A. Al-Muhaiza. "Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions in the GCC Countries: An Empirical Investigation." International Journal of Value-Based Management 9 (1996): 21-131. Hofstede, Geert. "Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context." Online Readings in Psychology and Culture 2.1 (2011): 1-26. Read More