International and Intercultural Communication

International and Intercultural Communication
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Culture is an unclear concept that has overtime had difficulties defining, conceptualizing, operational zing for research purposes on culture and its influence on human behavior. To provide a multidimensional approach towards conceptualization and operationalization of culture, Geert Hofstede (1991) conducted a global research on values CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007). His research was conducted on IBM managers in over 50 countries and revealed that, there were differences in the respondents' answers, which according to Hofstede could attributed their national cultures influences CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007).
From the responses, Hofstede observed five conspicuous dimensions that were related to Power Distance, Masculinity Versus Femininity, Individualism and Collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long Term Orientation (Confucian Dynamism). These are Hofstede's five dimensions CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007).
Power Distance reflects the outcomes of power inequality and authority relations in society while Individualism and Collectivism describe cultural relationships CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007). Uncertainty Avoidance is the extent to which individuals in a certain culture feel threatened by ambiguity and uncertainty and try to avoid such situations while masculinity and femininity, on the other hand, reflect the characteristic dominant values in masculine and feminine cultures. Finally, Long Term Orientation (LTO) fosters virtues directed towards future results (perseverance and thrift) CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007).
In reference to power, Netherlands a low Power Distance Country is characterized by equal treatment of children by their parents. Here children are allowed to have an opinion, in the classroom a child does not have to ask for permission to answer a question. Furthermore, workers do not have to wait for their supervisor's orders to begin working CITATION Nun07 \l 1033 (Nunez, Mahdi, & Popma, 2007).
Slovakia, on other hand, power distance...