Cultural environment of United Arab Emirates Essay

Cultural environment of United Arab Emirates - Essay Example This paper will focus on describing the cultural environment of the United Arab Emirates, according to the model described by Hofstede. The Five Dimensions of Culture It is of critical importance to describe the five dimensions that Hofstede described. The first of these dimensions is the power/distance, which denotes the degree of inequality that is evident in the society (Reiser 9). According to this psychologist, the people in the society have usually accepted that inequality exists, and realize their place. In cultures registering high scores of this dimension, uneven distribution of power thrives, with people in the system living within the limits of their place. Societies that have a lower score in this dimension exhibit a level of power sharing and dispersion and the members in the society consider each other as equals. . Societies that register high scores in this dimension have a hierarchical society whereby the gap between each level keeps widening. The second dimension is individualism, which denotes the depth of ties existing between people and their communities. Societies that register a high score in individualism have many people practicing autonomy, and the exhibit a high level of independence. Societies that have low scores in this dimension exhibit complex community networks and value the societal projects (Reiser 11). The people have an indomitable connection with their societies, a factor that makes them focused on pursuing community projects. The third dimension that he used to describe societies was masculinity, which denoted the society’s tendency to adhere to gender roles attached to both men and women. High scores in this dimension illustrates that a society holds onto the gender system that defines masculine and feminine roles, with men associated with the tough responsibilities. On the other hand, low scores reveal that a society has embraced gender equality and that women in that society can take up various careers, including those taken up by men. Low scores do not imply that a certain society exhibits reversed gender roles, but rather describes the changed attitudes towards the stringent gender system that has defines masculine and feminine roles. The fourth dimension that Hofstede defined was the uncertainty or avoidance index, a framework that relates to the society’s tendencies to avoid ambiguity or confusing situations. Societies that score highly in this sector usually avoid any form of ambiguity by setting up multiple rules and regulations that define the necessary action and option under any circumstance (Reiser 13). Low scores in this area indicate that a society lacks laws that define each probable situation, and that novelty is encouraged under different circumstances. The fifth dimension describes a society’s preference for long-term orientation. High scores in this dimension indicate that a society prefers to hold onto traditional values that define the society. Low scores are exhibited by countries that have lost an attachment to traditional values and are willing to adopt dynamic trends. Geert Hofstede Analysis for United Arab Emirates According to Hofstede, the United Arab Emirates exhibits a high score on the power and distance of 80 highlighting that the society is highly hierarchical. There are differential classes that define the