Analyzing Culture

Five Dimensions of Culture, and South Korea

1.)    Power Distance (PDI): It is the extent to which the powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. All societies in the individual are not equal. In South Korea, at a score of 60 PDI, it is a hierarchy society.

2.)    Individualism (IDV): It is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. In individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family one, but in collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty. South Korea with a score of 18, it is considered a collectivist society. It is where societies fosters a strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group.

3.)    Masculinity / Femininity (MAS): In the high score it indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement, and success, however, a low score will show caring for others and quality at life. A score of 39 in South Korea show that we are a feminist country and we work in order to live.

4.)    Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI):  This is the way the society deals with the fact that the future can never be known. It is when the cultures feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and creates ritual beliefs to avoid these situations. As a score of 85 UAI score, South Korea is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries in the world. Theses kinds of countries contain a rigid code of beliefs.

5.)    Long Term Orientation (LTO): The long-term orientation dimension is closely related with the teachings of Confucius and can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue. It is basically, where the society shows the sensible future perspective. South Korea obtaining a score of 75, it is considered as one of the long-term oriented societies. Usually, people live their lives guided by virtues and practical good examples.