Describing Turkey Using Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

Running head: DESCRIBING TURKEY WITH DIMENSIONS 1











Describing Turkey Using Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
Ezgi Burumoğlu
Gazi University



















Abstract
This article describes briefly the Hofstede's four dimensions of national cultures: Power Distance, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity and Uncertainty Avoidance and describes Turkey in terms of these dimensions. Each country has been positioned relative to other countries with a score as a result of a survey conducted to employees of IBM in more than fifty counties. Taking into considerations of dimensions, we live in a culture that has high power distance with a lot of inequalities, there is no tolerance for unknown situations in this culture and we are moving towards individuality however we say we are collectivist and at least but not least we are in a highly patriarchal society although we want an exact opposite especially as women.
Keywords: Turkey, Hofstede, cultural dimensions



















Describing Turkey Using Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
Introduction
Culture can be defined in many different ways; Raymond Williams (1958), for example, points out that:
Every human society has its own shape, its own purposes, its own meanings. Every human society expresses these, in institutions, and in arts and learning. The making of a society is the finding of common meanings and directions, and its growth is an active debate and amendment under the pressures of experience, contact, and discovery, writing themselves into the land.
Geert's definition is: "Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others." (Geert, 1991)
Measuring Turkey with Dimensions
In this section I will summarize the content of each dimension and evaluate our culture (Turkish) in terms of these dimensions. Turkey combines different cultures and traditions in it. So it is not easy to be understood with exact borders. However, when I generalize, I can obtain some results about our culture.
Power Distance. Power Distance has been defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. In Turkey, decisions are always made by the most important people and elder people in favor of the others in the group. The father as head of the household is expected to decide what the others will do. Because of the patriarchal structure, father figure control and the others are submissive and dependent in general. Today, since there are stronger, educated, independent mothers, daughters and sons and more divorced parents, the situation is changing day by day. But, in the same manner, in education and business world, there are no leaders but bosses who see themselves superior to the others. In view of the fact that, I can say that power distance is high which indicates lots of inequalities in our society.
Collectivism vs. Individualism. It measures the degree of individualism in society. We can define individualism in that way: the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. And Collectivism as its opposite: people from birth are integrated into strong and cohesive groups; throughout people's lifetimes they continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. In Turkey, the most important core part of the society is the family. We are emotionally dependent our family members and friends whom we see family. From birth till death, we are the parts of our families. As a nation, we are collectivist. Moreover, this is a truth that developing technology, changing family relationships, educational background make us, as a nation, move towards to individualism.
Femininity vs. Masculinity. A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. I can say that Turkey is in the margin of being masculine or feminine culture. Boys don't cry, they don't show their emotions, they have to always protect their women and their first and essential goal is to earn money whereas women have to take care of their babies, give pleasure to their men, spend their time at home especially in the kitchen, they must show ultimate respect to their fathers or husbands. This was the case but today with the changing ıf the families, woman have to study, earn money, stand to all difficulties in life, share the household works with their family members.
Uncertainty Avoidance. It deals with a society's tolerance for ambiguity. In our culture, people are less risk tolerant; they avoid suspicious situations and conflict. As a nation, we need strict laws and rules to provide an order in the society. We have time regulations to go out and arrive home, we have rules in traffic, we have rules to dress at school or at work, we have rules to express or write our opinions, if we want to solve a problem, there must be the answer somewhere, if we want to believe a theory, it must be proved, if we see somebody with different outlook, there must be something wrong with him/her.

Conclusion
These dimensions show us a revolutionary study of how the place where we grew up influences the way of our thoughts, feelings and actions and provides new perspective of the word under globalization. It embraces a variety of elements of cultures especially when we look at our culture which includes diverse elements in it across the borders of the country.





















References
Hofstede, G. H. (1991) Cultures and organizations: Software of the Mind. London, UK:
McGraw-Hill.
Williams, R. (1958) Moving from High Culture to Ordinary Culture. In N. McKenzie (ed.),
Convictions.
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