Differences in Some Area Between Two Cultural Groups

Cultural Psychology

Two Cultural Groups

Contrasting Cultural Psychology between the East Asian and the Western Part of the World

The different fear level for the super-ordinates and ordinates in Westerns and East Asians

Globalization is considered to be the phenomenon that owns a positive tendency to tame the behaviors of the individuals dwelling in all parts of the world in an accord of productivity and peace. It is for this reason that the inclination of the global economy is tilting towards the studies of cross cultures and its implications is a result of progressive development of the world towards a multicultural and cosmopolitan state of behavior- in individuals as well as in the nations. But yet the fast fact paced technological advancements and the tamed behavior does not guarantee the homogeneity of psychology (Shweder, 1999). Psychology as a matter of fact is a complex framework of individuals' perceptions, cognitions, apprehensions and emotional appeals. The parameter to assess an individual's psychology is its behavior, as it is the action in the way one beliefs and perceives.

Culture as a matter of fact is regarded to have a direct relationship with the behaviors an individual exhibits and the psychology it possess (Jung, 1994). It is for this reason that the cultural psychology comprises of a major portion of psychological ad cultural researches.

The distilled aim of the paper is to conduct an experimental research that distinguishes the cultural psychology of the two major domains of cultural dissimilarity, the West and the East Asia. Irrespective of friendly trade policies and healthy nations' relationship the psychological impact of the culture prevailing in the either of the two extremes of the world are different in one way or the other. The basis of differentiating the two cultures is laid on the proposition that the different fear level for the super-ordinates and sub-ordinates in Westerns and East Asians. The experimental and statistical analysis will be used to explain and prove the hypothesis right or wrong.

The reason for using this proposition to conduct experimental research that in the Asian part of the world particularly the East Asian part including china and Japan are considered to have a higher level of fear for the super ordinates examples bosses and managerial executives. On the other hand the westerns including those of America are more adapted towards a freedom and liberal approaches and are hereby less fearful from the managerial executives and the super ordinates.

Literature Review

H The trends of organizational behavior and the necessity of the command of chain have been the core determinants that define the nature of working conditions and the perceptions of the people. As per the current topic of study is concerned the fact needs to be established that there is a direct relationship between the performance of the organizational members and the managers that orchestrate the organizational culture within an organization (Berry, 2002).

The fear of the employees from the super ordinates can be translated in either of the two situations, first hat the turnover of the employees will increase hence leaving the economy of the country in an utter loss and second is that the employees will work more effectively under the fear of the super ordinates mainly the bosses in terms of being negatively evaluated, and as a consequence proving fruitful for the economic growth of the nation (Hui, 2000).

The difference can be understand by analyzing the on the job attitude of the westerners (European-Americans) and the East Asians (china). The key organizational inspirations that lead to the cultural differences between the westerners and the East Asians are bifurcated on the basis of the perception on self, the social hierarchy, the responsibility, the task orientations, the ethical values, the positioning of rules in the minds of the people, the time realization and the status (S.Howard, 1991).

The psychological bases that can be used to distinguish the psychology of the two cultural extremes under consideration are classified on the basis of seven parameters. The first parameter is the perception of self the East Asian culture is supposed to collectivist is nature whereas the Western culture impacting the cultural psychology of the inhabitants is individualist in nature. In the same way the East Asian culture believes in a formal chain of command and organized hierarchy in order to attain the goals and objectives in a systematic manner, whereas the Western culture are informal and feels more comfortable in working with the same levels of status rather than relying on the higher hierarchy for the effective attainment of goals and objectives (Lehman, 1995). The East Asian culture is more conducive in following the ethical guidelines in not just the business transactions but also in terms of social relationships as the circle of close associates is bounded to a small number, whereas the Western culture promotes the ethical guidelines in business transactions only as the circle of associates is larger as compared to the East Asian culture. The other difference that counts to the major cultural and psychological bifurcation is the task orientation of the both extremes. The Easy Asian culture is more oriented towards the maintenance of a relationship than the accomplishment of task whereas the Westerns are more oriented towards the attainment of task at hand rather than relationship management. The importance of personal relationships are further highlighted by the fact that the East Asian culture emphasizes more on the personal relationships as compared to the rules and regulations they are likely to encounter in executing personal and social communication. The degree of time management and the relative realization and utilization of time in various activities is reported to be long-term and future oriented in the East Asians as compared to the Westerners that are short-term planners.

Apart from the above discussion of the related literature, the center of focus can be elevated that is the importance of the fear factor in the either of the two extremes under consideration. The component of behavior that draws a clear depiction of the difference between the East Asians and the Westerners is the maintenance of hierarchal fear. The degree of freedom that the culture gives to fashion the psychology of the East Asians is considered with a limited concern over controversial issues in a way that they tend to avoid discussions even either the ordinates over the topics that may lead to a conflict among them, whereas on the other hand the Westerns are more open in discussing the controversies irrespective of the fear that the conflict may devastate the relationship with their friends and ordinates.

Apart from the cultural psychology the East Asians and the westerns also have a significant change in the behaviors and fear levels towards the super ordinates including mainly the bosses and immediate supervisors. The East Asian culture is prompted by the idea of having a fear from the supervisors on the basis of his or her status experience, and exposure along with the exercised control. But the nature of organizations and the degree of the fear the Westerners have for here supervisors is minimal as an open chain of command and democratic values are promoted in the organizations and they are less status oriented (McCusker, 1999).

Conceptual Frameworks

In order to go about the experimental research a number of parameters needs to be analyzed. The fear factors among the ordinates as well as super ordinates and supervisors is the dependent variable and the people that is the sample size from either of the two extremes and there attributes will be treated as the independent variables that will define the degree of change in dependent variable.

The fear factors as classified under the two headers that is the fear from the supervisors and the fear from the ordinates. The relative parameters that are termed as the independent variable are the geographical location. The level of hierarchy in an organization the individual in the sample belongs to, the nature of fear level.

Method

The method of the experimental research is divided in the following three parts.

1: Participants

In order to execute the research the sample size of 20 individuals, 10 from China (East Asia) and 10 European-Americans (Westerns) were selected. Each member was selected from the organizations where a proper and distinct hierarchy and chain of command exists. The participants were taken into full confidence that their personal views and ideas will be kept confidential from there ordinates as well as the bosses. The sample of China seek for formal contract to lift the trust level that the opinions and views stated or interpreted will be kept confidential. So as to maintain the similarity among the samples selected from two different parts of the world the entire individual (n=20) were ensured a high degree of confidentiality of their opinion.

Another important issue tackled with respect to the participants was elimination of the race. In order to minimize the impact of other cultural, social settings and phenomenon all the Chinese individuals were selected from the same race and these bosses' supervisors were also from the same race, a similar setting was induced in the sample of European-Americans.

2: Apparatus

The data for the experimental research analysis was collected by using the tool of focus groups. As the two samples are located in the two entirely different parts of the world so in order to accumulate timely and fast result it was advisable to opt for the data collection method that can be easily analyzed. The focus group discussion was followed by one to one interviews of the samples. The basic reason was initially to generate the response in a way that the individuals working in the same hierarchal level were asked to discuss on the effectiveness of the top management in terms of evaluations and promotions and there relative fear of being negatively evaluated in the presence of a neutral moderator. In the second half of the discussion each member of the sample was asked for a one to one interview with the moderator. This part was mainly conducted to collect the data pertaining to the fears an individual have of being negatively evaluated as compared to his peer or ordinate.

Apart from the focus group settings cameras were also installed so as to ensure that each member of the sample get an equal chance of giving opinion and participating in the discussion related to the topic.

3: Procedures

In the procedures a stepwise criterion was set up for each observation and the position of each participant was tested according to it. The 20 observations were processed graphically and results were drawn of each focus group and the one on one interview. The results were than compared and analyzed in the later part of the paper.

Results

The results of the experimental research conducted are divided into two distinct portions. The expected results are presented in the preliminary results, that are deduced mainly on the basis of the study of the related literature and the obtained results in the section of data analysis. These results are than compared and evaluated in the discussion portion.

Preliminary result

By reviewing the related literature and before conducting the experimental research it was grounded that the perception on self, the social hierarchy, the responsibility, the task orientations, the ethical values, the positioning of rules in the minds of the people, the time realization and the status are the determinants of the fear factor. The East Asian part of the world was considered to be more relationship oriented towards the ordinates and more fearful of the supervisors for the status they own and the powers they have. It was for this reason that it was grounded that the fear of losing job or being negatively evaluated as compared to their peers.

Data Analysis

Data analysis of the Chinese focus group n=10

The data collected by the moderator using the focus group technique to discuss on the issue that the Chinese sample was fearful from the top management as they own the authority to exercise power and are more experienced was pretty high.

7 out of 10 individuals approved there fearful approach towards the top management.

3 out of 10 individuals stated and discussed situations where they were not fearful towards the top management.

n

Agree To Be Fearful

Disagree Of Being Fearful