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Final Blog Post

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  When reflecting on the overall insights of where Ghana, The United States, and Japan fall on the various topics related to Hofstede’s research and analysis, I think that most of these results are somewhat true to the characteristics of the country but obviously with some inaccuracies. When we look at the metrics used to determine where the countries I have lived in fall on the country comparison tool they are vastly different. Before I delve into this topic I would like to point out that cultures are constantly shifting. If this survey were to be conducted again in Ghana the scores would be different whether higher or lower. I say this because within the past two years the advancement in Ghana’s modernization has also paved the way for there to be less of a power gap, especially in the cities, which is an ideal that has recently been adopted by many younger generations as the social perception of being modern is to adopt the ideas of the west. I will also like to note that even t...
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Hofstede's Long Term vs Short Term Orientation

 You can figure out where a culture stands on the scale of long term to short term orientation somewhat based on whether or not they as a society focus on the past, or the present. I would classify the United States and Ghana as being short term oriented, and Japan as Long term oriented. Although both Ghana and the United States are classified as being short term oriented and more focused on saving face and immediate results, they differ when it comes to traditional thinking. Ghana places in high esteem the traditions of the past and they use those laws in tandem with the government systems to settle disputes and other cases. I would say that is the complete opposite for the United States because the people wouldn't hesitate to abandon tradition if it means fast results or a better outcome.   Respect for traditions is another important difference between the long- and short-term orientations. Nations with a short-term orientation have respect for past traditions but rema...
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Political Culture in Japan and the world

 When it comes to political cultures in this modern day it is a very sensitive topic for certain people, but it remains important that we take into consideration the cultural political background to better understand the differences between all of us. I will be discussing political meetings and debates instead of the basics such as voting age et cetera.  Of the three countries I will be comparing, the political culture of the United States is very unique and quite popular because of how outrageous it can be at times. When it comes to debates in the United States it is pretty common to trade insults and snarky remarks including release relentless mudslinging ads that follow you everywhere you go, which is a stark contrast to the political culture of Japan.  Where there are heated debates and disagreements, in Japan that is replaced with behind the scenes agreements before parliament meetings.  The Japanese follow the concepts of maintaining peace and will avoid outwar...
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Hofstede’s Uncertainty Avoidance

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  We all know the quote “go with the flow,” but it doesn’t apply to everyone and every culture. If you were to tell a Ghanaian to go with the flow and avoid uncertainty they would feel like you have no respect for your own life… speaking from experience. I feel like the same would be true for a Japanese person but not for someone from the United States. I’ll focus on the planning aspect of things.  I’ve grown up in a community where you have to have at least one plan for anything you want to do and if things don’t go according to plan you learn from your mistakes and you make two plans the next time. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Ghanaian that never had a plan. Obviously we don’t plan out our whole entire lives down to the minute, but we tend to have everything figured out for the week at least vaguely. This is different from what I’ve witnessed while being around other Americans, especially when it came time to apply for University. Most of the other students didn’t really h...
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Business Culture in Japan and the World

 I will be comparing my experiences in the workplace in the US and what I’ve learned about work culture in Japan.  I think that when it comes to hierarchies in the workplace, the United States and Japan differ somewhat, but only recently have the differences started to show. In the past in the American work place there was a clear line between positions across multiple companies, but as the years have passed that line has slowly started to blur. I will be focusing on the decision-making aspects of the workplace.  I would say that recently people tend to speak out about certain topics in the workplace such as maltreatment and such, I noticed from my experience at work and talking with some of my coworkers and friends who are also in the workforce that the companies have started to actually care about what the subordinates think, and along with that the subordinates also have a somewhat equal standing. This ties in with the concept of maintaining the concept of Wa in the wo...
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Masculine and Feminine Cultures in the World

 When it comes to masculine and feminine Cultures of the world, it is a relatively new concept for me. I personally think that it's an interesting way to explain the reason why certain cultures either get along or don't get along.  From what I have learned so far, Japanese culture is mainly characterized by male dominance and high ambitions which is similar to American society, and somewhat similar to Ghanaian culture (although it is a little bit more feminine leaning). I would say that the only factor that goes into Ghanaian culture being feminine is due to the mindset of working to live and not living to work or achieve material success. It is a definite contrast from the hustle culture of both Japanese and American society. Competitiveness is a key component in masculine societies, for example in Japan one of the most common examples is working overtime often to do better and get a promotion. This is the same case in the United States where they mainly follow a “work hard o...
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Comparing Ghanaian & Japanese Upbringing

 An insanely important aspect of Ghanaian upbringing is respect. Unlike where Amae–which is the mother-child-like bond given to those in the inner circle–is a given in Japanese inner circles. It is only unlocked after respect is established and in Ghana it comes under the condition that you will give the appropriate title of respect to your elders. Elizabeth Ohene states that “it is a sign of bad upbringing to call an elder person without a title, as in calling me Elizabeth without "Auntie", or "Da", or "Madam" or "Miss" or whatever title comes to mind” (Ohene, 2017). When you do use the proper titles that is where Amae comes to play. It's like having to use a code to unlock a safe but you can only use your right hand(because using your left is highly insulting) and curtsy with one leg every time you enter a number with a small smile the whole time. Similar to Japan where there is that benevolence of whoever the dependent relies on is a given...
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