Part two, chapter five Half Steads Cultural Dimensions, section B reading. Based on his survey of over 88000 employees of IBM, large multinational business organization with branches in 66 countries, dutch scientist Gert Huffstead identified four dimensions that drive cultural differences individualism, collectivism, power, distance, uncertainty, avoidance and masculinity, femininity. More recently, abundant research has shown that half stead's dimensional model applies not only to work related values, but also to cultural values in general, individualism versus collectivism. Generally speaking, the values norms and beliefs associated with individualism emphasize that every individual is unique. Accordingly, popular comments about individuals tend to be mainly based on their personal achievements, status and other features. By contrast, societies organized along collectiveist lines prefer to characterize an individual according to his family, social, class and group. Individualism indicates that a society is a loosely knit social framework, while collectivism indicates a tight social network. The following table is a comparison of the major characteristics of individualists and collectiveists. Table 5.2 is a display of the most individualistic cultures and the most collectiveistic cultures, based on the ratings of 40 countries included on half steads individualism, collectivism dimension. It is very interesting to find that most of the highly individualistic cultures happen to be native English speaking countries. According to linguists, english is the only language that capitalizes the pronoun I in writing. Is it just a coincidence, or is there some kind of relationship between the language and the culture? It's invented power distance. The power distance dimension reflects the degree to which the culture accepts the unequal distribution of power. Cultures with a high power distance index are said to accept inequality as the cultural norm. Such a culture is vertical and hierarchical. Some people hold higher status, while others have lower status. Authoritarian style communication is common. Persons and authority enjoyed more privilege, and most people tend to depend on them for decision making. However, cultures with a low power distance index are more horizontal. People have formed the habit of fighting for equal treatment and questioning authority. In Mexico, E.G., employees tend to respect authority. Individuals in authority tend to maintain certain social distance from their subordinates and show reluctance to empower employees. Conversely, in North America, where society values fair competition and independence, those in authority are expected to earn the people's respect subordinates. Think of superiors as being the same kind of people as themselves, and vice versa. In addition, children raised in high power distance cultures are expected to obey their paren'ts and comply with the requests of their teachers. In low power distance cultures, however, children are taught to challenge their paren'ts and teachers asking questions as highly encouraged, instead of being regarded as a threat to authority. Table displays the ten cultures at the two extremes of the power distance dimension, with the Philippines ranking at the high end and Austria at the low end. As suggested by Hoffstead, population size is one of the important predictors of power distance. Generally speaking, the largerly population, the greater the power distance is likely to be. In order to cope with the increased complexities that arise from their large population. These cultures tend to adopt a political hierarchy that enables them to function effectively and efficiently. In addition, climate and distribution of wealth may also account for the different preferences of power. Distance. Uncertainty Avoidance. Uncertainty Avoidance indicates norms, values and beliefs related to the toleration of ambiguity. Cultures with a high uncertainty avoidance index ranking Japan and Korea. E.G. seeks to establish social systems that prize rules and social expectations. Risk seems to cause them anxiety, tension and stress. Laws are of great importance to them. People in these cultures choose to avoid conflicts and have difficulty tolerating deviant or abnormal people. In views, members of these societies tend to defer to experts and individuals. In authority, uniformity is preferred. In cultures with a low or weak Uncertainty Avoidance index ranking people enjoy less stress from ambiguity. They welcome new ideas, try new things, and are more tolerant of people and views considered deviant. Singapore, denmark, USA, india and Great Britain are good examples. Table displays the five high uncertainty avoidance cultures and five low uncertainty avoidance cultures. Differences in this area also manifest themselves in the business context. In high uncertainty avoidance cultures, e.g., employers tend to hire those people who are faithful and committed to them and their organizations. Those who have unusual longevity in the organization would be promoted, since employees would think that being faithful to the organization is a kind of virtue. They try to avoid conflicts in competition in low uncertainty avoidance cultures. However, employers appreciate flexibility and prize employee initiative. Such organizations tend to have fewer rules, enabling employees to enjoy more freedom masculinity versus femininity. In all cultures, men and women adopt distinct norms of socialization and tend to play differentiated roles in society. However, different cultural expectations of male and female occur across cultures. Masculine cultures prefer rigid gender roles and esteem, achievement, success and money as well as self reliance. Feminine cultures tend to accept flu and gender roles and appreciate traits such as affection, compassion and interpersonal relationships, placing an emphasis on responsibility and nurture. In masculine cultures, men dominate in the culture and assume decision making roles. Societies with lower masculinity scores tend to enjoy more flexible sex roles, and equality between sexes. Quality of life is valued over money. Japan, austria, venezuela, italy, switzerland, mexico, ireland, germany, great Britain and Philippines are cultures with the highest masculinity index scores. The countries with the highest feminine scores are Sweden, norway, netherlands, denmark. Yugoslavia. Note the former Yugoslavia. This is no longer a country. Finland. Chile. Portugal, thailand. China, traditionally had to be that a, that that thes'spienst that it's great social and economic transformation. Its profiled is set for examples said that that's cyeked, and that's 1017. While Taiwan ranked 27 in the survey. Please, not that many of scholars can do today. Today, I do not know the exacting of the moviecolters placed along these four dimensions, which was set about the ads of adstart's Aultural dimensions are still very enlightening and illuminating. Singer. 

听完短片后回答以下5个问题。
1.What is a very interesting fact according to the male speaker?

2.What kind of communication is common in a culture that is vertical and hierarchical? 

3.According to Hofstede, what is one of the important predictors of power distance?

4.What do people enjoy in cultures with a low or weak uncertainty avoidance index ranking?

 5. What do Masculine society prefer and what do Feminine cultures tend to     accept?