商务专题研究论文
论文题目：
学 院：
年 级：
专 业：
班级：
小组成员：
指导教师：Study on Uncertainty Avoidance 应用外语学院 2013级 商务英语 2 班 李婷 徐惠茵 史敬荣 刘越 辛晨 史一倩 张知博
2016 年 12 月 14 日
Abstract
Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualities or dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensions to quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. This thesis will analyze some phenomenon based on uncertainty avoidance and help us to communicate with others better in some cross-cultural international situation.
Key words
uncertainty avoidance; cultural differences;challenges
Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
2 Theory Framework ................................................................................................... 1
3Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 2
4 Case Analysis ............................................................................................................. 3
5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction
With the strength of world economic corporation, it is become clear that the communication in different culture is increasing important. So we should put more attention on cross-cultural communication. In cross-cultural psychology, uncertainty avoidance is a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which a typical person in a society feels uncomfortable with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles. The writer would introduce the basic information of uncertainty avoidance and analyze the application in different situation.
2 Theory Framework
Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualities or dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensions to quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. According to the theory's framework, the dimensions are only applicable to a society as a whole, not for each individual in the society.
People in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more rational. They try to minimize the occurrence of unknown and unusual circumstances and to proceed with careful changes step by step by planning and by implementing rules, laws and regulations. More physical and apparent ways to detect if someone has a high uncertainty avoidance is to check if they display the following descriptions or attributes. Do they follow a strict structure with rules and expertise, do they have high
security (avoiding the unfamiliar). Also you can check if they are hectic, stressful or even emotional. In contrast, low uncertainty avoidance cultures accept and feel comfortable in unstructured situations or changeable environments and try to have as few rules as possible. People in these cultures tend to be more pragmatic, they are more tolerant of change. To detect if someone has a low uncertainty avoidance keep a keen eye out for the following symptoms and hints. Such people often abide by only a few rules and live a life with little set structure, one that is loose and free. They will appear to be calm and collected. Also, they are interested most likely in entrepreneurship and business matters.
But the risk is unavoidable. Those with high uncertainty avoidance prefer formal rules, strong social norms, and other ways of avoiding uncertainty or risk. The low uncertainty avoidance cultures rely more on informal, unstructured, or fluid roles and behaviors. The following characterizations were by the average perceived uncertainty avoidance based on the basic concepts of uncertainty avoidance like risky behaviors and personality.
3Literature Review
In cross-cultural psychology written by John Hopskin, uncertainty avoidance is a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualitiesor dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensionsto quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. According to the theory's framework, the dimensions are only applicable to a society as a whole, not for each individual in the society.
The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which a typical person in a society feels uncomfortable with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be
known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles.
4 Case Analysis
There are a number of ways one’s uncertainty avoidance orientation may manifest itself in interaction. In the dialogue presented below, Kelly and Chang are interacting about a dinner invitation. Kelly, from the United States, possesses a relatively weak uncertainty avoidance index, while Chang, a Chinese, comes from a culture with a relatively strong uncertainty avoidance index.
Chang: Hey, Kelly, let’s do something tonight.
Kelly: All right.
Chang: Please come over to my house and I’ll cook dinner for you.
Kelly: I have invited some friends over to my house for dinner tonight, but I don’t know if they’re coming.
Chang: Well . . . as soon as you know if they’re coming, let me know.
Kelly: I won’t know until tonight.
Chang: What time?
Kelly: I won’t know until they call me. They’ll probably call later this afternoon. Chang: How will you know whether or not to cook enough for everyone?
Kelly: Oh, I’ll make up something on the spot. I like to cook. I’ll whip up something fast.
Chang: But . . . what if they don’t come? Won’t they call andlet you know?
Kelly: No . . . if they don’t come, I’ll know that something else came up. I’ll let you know as soon as I can.
Chang: Maybe we should plan my dinner for some other night.
In the above dialogue, Chang is confused by Kelly’s easy going attitude toward the evening’s plans. Coming from a strong-uncertainty-avoidant culture, Chang would prefer to plan ahead to avoid uncertainty and prepare her script for the evening. Kelly, on the other hand, is perfectly comfortable making plans based on how the evening progresses. Without a plan, how will Chang know how to act? Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that the United States is a country with low uncertainty avoidance; while China is a country with a comparatively high uncertainty avoidance.
5 Conclusion
Having searched the relevant information on the Internet , it is clear that most Chinese people tend to stay in the comfortable zone and maintain the constant rather than facing the uncertainty. While most foreigners are dare to try various experience, they are not afraid of uncertainty . For instance, majority of contemporary university students in China a little bit easily accept future"Indeterminable", and the unknown tomorrow have no excessive anxious and uneasy emotion. In other words, they are least likely to be like their father generations than maintain getting around of an attitude toward future"uncertainty" and think that the future uncertainty is boring. A lot of university students don't like to be fixed and unchangeable of living status. About 75％admitted by the investigator to presume to try and take a risk, the main reason may be that the fully worship of western culture . However, instead of these students, the whole Chinese nation is prefer to the stable and certainty.
Is adventurous spirit to produce deeper influence on the values of China contemporary university students? We think that this kind of change is aggressive, worth-affirming, because young people are trying of personal and risky consciousness and innovation ability is also stronger. As a result, the whole nation is richer in creative vitality. Having the result that 45% people would like to be looking forward to their truly like but that would be like an American similar and multifarious changes in employment, even changes in profession. This is the contemporary university
student, and this also reflects their understanding degree to the western cultural value and selection tendency. Majority of contemporary university students take pleasure in seeking job or promote in the way of competition, not depend on relationship, for winning in the competition, they think highly of to promoting themselves , to make a show of their advantages. About 55% want to"show off" the society its self-confident performance in the modern society and they do not fear uncertainty. This showed the negative function that the contemporary university student of half the number who not afraid of uncertainty got away from some traditional cultural values. We think that huge and complex"human feelings relation net" contains bigger negative function in the middle of traditional Chinese society and have just can not be moved from the person of "relation". If one moves from the uncertainty usually can not get good work, good position, which is undoubtedly unfair. But then the competition is fairer, "show off" and promote by one's own is a competitor's right to participant in their work. China is "the nation of rite", in the cross-cultural social intercourse, and the rite in China lets foreigners be the guest have already felt at home , which embodied Chinese traditional culture special humanities care and low uncertainty avoidance.
However,what should be emphasize here is that Chinese people is low in uncertainty avoidance and they preference stable and constant. The western culture is on the contrary, with a higher degree of competition within higher western culture where they would like to take risks,
In conclusion , the differences about uncertainty avoidance between Chinese and foreigners are obvious. Chinese values staleness and harmonious, and they do not like to take risks . Instead, they try to maintain the present constant situation. But foreigners are completely different. They would like to try different things and are more eager to experience a different lifestyle rather than following others.
商务专题研究论文
论文题目：
学 院：
年 级：
专 业：
班级：
小组成员：
指导教师：Study on Uncertainty Avoidance 应用外语学院 2013级 商务英语 2 班 李婷 徐惠茵 史敬荣 刘越 辛晨 史一倩 张知博
2016 年 12 月 14 日
Abstract
Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualities or dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensions to quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. This thesis will analyze some phenomenon based on uncertainty avoidance and help us to communicate with others better in some cross-cultural international situation.
Key words
uncertainty avoidance; cultural differences;challenges
Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
2 Theory Framework ................................................................................................... 1
3Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 2
4 Case Analysis ............................................................................................................. 3
5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction
With the strength of world economic corporation, it is become clear that the communication in different culture is increasing important. So we should put more attention on cross-cultural communication. In cross-cultural psychology, uncertainty avoidance is a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which a typical person in a society feels uncomfortable with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles. The writer would introduce the basic information of uncertainty avoidance and analyze the application in different situation.
2 Theory Framework
Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualities or dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensions to quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. According to the theory's framework, the dimensions are only applicable to a society as a whole, not for each individual in the society.
People in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more rational. They try to minimize the occurrence of unknown and unusual circumstances and to proceed with careful changes step by step by planning and by implementing rules, laws and regulations. More physical and apparent ways to detect if someone has a high uncertainty avoidance is to check if they display the following descriptions or attributes. Do they follow a strict structure with rules and expertise, do they have high
security (avoiding the unfamiliar). Also you can check if they are hectic, stressful or even emotional. In contrast, low uncertainty avoidance cultures accept and feel comfortable in unstructured situations or changeable environments and try to have as few rules as possible. People in these cultures tend to be more pragmatic, they are more tolerant of change. To detect if someone has a low uncertainty avoidance keep a keen eye out for the following symptoms and hints. Such people often abide by only a few rules and live a life with little set structure, one that is loose and free. They will appear to be calm and collected. Also, they are interested most likely in entrepreneurship and business matters.
But the risk is unavoidable. Those with high uncertainty avoidance prefer formal rules, strong social norms, and other ways of avoiding uncertainty or risk. The low uncertainty avoidance cultures rely more on informal, unstructured, or fluid roles and behaviors. The following characterizations were by the average perceived uncertainty avoidance based on the basic concepts of uncertainty avoidance like risky behaviors and personality.
3Literature Review
In cross-cultural psychology written by John Hopskin, uncertainty avoidance is a society's tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualitiesor dimensions measured by the researchers who developed the Hofstede model of cultural dimensionsto quantify cultural differences across international lines and better understand why some ideas and business practices work better in some countries than in others. According to the theory's framework, the dimensions are only applicable to a society as a whole, not for each individual in the society.
The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which a typical person in a society feels uncomfortable with a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be
known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles.
4 Case Analysis
There are a number of ways one’s uncertainty avoidance orientation may manifest itself in interaction. In the dialogue presented below, Kelly and Chang are interacting about a dinner invitation. Kelly, from the United States, possesses a relatively weak uncertainty avoidance index, while Chang, a Chinese, comes from a culture with a relatively strong uncertainty avoidance index.
Chang: Hey, Kelly, let’s do something tonight.
Kelly: All right.
Chang: Please come over to my house and I’ll cook dinner for you.
Kelly: I have invited some friends over to my house for dinner tonight, but I don’t know if they’re coming.
Chang: Well . . . as soon as you know if they’re coming, let me know.
Kelly: I won’t know until tonight.
Chang: What time?
Kelly: I won’t know until they call me. They’ll probably call later this afternoon. Chang: How will you know whether or not to cook enough for everyone?
Kelly: Oh, I’ll make up something on the spot. I like to cook. I’ll whip up something fast.
Chang: But . . . what if they don’t come? Won’t they call andlet you know?
Kelly: No . . . if they don’t come, I’ll know that something else came up. I’ll let you know as soon as I can.
Chang: Maybe we should plan my dinner for some other night.
In the above dialogue, Chang is confused by Kelly’s easy going attitude toward the evening’s plans. Coming from a strong-uncertainty-avoidant culture, Chang would prefer to plan ahead to avoid uncertainty and prepare her script for the evening. Kelly, on the other hand, is perfectly comfortable making plans based on how the evening progresses. Without a plan, how will Chang know how to act? Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that the United States is a country with low uncertainty avoidance; while China is a country with a comparatively high uncertainty avoidance.
5 Conclusion
Having searched the relevant information on the Internet , it is clear that most Chinese people tend to stay in the comfortable zone and maintain the constant rather than facing the uncertainty. While most foreigners are dare to try various experience, they are not afraid of uncertainty . For instance, majority of contemporary university students in China a little bit easily accept future"Indeterminable", and the unknown tomorrow have no excessive anxious and uneasy emotion. In other words, they are least likely to be like their father generations than maintain getting around of an attitude toward future"uncertainty" and think that the future uncertainty is boring. A lot of university students don't like to be fixed and unchangeable of living status. About 75％admitted by the investigator to presume to try and take a risk, the main reason may be that the fully worship of western culture . However, instead of these students, the whole Chinese nation is prefer to the stable and certainty.
Is adventurous spirit to produce deeper influence on the values of China contemporary university students? We think that this kind of change is aggressive, worth-affirming, because young people are trying of personal and risky consciousness and innovation ability is also stronger. As a result, the whole nation is richer in creative vitality. Having the result that 45% people would like to be looking forward to their truly like but that would be like an American similar and multifarious changes in employment, even changes in profession. This is the contemporary university
student, and this also reflects their understanding degree to the western cultural value and selection tendency. Majority of contemporary university students take pleasure in seeking job or promote in the way of competition, not depend on relationship, for winning in the competition, they think highly of to promoting themselves , to make a show of their advantages. About 55% want to"show off" the society its self-confident performance in the modern society and they do not fear uncertainty. This showed the negative function that the contemporary university student of half the number who not afraid of uncertainty got away from some traditional cultural values. We think that huge and complex"human feelings relation net" contains bigger negative function in the middle of traditional Chinese society and have just can not be moved from the person of "relation". If one moves from the uncertainty usually can not get good work, good position, which is undoubtedly unfair. But then the competition is fairer, "show off" and promote by one's own is a competitor's right to participant in their work. China is "the nation of rite", in the cross-cultural social intercourse, and the rite in China lets foreigners be the guest have already felt at home , which embodied Chinese traditional culture special humanities care and low uncertainty avoidance.
However,what should be emphasize here is that Chinese people is low in uncertainty avoidance and they preference stable and constant. The western culture is on the contrary, with a higher degree of competition within higher western culture where they would like to take risks,
In conclusion , the differences about uncertainty avoidance between Chinese and foreigners are obvious. Chinese values staleness and harmonious, and they do not like to take risks . Instead, they try to maintain the present constant situation. But foreigners are completely different. They would like to try different things and are more eager to experience a different lifestyle rather than following others.