Considering Culture
The Wisdom of Gerte Hofstede
Quick Culture Review
•Hofstede’s dimensions:
•Masculinity/Femininity
•Power Distance
•Individualism/Collectivism
•Uncertainty Avoidance
Power Distance
•The degree to which the citizens feel “at one” with the government
•If you feel the government exists to serve you, you are in a low power distance situation.
•If you feel the government is in charge and you have to follow their orders, you are in a high
power distance situation.
•Abstractly characterized as the distinction between democracies and autocracies.
The US, for example, versus China.
Individualism/Collectivism
•This is the quality of a society that speaks to whether the society acts in coordinated fashion
for the good of all or not.
•Collectivist societies are concerned for the greatest good for the greatest number.
•Individualist societies are all about looking out for number 1.
•Individuals in collectivist societies will sacrifice personal gain for societal wellbeing.
•Individuals in individualist societies might not.
Uncertainty Avoidance
•Some societies, and it tends to correlate with collectivism, tend to prefer to avoid things that
shake up the status quo. New things are likely to be viewed with suspicious as they might
disrupt existing order
•In societies that are not risk averse, you see higher instances of entrepreneurism, creativity
and innovation
Masculinity/Femininity
•Every society has cultural sensibilities for who does what work.
•Who changes the flat tire on a car?
•Who changes the baby’s diaper?
•Who can work as a programmer?
•Who can serve combat roles in the military?
Gilbert and the Singapore Template for Technology-Based Development
Template for Policy Analysis
It makes sense to study Singapore
–It’s a good model for how heavy government intervention is useful
–And how having the government back off at the right time is also an evolutionary step
Singapore’s government playing the key role in mandating their modern networks.
Evolution
Singapore got their first computer in 1963.
–At that time, had a PTT style phone network that concentrated on providing basic services
Evolved from phone service provision to stand-alone computing.
They recognized content, computing and “carriage” were inter-related.
Timeline
1963 - first computer
mid-70’s - undersea and satellite links installed for phone system
Committee on National Computerization - 1980
1986 - ISDN committed to by Govt..
1992 - “intelligent island” plan…IT 2000, and bandwidth-on-demand via BISDN.
Singapore offered as a dynamic example of 4 stages:
Moving from total government control
To regulated private monopoly (AT&T)
To regulated competition (US system for local service
To unregulated competition
Markets: sheltered
Services: value-added
Structure: technologies
Resources: alliances
Markets: open
Services: value-added
Structure: customers
Resources: capital
I I : Learning
I V: Competitive
Markets: protected
Services: basic
Structure: functional
Resources: revenues
Markets: protected
Services: public utility
Structure: joint ventures
Resources: foreign direct investment
I : M onopoly
I I I : Cooperative
Mandated Infrastructure
1991 National Technology Plan
Heterogeneous network supporting common network service layer,
Standard functions
–Access control
–Transaction engines
–GroupWare
–Intelligent agents
Partnerships - the link to the future...
It was the opening of markets to competition…
And the technology transfer that came with JV’s drawn in to the opened market
That gave Singapore the hi-tech they needed to realize their plan
What Singapore did, Other nations can, as well!
Singapore is a template for other developing nations.
–Initial governmental control
–Segueing to regulated competition
–Moving to more open markets to get the technology from international companies who wish to
partner.
The Singapore Development Matrix, shifted forward ...
Here’s what the author thinks the other Asian nations are doing…
A comparison of other developing nations in the region, as they follow the example.
Markets: sheltered
Services: value-added
Structure: technologies
Resources: alliances
Markets: open
Services: value-added
Structure: customers
Resources: capital
I I : Learning
I V: Competitive
Thailand, 1995
Singapore, 1980
Hong Kong, 1995
Singapore 2000
Markets: protected
Services: basic
Structure: functional
Resources: revenues
Markets: protected
Services: public utility
Structure: joint ventures
Resources: foreign direct investment
I : M onopoly
I I I : Cooperative
Vietnam, 1995
Singapore, 1970
Indonesia, 1995
Singapore 1990
Conclusions from
Studying
Singapore?
Infrastructure
and
government policy are
highly interconnected
Countries have to be
strategic
National unity may be
important for nations
needing to move quickly to
be competitive
Does anybody know
where India’s going?
IT Development
Status