MGMT 453

I have been a farm manager for many years and have vast experience in many different fields. One of the farm’s more recent ventures was in the hemp industry. We took this on in the earliest stage of legalization, when it was just a research program in Oregon. The first year we planted 30 acres and learned a lot of what not to do and how to improve for the next year. Fast forward 3 years and we were amongst the top growers in the state and maybe the country we were told by many sources. This is what lead to the offer.

Last year we, the farm owner and I, were approached and offered a job to help improve the hemp operations in a province in China. I am not allowed to divulge which province however so I will make this vague. We greatly considered the offer and did a lot of research on the place. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions would have been a handy tool to help dig into where we were potentially off to. China is a large and fascinating place with a diverse culture that is very different from ours.

In my research, Hofstede insights provided a clear image of what China’s culture looked like. The image is below. They scored a power distance of 80. This means that people are not equal and that is just fine, that an individual should not have aspirations above their rank and social position. China is a culture that is there for the good of the many and therefore their individualism score is very low. The Chinese people have been brought up in the belief that competition and success is the most important and so they rank higher in the masculinity factor as well.

I believe that the Hofstede Insights page explained long term orientation best when the wrote:

China scores 87 in this dimension, which means that it is a very pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.

“China.” Hofstede Insights, 11 Dec. 2017, https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/china/.

Lastly is the indulgence factor. The Chinese people have been brought up with very strict rules and a push for performance. This usually means that they have very little indulgence. They almost feel that it is wrong to indulge in things that make themselves feel better if everyone cannot experience it.

These cultural factors along with the language barrier and strict laws lead us not to accept the job offer but we did offer to consult on a very limited basis. We are looking into diving a little deeper as we learn more about the local culture and how the laws will affect the industry moving forward.

Citation:

“China.” Hofstede Insights, 11 Dec. 2017, https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/china/.