Cultural dimension

AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW TO IDENTIFY THE CULTURAL DIMENSIONS of due: An In-Depth Interview to Identify the Cultural Dimensions
1. 0 Introduction
The intent of this report is to examine whether cultural differences are apparent amongst students of different nationalities and if so whether any of the characteristics can be identified in the previous research findings. Two students were interviewed, and the data collected, and analysed. The findings were made as follows.
1. 1 The following sections will present an overview of the research method, the data analysis and finally the conclusion reached.
2. 0 Methodology
The primary perspective of the research was to examine whether cultural differences are apparent amongst students of different countries, namely the Japan and Austria countries’ culture. Further, the section will elaborate about the qualitative technique impact in the research’s data collection practices. The application of in-depth questions in the semi-structured questionnaires drew the study towards the acquisition of the required outcomes since the interviewees were not coerced to answer in a particular controlled manner. Therefore, the research process established the prevalence of a civilised culture in the Japanese society before the documentation of the Austrian culture.
2. 1 Two students from Japan and Austria were selected for the interview, which involved the use of open-end questionnaires. The students were chosen because they possessed the most dominant and influential cultures in the history of civilization. With the use of open-end questions and semi-structured questionnaires, they were asked many questions; hence, they stimulated the opportunity of acquiring a wide range of answers in the absence of research bias. This was done by using the most important issues about their cultures. In this questionnaire, the participants were enquired to rate the most significant and particular issues. These questions helped in understanding concepts that hold significance to the respondents, and allowed critical decisions about the countries’ cultures.
The interviewees answered the following power distance interview questions and acquainted evidence to the research on the Japanese and Austrian cultures.
a) Can Austrians question their leaders whenever they are not pleased with the leadership styles?
b) Critically, do Austrians obey their leaders’ decisions without raising any questions to their practices?
c) How is power shared in the Austrian or Japanese society?
d) Which is the current political and social ideology used in the country?
The two students answered the questions in accordance to their societal perspectives; hence, the results influenced the study to establish that the Japanese and Austrian societies were embracing democratic practices in leadership, with the common objective being the improvement of the lifestyles and economic progression.
2. 2 The next section represents an analytical approach that evaluates the information gathered during the study. Since the application of the qualitative method of survey enhanced the level of participation among the chosen sample population, it was noted that there were many differences and similarities between the Japanese and Austrian cultures. The Japanese culture is exceedingly older than the Austrian culture (Gabriel 2008: 208). It was noted that the Japanese civilization was in existence long before Austria became civilized. The Japanese culture is diverse from the Austrian culture even though they share some ideas. The Austrian and Japanese have the different traditional regions (Woff 2003: 5). The Austrian religion was more of artistic with festivity. As evidenced by Niehoff (2001), it was noted that the religion of the Japanese was rather conservative (p. 116). Eventually, the Japanese became cynical of their religion. Japanese also adopted the Austrian culture in terms of fashion. For instance, the Japanese wore the toga as their official wear for men and women, and this fashion design was borrowed from the Austrian.
According to Johnson & Parker (2009), the Japanese and Austrian had a difference in language (p. 193). Apart from the differences in language, the Japanese art largely borrowed some ideas from the Austrian. The Japanese then developed a more naturalistic art. As evidenced by Converse (2007), Japan and the Austrian both had agricultural activities that exported wheat, olive oil and wine among others (p. 64).
3. 0 Analysis and Findings
The purpose to this research is to establish whether the relationship between the two cultures exists. Two students from Japan and Austria nationality were used in the study. Analysis of their findings was used to compile the link between these cultures.
3. 1. The data shows that the Japanese culture and the Austrian culture both shared the same religious beliefs. The Japanese, unlike the Austrian, changed the names of their gods to sound more like Japanese names (Woff: 2003). This indicates that the Japanese culture is individualistic because its course is to be unique.
3. 2. In an ambiguous situation, the Austrian culture was more of artistic with festivity; however, the Japanese culture was more conservative and serious which indicates high uncertainty avoidance.
3. 3 When compared with the previous research dimensions conducted by Geert Hofstede, the data shows that as much as the Japanese culture borrowed some ideas for the Austrian culture the Japanese culture has worked in maintaining its beliefs and religion.
4. 0 Conclusion
The determination to work on this report is to scrutinize and find details that show whether cultural differences are students of the different nationalities and if there are, are there characteristics that can be identified. This research was brought about by using structured questionnaires that asked the most important questions about their cultures.
4. 1 In my report I found out that the Japanese and Austrian culture have some difference and some similarities, but most of them are borrowed from both the communities, thus their beliefs and characteristics remain to be similar in a way. Hofstede identifies culture as the collective mental programming of the mind which makes one community different from another. In this report culture aids to distinguish the two groups which are the Japanese and the Austrian.
Bibliography
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Johnson, W. A., & Parker, H. N. (2009). Ancient Literacies The Culture Of Reading In
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Niehoff, M. R. (2001). Philo On Jewish Identity And Culture. Tubingen, Mohr Siebeck.
Woff, R. (2003). A Pocket Dictionary Of Austrian And Japanese Gods And Goddesses. Los Angeles, Calif, Getty Publications.