Cultural differences will play a role in the way individuals manifest (or don't) motivation. What are your thoughts? How might, for instance, a pluralistic society view motivation versus a individualistic society?
Cultural differences will play a role in the way individuals manifest (or don't) motivation. What are your thoughts? How might, for instance, a pluralistic society view motivation versus a individualistic society?
Motivation is the human drive or need to attain a certain goal, which can vary from basic survival requirements to psychological needs.
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory describes the five basic needs that drive our behavior. This theory states the psychology of human motivation. The most basic needs explained by Maslow are physiological needs such as hunger, thirst, and shelter. Once we are satisfied with these needs, humans have a drive to attain the next level of safety needs such as love and belongingness, self-esteem, and finally self-actualization.
Despite the fact that Maslow's motivational theory is widely accepted, other studies show that culture can influence the order of needs.
Geert Hofstede created the Cultural Dimensions Theory, a framework for comprehending cultural variations between nations. According to him, the attainment of needs shifts in the heirarchy in different cultures.
The six major dimensions of cultural difference identified by Hofstede are:
- Power distance: it is the range of inequalities that exist between powerful and powerless people. In many countries, a high index of power describes the role of authority in making decisions that are equally accepted by society.
- Individualism vs collectivism: how well a society's citizens are incorporated into organizations. In this category, the United States performs exceptionally well.
- Uncertainty avoidance: describes the coping mechanism of people towards anxiety. People who have a low uncertainty index live a more open and relaxed lifestyle.
- Masculinity vs Feminism: it mentions the gender role in all cultures. In a man-led society, there will be more assertive roles for males and vise versa.
- Long versus short-term orientation: it is the degree of honouring the tradition. Asian cultures are long-term oriented, while African and Latin Americans have a short-term orientation.
- Indulgence vs restraint: It is the amount of happiness or joy exposed by society. Indulgent societies believe they have control over their lives, whereas restrained societies believe external forces do.
Hofstede's cultural dimension emphasizes the value that different cultures place on different needs. Individual needs can be differentiated using these dimensions based on cultural teachings and beliefs.
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