An Exploratory Study of Myanmar Culture

Hofstede originally identified four dimensions of socialization power distance, soulfulnessism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance. Power distance represents the degree of a socializations acceptance of inequality among its members. Individualism and collectivism represent a cultures main focus, universe either the importance of the individual or the group. Masculinity and femininity represents the stereotypical characteristics of men and women as being the dominant cultural values. Uncertainty avoidance is essentially a incarnate tolerance for ambiguity for a culture.Later look with Michael oblige (Hofstede & Bond 1988) added a fifth dimension called long-term Electronic copy purchasable at http//ssrn. com/abstract=1114625 orientation. This dimension, originally called Confucian Dynamism, measures the preferences of a culture for a long-term and traditional view of time. Hofstedes work has attracted a subjugate of critics. Some have expressed concerns about the generali zability of the sample, the level of analysis, the comparison of governmental boundaries (countries) to culture, and the validity of the instrument (Mc Sweeney 2002 Smith 2002).Others have challenged the assumption of the homogeneity of for each one studied culture (Sivakumar & Nakata 2001). The additional dimension of long-term orientation (LTO) has been challenged on the grounds of conceptual validity (Fang 2003). sequence many of the concerns raised by his critics can be considered to have some validity, Hofstedes research, nevertheless, represents the most statewide analysis of cultural values to date. This paper provides a preliminary take in into the cultural assessment of a landed estate not included in the Hofstede data set.Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia, bordering Thailand, China, India, and Laos. The country, formerly called Burma, gained its independence from Britain at the end of World War II, after a hard fought crusade with the colonial power and the Japane se invaders. Burmese nationalist and national hero, Aung San fought for his countrys independence and for democratic rule (Khng 2000). His daughter, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi continues the fight down today inside Myanmar, even as she lives under house arrest.While Myanmar interacts with its ASEAN neighbors, a number of Western countries have placed economic sanctions on the country for its lack of democracy. These sanctions have limited foreign investment and separate forms of economic exchange. A military junta has ruled the country for the other(prenominal) 17 years and the country has operated in various states of isolation from the human beings over those years. As a result of its isolation, very little research has been conducted on its culture or values orientation.