The 6-D Model
If we explore the culture of South Africa through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep driving factors of its culture relative to other world cultures.
Below you can read the six parts of the 6-D Model, where there is an explanation given and applied to South Africa, of course.
Power Distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal. It expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities among us.
Power Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. You have your boss, and your bosses boss, and your bosses bosses boss. To whom can you go directly?
South Africa scores 49 on this dimension which means that people to a larger extent accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities. Centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Individualism
Second, there is individualism. The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”.
In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty, they more talk about talk about the "We" than the "I".
South Africa, with a score of 65 is an Individualist society. Individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only.
Masculinity
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition Achievement and success are also very important. With success being defined by the winner and the best in field. It is a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.
A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and the quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success. Standing out from the crowd is not admirable, like it is a Masculine-society. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).
South Africa scores 63 on this dimension and means thus a Masculine society. In Masculine countries people “live in order to work”, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by fighting them out.
The dimension 'Uncertainty Avoidanance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known. A question they ask themselves could be; 'should we try to control the future or just let it happen?' The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance.
South Africa scores 49 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. Those kind of societies maintain a more relaxed attitude. Practice counts more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies with a low Uncetainty Avoidance, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake and precision and punctuality do not come naturally.
This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future.
Normative societies, which score low on this dimension, prefer to maintain time-honored traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion.
Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.
A low score of 34 on this dimension means that in South Africa the culture is more normative than pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Indulgence
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which small children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”.
This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called “Indulgence” and relatively strong control is called “Restraint”. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.
With a high score of 63 it is clear that South Africa has a culture of Indulgence. People in societies that are classified by a high score in Indulgence, generally exhibit a willingness to realize their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. They also place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.
Maak jouw eigen website met JouwWeb