April 4, Chapter 9 response

Chapter 9 discusses the differences in organization among different societies. Two of the main factors that affect this are power distance an uncertainty avoidance. For example, I found it interesting when I read about the results of a survey that compared the opinions of three countries in regards to how a problem at work should be handled. The French believed in a means of hierarchy where the managers should go to the boss to resolve their problems. This means that France is a high power distance country with a high level of uncertainty avoidance. The Germans held the idea that the rules would be the answer to all the problems and that going to authority is not necessary. This indicates that Germany is low power distance country with a high level of certainty avoidance. Finally, the British thought that a lenient system in which neither the worker nor the authority were dominant in terms of decision making was best. This means that England is both a country of low power distance and low uncertainty avoidance (pg. 304). Furthermore, the ideology of the English is readily apparent from their history in the way their immigrants came to the United States to establish a democracy with government structured on system of checks and balances. Being half British myself, I would definitely agree with this train of thought. I think part of it would stem from the fact that my father, who is also British, believed in a flexible way of thinking and that authority isn't always right. 

In addition to the three organizations of society, there is also the Chinese form of government which combines the western ideas of the three branches of government and the oriental ideas which is evident by the fact that the main source of authority is given to president (pg 310). Finally, the fifth means of organization is found in the United States where the amount of uncertainty avoidance and the level of power distance is on a medium scale. This makes sense because in America one can find is many people from many different cultural backgrounds. This would result in varying trains of thought as to how a government should operate. Without a doubt, this makes it the most popular form of organization out of the 5 types (pg 15).