The Four Dimensions of Turkish Culture

From International Business Wiki

Power Distance Index is the measure of the distance between the people in a position of power and the rest of the population as measured from the least powerful (Hofstead 2003). According to Geert Hofstedes web site for Turkey that measure is 67. This means there is a perceived and accepted social distance in Turkey. This is demonstrated by their show of respect for their elder population and those of authority. An example of showing respect would be to call a manager “Mr. Manager” instead of the common greeting of calling a man by his first name, followed by the word, “bey” which is a masculine reference. (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions, Turkey, Naming Conventions para. 2) Individualism verses Collectivism Index for Turkey was 37. This is a measure of how the people of Turkey have the interest of the group in mind as opposed to the individual. Turkey is considered the crossroads between Asia and Europe. The 37 score may be the result of the Asian influence. Asian countries have very low individualism scores. The lower the score on the Individualism index the more that country’s people are collective or group oriented. Many of the businesses in Turkey are family owned. Decisions are based on what is the best for the group. Sacrificing ones own interest for what is better for the group is typical of a score of 37. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) for Turkey, according to Hoefstede’s website, is 85. This indicates a high value on absolute truth (Hoefstede 2003). Although Turkey is a republic with separation of church and state, 80% of the country is Muslim with 20% Kurds and less than .02% of other peoples and faiths. (Cia Fact book, October 2007) This means that 99.8% of the population has their beliefs tied to the Koran. Countries with high UAI scores do not deal well with uncertain situations and in order to avoid those kinds of situation they incorporate strict laws (Hofstede 2003). In a business sense the Turk business person wants to get to know you before he will engage in a business relationship with you. Be prepared to take the time to become friends with your potential business associate so he feels comfortable and safe doing business with you. He is not going to want to do business with someone he is uncertain about. This UAI score is normal for countries with Muslim foundations. Masculinity Index (MAS) is also low for Turkey. This means a more modest and caring population.(Hofstede 2203) For Turkey this does not mean more equality between the sexes. Turkey has definite male, female roles. This means as a people they generally lean more towards the feminine caring personality. This is evident in their tradition of being very hospitable. When you are a guest in a Turks home negative subjects are taboo. You are there to enjoy each other company and to get to know each other. The Turk is still trying to determine if you are “safe” (high UAI) to do business with.

CIA Fact Book (October 18, 2007) Turkey, Ethnic Groups, Religion Retrieved October 19, 2007 CIA website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html Hoefstede, Geert (2003) website retrieved October 17, 2007, http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_turkey.shtml Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions, Turkey, Naming Conventions para. 2, Retreived October 15, 2007 http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/turkey-country-profile.html