Organizational Change and Power: A Comparison of Australia & Singapore

This essay delves into the critical role of power in organizational change, particularly focusing on how national culture influences its application and acceptance. It begins by introducing the concept of organizational change and the impact of power dynamics, followed by a comparative analysis of Australia and Singapore through the lens of Hofstede's cultural dimensions and French & Raven's Five Bases of Power. The essay defines the different types of power and their positive and negative implications within change programs. It then explores Hofstede's cultural dimensions, highlighting the power-related aspects and comparing the cultural contexts of Australia and Singapore. The analysis considers how these cultural differences impact the efficiency of using power in change initiatives within each country, drawing on academic research to support its arguments. The conclusion summarizes the key arguments, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances when implementing change programs and using power effectively.

Running head: ORGANIZTION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
ORGANIZTION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ORGANIZTION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
Introduction
The chief objective of this discussion is to compare the Australian regions with those
of Singapore in the context of the dimensions of culture of Hofstede, including the
discussions regarding the ways and procedures of impact of the national culture Five Bases of
Power by Raven and French. The various communities that do not consider themselves to
interchange the culture make up the culture of Singapore. On the contrary, they consider
being a part of the cultural system as a whole. The Australian culture, on the other side,
mostly follows the western culture which, to some extent, was derived from Britain. The aim
of this essay will be to research the contention that influences both the use and the acceptance
of power in change programs which is influenced by the national culture. The power related
components of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions will be comparatively applied to the countries
of Australia and Singapore and thus will be explored. The essay consists of the types of
power that can be applied and used in change programs. It will include both the positive as
well as negative effects of using power in the change programs. With a better focus on more
exploration of the power based aspects of the dimensions of Hofstede, there will be an
introduction to the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Eventually, a comparison will be made for
the power based aspects of dimensions of Hofstede in between Australia and Singapore.
Types of Power
The procedures of organizational changes are chiefly influenced by institutionalising
power and the attitude of interested teams throughout the business establishments of the
world that also includes Singapore and Australia. The power installed in the process, existing
arrangements as well as formal framework of the companies are getting dramatically
transformed. The continuous pressures from the international competition or globalization
including non-intervention has forced several business organizations to search out for

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renewed and fresh organizational forms and different models for managing the employees in
their companies as well as with the societies in which they are serving. The power including
both the responsibilities and liability are being fixed to the organization’s executives. There is
a constant change in the mode of work and roles played by labour unions. The basic changes
of the organizations are transferring the latest power balance. The forces throughout the
companies are working on the maintenance of the balance which can affect the changes while
other forces can inspire the change processes. Organizational change, resistance and power
are intimately associated with one another. The ‘Five Bases of Power’ by French and Raven
have chosen out five kinds of power. They are as follows:
1. Coercive – Here the power is derived from a person’s ability for ordering punishment
for other people due to non-conformity. For instance, being afraid of losing the yearly
bonus or even losing a job. In this case, the seniors can dominate the people by the
punishment or removal scare from the respective positions held by the employees.
2. Reward – In this base, the power is derived from a person’s ability for issuing
rewards. For instance, issuing time off in lieu. Here, the employees or other people
can be influenced by supplying them promotions and accolades, in order to motivate
them to perform better.
3. Legitimate – Here, the power is obtained from one’s formal right of delivering the
orders or directives due to their positions which are held in the business. For instance,
the CEO has the authority or power to deliver the strategy of the company. In this
case, the seniors can influence by taking the help of the positions hold by them in
offices or society.
4. Expert – The power, here, is derived from a person’s experience or knowledge. For
example, a senior surgeon or doctor passes the knowledge in which he is an expertise.

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In this case, the seniors can influence the people with the aid of the gained knowledge
in their work life.
5. Referent – The power, in this base, is obtained from being trustful or respectful. For
example, huge respect is earned by a manger who treats each and every employee
equally and gives them proper respect. In this case, the seniors are capable enough to
handle the problems by sharing healthy and strong relations with other people in the
work places and societies.
Positive and Negative Aspects
The positive aspects of using the power as change programs can be described as
below:
1. Power as change programs aids to raise the potential capability of the employees in order
to result a target within the business operations of a company, whether it is in Australia or
Singapore or any other regions of the world.
2. This will aid the organizations to take prompt decisions by the senior managers or leaders
of the business houses in case if urgent conditions.
3. It decides in compliance when the teams or the employees in the organizations depend on
each other.
4. No substitute strategies need to be followed or used while following the power as change
programs.
Negative Aspects
1. The power as change programs involves the fearless up and down approaches to change,
which may restrict the work balance within the organizations.

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2. Tight schedule of planning might be not being available in some of the cases which makes
it hard to accomplish the aim or objectives of the alterations required in the companies.
3. Clarity might be an issue in accomplishing the required changes by the companies.
4. The power models permit little or no presence of the employees or members of the
organizations and ignores learning opportunities (Blois & Hopkinson, 2013).
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory
The cultural dimension’s theory can be illustrated or interpreted as the framework or
arrangement necessary for cross-cultural communication, which was outlined by Geert
Hofstede. It helps to distinguish or define the effects on the culture of a particular
community, like Singapore and Australia in this case, on the worth of its people or members
of the society, and also the processes the ways of relation between these worth and behavior,
by using a structure which is borrowed from factor analysis. The original theory of him
advised four dimensions along which the cultural worth could be evaluated. They are power
distance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity and uncertainty avoidance.
Later, he included a fifth dimension, whose name was long-term orientation, in order to
protect the value aspects which was not argued or studied in the original paradigm. He also
included a sixth dimension in 2010, which was named as indulgence versus self-restraint
(Hofstede, 2013). The theory structured by him is hugely used in different fields as a
paradigm for research, mainly in cross-cultural psychology, cross-cultural communication
and international management of various nations in and around the world. As discussed
earlier, the cultural values of Australia are similar to the cultures possessed in the western
countries. So the social and cultural beliefs are similar kind of nature. On the other hand, the
social and cultural values are similar for the different people who comes from different
backgrounds.. The initial or the foremost evaluation helped to recognize systematic

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alterations in national cultures of different countries on four major dimensions, namely
individualism, power distance, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. His six-dimensions
model helps to acknowledge international contrasts between cultures, which is also known as
comparative research. Geert Hofstede is possibly the best known anthropologist or sociologist
as well as culture in the context of utilization for understanding international business. His
overall utilizations are very much helpful in international communication, international
negotiation, international management and international marketing. It has been found in the
studies and researches that this model is normally accepted as the most comprehensive
framework or design of national cultures which involves the values where it includes the
study of business culture, its effectiveness as well as its limitations, which is scrutinized at an
extreme level. Each nation, whether it is Australia or Singapore, has been placed relative to
other countries through a score on each dimension (Dartey-Baah, 2013).
Power-related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions
The power distance or the power related aspect has been described or introduced as
the range to which the powerful employees or members of the various business houses
receive as well as expect that power is distributed unequally. This helps to present inequality,
which can be more versus less. It advices that the level of inequality of an organization or a
community as a whole is asserted by the employees or the admirers as much as by the seniors
or leaders. There are variations between the large and small power distances in the context of
business houses or communities in the regions of Australia and Singapore (Venaik & Brewer,
2013). Power Distance Index scores are recorded for 76 countries, which turn to be higher for
Asian, East European, African and Latin countries and lower for English and Germanic-
speaking Western countries. The powers used by the senior level authorities or the managers
would be unlike in Australia with that of the Singapore, as the cultural along with the social
beliefs are dissimilar with each other in the context of organization changes. The powers

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should be used by higher authorities by following the cultural differences in the nations, so
that the power changes performed would be ethical and organizational cultures are not
restricted. Seniors need to maintain the organizational cultures of both Singapore and
Australia before connecting the power changes in the business entities or in the communities
where they are performing their business operations. It would help to change the
organizational or communal culture by effective and efficient use of the power.
Australia and Singapore
The figure shows the Hofstede’s 6 dimensions between the nations of Singapore and
Australia (Beugelsdijk, Maseland & Van Hoorn, 2015).
Figure 1: Hofstede Insights of Singapore and Australia
Source: Created by the Author
Power Distance of Australia
This dimension deals with the reality that all the public in societies are not the same,
as it exposes the attitude of the culture towards this unevenness amongst the communities.
Power distance is described as the quantity to which the less powerful representatives of
business houses or societies within a nation expect as well as intake that power is distributed

7ORGANIZTION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
unequally. Australia scores less on this dimension, which is 36. Within the organizations of
Australia, hierarchy is introduced for convenience, managers are always available and rely on
individual people and associations for their expertise. Both leaders and employees expect to
be considered and information is exchanged on regular basis. At the same time,
communication is participative, informal and direct.
Power Distance of Singapore
On the other hand, Singapore is a multi-ethnic society with Chinese around 77%,
Indian around 6%, Malay around 15% and expatriates around 2%. Singapore scores high on
this dimension, which is 74. With a Confucian background, which includes the Chinese, they
normally acquire a syncretic approach to religion, which is also the dominant approach in
Singapore. One of the major principles of Confucian teaching is the fixedness of society,
which is based on unequal relationships between the individuals of the business entities or
communities. Confucius distinguished five basic relationships. They are senior friend-junior
friend, ruler-subject, older brother-younger brother, father-son and husband-wife. These
relationships are based on shared and interdependent obligations. Here the high Power
Distance Index can be viewed as an after effect. Power is centralized here and leaders rely on
their superiors apart from the rules and norms. Employees are expected to be guided what to
perform. Control is likely and attitude towards seniors is formal. The information flow is
selective and communication is indirect
Conclusion
From the above discussed essay, it can be concluded that the national culture impacts
the uses as well as the acknowledges of power in change programs. The variations in the
power has both the positive and negative effects on the business houses as well as in the
community in not only in Singapore and Australia, but also on the other parts of the world.

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There are constant demands from the context of global competition or globalization which
has forced many companies to look out for fresh forms of business operations and different
models in order to manage the employees in their companies along with the community
where they are performing their business operations. But, the power along with the
accountabilities, roles and responsibilities are being established to the executives of the
business houses or to the communities by the help of Hofstede’s cultural dimension’s theory,
which helps to demonstrate the framework or design required for cross-cultural
communication between the countries of Australia and Singapore, or between any other
nations in and around the world. The fundamental or basic changes of the business houses
along with the communities are changing the current balance of power. Forces in and around
the companies are trying to sustain the balance that can prevent such changes, while other
forces can motivate the change processes which will maintain the sustainability between the
cultures of the nations involved in the processes.

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