Business Foundations: Analyzing Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions and CSR

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Business foundation
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Table of Contents
Introduction-....................................................................................................................................3
Assessment 1- individual essay.......................................................................................................4
Assessment2- Individual report.......................................................................................................8
Conclusion-....................................................................................................................................17
References:....................................................................................................................................18
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Introduction
The basic meaning of business foundation is for fulfilling a need of human (Holsapple, et. al.,
2014). Business is a help to the person to supply of product and services. Business is basically to
maximize profit. The objective of Business is the exchanging of goods and service for earning
the profit and grows the foundation of the business. The business foundation is the most
important factor to start the business. There should be a strong foundation, should be set up for
business. A foundation provides the individual to how to behave and think for the future growth
of the business. This assignment basically for the culture behaves direction and how a person
thinks towards their business. This assignment focuses on the Hofstede four cultural dimensions.
This shows the cultural place on the high value on individual achievement and self-interest. This
also gives reflect on the literature review of corporate social responsibility.
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Assessment 1- individual essay
1. Critically evaluate the suggestions made in the article on Hofstede’s cultural
dimensions.
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions-
The Hofstede's cultural dimension is developed by the Geert Hofstede, used to understand the
culture, value and thought process of an individual in an organization.
The four cultural dimensions were made in the article-
 Individualism/collectivism
 Power distance
 Uncertainty avoidance
 Masculinity/femininity (Venaik and Brewer, 2013).
Individualism/collectivism- The individualism/collectivism dimension of culture refers to
individual rely on the group of society and fulfill their obligation through dependent on the
group. It basically focuses on the self-interest and high value of the individual. Individualism is a
significant focus on the achievement of goals. Collectivism refers to the work on mutually and
group for fulfilling goals. It mainly influences the working collectively on the common goal and
achievements (Triandis, 2018).
Power distance- The power distance basically refers to power equality of the superior and
subordinates. In united states basically, focus on the higher and lower power distance culture. In
the US Business environment basically forms participate term such as supervisors and
subordinates are more equal terms. This dimension basically focuses on the inequality and
powers are viewed from- the lower level (Sriramesh, 2013).
High power distance basically for the cultural accept inequality and power differences, shows
high respect for the high-rank superiors and authority.
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Low power distance basically for the culture motivates the structure of the organization. It is a
Decentralized decision making a participative style of management. There should be increased
responsibility for the lower level individual.
Uncertainty avoidance- uncertainty refers to how a member of the society reacts to uncertainty
and ambiguity. In Great Britain tends to avoid risk-taking. This dimension especially shows the
unknown situation and unexpected circumstances dealings (Minkov and Hofstede, 2014).
High uncertainty avoidance-basically shows that minimum sufferance of the uncertainty,
ambiguity, and risk taking. These unknown sources can be minimized through proper regulation
and rules.
Low uncertainty avoidance basically shows the high sufferance of uncertainty, ambiguity, and
risk taking. Unknown sources are is more accepted and are tax rules and regulation.
Masculinity/femininity-
Masculinity/ femininity dimension refers to as “tough vs. tender.” This specifically focuses on
the achievement and attitude towards the gender equality and behaviour of an individual.
Masculinity refers to understand gender roles, distinct gender roles or assertive and concentration
on material achievement and wealth building. It is far better to understand to tough work in the
organization. It covers that more value is expected with the mastery of people and job, nature.
Femininity covers the following characteristics: nurturing, modest, concerned with the quality of
life and gender roles (Ganesh, and Paramasivam Ganesh, 2014).
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2. Which do you agree with and which do you disagree with? Justify your position.
Importance of Hofstede's cultural dimension-
The theory of Hofstede's cultural dimension gives the impact of cross-culture communication;
they also describe the relationship with this behaviour and value. This study gives a valuable
aspect of culture and society. If the organizations want to expand his business then it must be
knowledge of the cultural dimensions. A superior of the team must be aware of the different
communication practices. In some country superior of the team must be capable of the
understanding of the receiver understood and accepted messages.
The organization globally has to adjust too many different environments. A large number of the
company focus on the diversity of the employees in dealing with customers internationally.
Hofstede describes the culture value is different from the organizational culture. The culture of
the global is totally different from the national culture of one country. Business values its own
culture and value. The Hofstede culture provides the relationship with the stakeholder.
Importance of Hofstede cultural dimension-
There are many ways to learn about the different culture and value of the countries in the world.
It is knowledge of the tool that describes the core relation of the tool of many cultural resources.
This mainly focuses on the development and effectiveness of the collective work of the
organization people.
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3. Are there any other suggestions you would like to make?
 By discussing the importance of cultural dimension following suggestion are as follows-
 He should the analysis of pest and Hofstede cross culture work by understands the nature of
the different national and doing work.
 During the checking of the accuracy of his work, it found that he fails to do appropriate tools
and methodology so his result must be wrong. It must be used proper research technique and
tools.
 It must identify the Hofstede cross-cultural dimensions.
 It must be greater work of the starting work of the diversity of human cultures.
 It must be set the starting excellent fundamental platform regarding culture study.
 In globalization and international business, there should be proper functioning of the cultural
dimension.
 There should be credible and reliable advice of value related and culture related programs.
 There is a proper balance in the development of a business project.
 The organizational culture should be based on value, culture, and behaviour.
 There should be clarity and desirable framework of the policies and practices.
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Assessment 2- Individual report
1. What is a literature review and what does it achieve?
Introduction-
A literature review is to identify, synthesizes and evaluate the relevant literature for specific
research. It defines the topic of which is a concern. It shows what present thinking on this topic
is. The literature review highlights emerging trends and new approaches to solve problems. The
literature review identifies the research gap (i.e. under researches areas or unexplored)
A literature review is the narrative review of the article, book. The literature review is the way of
collecting knowledge including substantial findings. It is a contribution of the theoretical and
methodological contribution of a topic. The purpose of the research topic is to highlight the
whole object of research evaluation and a particular area or topic and present the knowledge in a
written report.
A literature review is the summary of the key sources of article, book, and scholar. But in the
concept of the social science study literature review of the must have an organizational pattern
and give a combination of the synthesis and summary of its specific conceptual categories.
The features of the literature review-
 Record the intellectual progression of old material or include a combination of the old
interpretations.
 Discuss its major issues.
 Evaluate the sources and advise the reader to develop effective efficient research.
 In the last stage of research, there should be highlight the problems of research and
remove problems.
The purpose of the literature review-
 There should be describing every work to others of consideration.
 Place every work in the nature of the research problem identified.
 Identify the new ways to analyse the prior research.
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 Discover the gap of any literature review.
 Find new ideas to analyse the literature review.
 Resolve appropriately of any past research activity.
 Remove any conflict towards there duplication of the effort.
 Point out the need for any additional research.
 Set properly of own research technique in the context of the existing research (Sharma,
et. al., 2016).
Types of literature review-
Historical review- these researches review basically forms the historical forms. These basically
focus on the examination of the research through the period of time. The ultimate purpose of the
research must be used for future requirement. It gives direction to future research.
Integrated review – it is a new framework of the research topics. This is for the purpose of the
new research topic and guiding the resources of the business. It should be done research on a
new topic and complete framework of the research problems. A good integrated review meets
the standard of the rigor, clarity. This is the most common form of generating a new topic of
social science.
Argumentative review- this is basically examining the literature of selected to give support and
reject an argument. It is a philosophical problem's solution to the literature. This majorly focuses
on the education reform and immigration reform of the project related research techniques.
Systematic review- this is based on the evidence-based research and focus on the clear focus on
the formulated research. It's a primary objective of the critical analyses and document research of
any research topic.
Theoretical research- this main purpose of the corpus of the theory is that issue, concept, theory
or theoretical part of any research topic. It follows the concept of any new or emerging theory of
the product.
Methodological research- this purpose of the research basically focuses on the research should
be in terms of findings and method of analysis. It reflects the concept of the research approaches
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and data collection, technique analysis in research method. This gives the whole concept of
qualitative and quantitative research techniques (Mehrad, 2015).
The structure of the literature review includes the following-
 Work should be diversified and segregate category of the work.
 There should be subject, issue and theory should be overviewed that should be developed
in an organized manner.
 There should be a proper explanation for every work.
 Give contribution to the development and understanding of the research (Usman, et. al.,
2015).
The work should evaluate critically-
Methodology- the technique used in the research analysis and data analysis the appropriate
research problems. It must follow the proper method and technique of research analysis.
Value – it must be a proper analysis of the author argument and work should be full of the
appropriate and understanding way of the subject in the literature review.
Objectivity- the proper information of the research technique must be clear and collected. An
object should be clearly stated while achieving the research technique.
Provenance- in this argument research technique must be supported by evidence. E.g. is
research, narrative or statistics.
Persuasiveness- there must be used in the convincing technique of any literature review
(Hussain and Khan, 2017).
Development of literature review-
It should be cover in four stages-
Identify the problem- identify the problems in the literature review and issues in the component
of the literature review.
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Search the literature- proper search of the research topics and analyse the subject can be
expanded to a topic.
Evaluation of data- there should be an impactful contribution to the understanding of the topic.
And data must be accurate and correct manner.
Interpretation and analysis- there are discussing the literature and review must be proper
interpretation and analysed data must be found.
Areas must be seeing before the writing literature review-
Find models- use the literature review of the how authors in discipline or areas of discipline
must be composed in well-being manner which they have an interest. Identify ways of a
significant area of necessary topic research.
Clarify- the sources must be clearly defined and focus on the type of sources, review of sources,
evaluates the sources for a literature review.
Current sources must be used- during the literature making; there must be used current sources
and current data.
Narrow the topic- narrow topic easy for a number of sources is needed for literature review
(Singh and Misra, 2018).
Conclusion-
A literature review is a summary of the article, journal, book, etc. It evaluates the research topic
and gives the reader to appropriate framework to develop efficient research. Historical literature
review gives a framework of the examination of research through a period of time. Integrated
research gives a complete framework of the research problems. Argumentative review basically
examination of selected to give support and reject for an argument. Development of research can
be done through identifying the problem, search, evaluate the research data.
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2. Write a literature review on the topic "Corporate Social Responsibility"
Corporate social responsibility is the relation between greater social and business practices. It is
also known as CSR, corporate citizenship and conscience. It is integrated with social benefit
programs. The main objective of CSR is to increase the profits in the long run and becoming
efficient attracts positive attention. Corporate social responsibility is voluntary practice in which
the organization holds to set social, ethical, ecological, and legal standards. Corporate social
responsibility is a concept to combine revenue making strategies to ensure social investment. As
the number of companies increasing, it is promoting the corporate social responsibility in great
pressure from investors, the public, customers who act responsibly as well as sustainable. CSR
fights against sustainable management of natural resources, consumer protection, volunteer
projects and climate change (Cheng, et. al., 2014).
Benefits of Corporate Social responsibility
By Prevent financial ramifications corporate social responsibility is a self-regulatory activity
which prevents fines on business lower legal expenses and low on regulators. Nationally and
internationally it is compliance with spirit and letter of law. There is an Increase in employee
loyalty; corporate social responsibility includes treating employees generously and fairly.
Employees getting a good job, it encourages moral standard and high professionals. It helps to
increase the loyalty of employees. By Maintain a positive reputation corporate social
responsibility demonstrates a variety of areas and business tangible proof of conduct it can be
shown on the website of an organization. It includes following Environmental consciousness that
is best practice reducing waste, minimizing carbon footprint and recycling. Sustainable products
with lowering energy usage assists in supporting environmental causing boost organization green
reputation among environmental concerned customers.
Social concerns are Donating for the welfare of society persistent poverty. It helps victims of
epidemics like Ebola or AIDS. The concerns of earthquake show the issues of consumers more
aware of the current world. The projects of the local community include employee participation,
financial donation, connecting customers with leaders, promotion of project through various
advertisements and fundraising CSR credentials with clients (Deng, et. al., 2013).
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