Power, Culture, and Change: A Comparison of Australia and Singapore

This essay examines the impact of culture and power on organizational change programs, focusing on a comparison between Australia and Singapore using Hofstede's cultural dimensions and French & Raven’s ‘Five Bases of Power’. It begins by defining power and its types, highlighting the positive and negative aspects of its use in change programs. The essay then delves into Hofstede's dimensions, including power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence, applying these to both Australia and Singapore. It argues that cultural dimensions significantly influence leadership and the effectiveness of different power bases, suggesting that the efficiency of power in change programs varies between the two countries due to their distinct cultural characteristics. The essay concludes by emphasizing the critical role of power in organizational change management and the importance of aligning power strategies with cultural contexts for successful implementation.

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Organizational Change Management
‘Impact of culture and on organizational change program’
Organizational change refers to the process under which an organization undergoes various
changes in their business process that helps them in attaining success in the target market.
Organizational change is a field of management that determines the stages under which an
organization goes through various changes so as to increase the longevity of the company and
implementation of new features as well. Further, power plays a major role in initiating changes
in the business process as without power, no company can successfully implement changes in the
business. Use of power has different variations on the basis of their cultural influences, like some
countries have male dominant society so there power would be segregated between men only.
The below mentioned essay explains the impact of power along with the cultural influences in
the organizational change program (Antonio, Alessio, Felicia, and Antonio 2018) . As no
management can effectively initiate changes in the organization without power in their hands
similarly cultural influences affect the degree to which power would effectively make changes in
the environment. The initial part of the essay will define the importance and types of power in
the society, moving on the negative and positive aspects of use of power in the change program
along with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (Jocelyn et. al., 2016 287-300). The latter part of the
report evaluates power related aspects of Hofstede’s dimensions and application of these
dimensions on Australia and Singapore. More details about the essay are discussed below:
Power refers to the authority with which one person makes the other person perform some
actions in the external environment. This power is not present in all human beings as it depends
upon various circumstances on the basis of which power is divided and used by people in the
society. Power in the hands of people holds the capacity to change the functions of the
management. There are five bases of power that are legitimacy, expert, reward, coercive and
references. Legitimate power is the power that makes a man to force obligation on the individual.
Position of a man is for the most part worried under this case as one individual has the specialist
to assign work to other individual something beyond administration (Sjoerd, Tatiana, and
Kendall 2017, 30-47). Once, a man loses their power then they can never again have the ability
to imply duty to other individual. Such powers are held with the pioneers in the general public,
for example, CEO of an organization or any political pioneer. Assist the second part of power
(coercive) discusses the ability to debilitate somebody. The pioneers utilize this capacity to

Organizational Change Management
rebuff or reward somebody for their work done. Under this idea, the choice of the pioneer is
constantly joined with the prizes or discipline which the subordinate needs to hold up under
(Imelda et. al., 2015 925-942). Expert control alludes to the power under which the pioneer gives
counsel or data to their subordinates in an association. Under this power the pioneer utilizes their
insight and abilities to encourage other individuals. The intensity of referent manages one
individual's preferences and regard towards someone else. For example, Film stars or celebrities
utilize this power as they can undoubtedly affect their fans on what to purchase and what not to.
This power is a noteworthy duty (Barbara 2015, 362-367).
A leader in the society has the power to change the business functions in the external
environment. As discussed that without power no organization can effectively make changes in
the environment. The positive aspect of the use of power in the society is that it helps the
business in successfully making changes in the internal environment and freezing and unfreezing
the environment according to the external business environment. Power in hand helps the people
of management to actively initiate the leadership activities in the leadership activities and
increase the respect in front of the subordinates in the environment. The biggest drawback of
power is that it eliminates the opinion of other people in the society. Power in the hand of one
employee in an organization makes all the other people their subordinate. Resulting to which, the
subordinates are obliged to follow the directions of leaders in the society. (Gary and Elizabeth
2017).
The underlying part of Hofstede's measurement that is power distance refers to the trait that
discusses about how much less ground-breaking individual from the general public are
acknowledge and expect that control is circulated in the general public unequally. This
perspective advises about the sum to which individuals handles disparities among them. Relating
it to the nation Singapore, it ought to be noticed that individuals in this nation are more reliant on
their administrators to take choice (Kees, Tanja van Veldhuizen, and Al KC Au 2015, 52-75).
They do not hold any kind of basic leadership right in their working of association. This
movement is started in light of the fact that the larger part populace of the nation is Chinese who
has confidence in Confucian lessons (Te-Hsin, et. al., 2017 307-320). While discussing
Australia, it ought to be noticed that power distance file in the nation moderately high which
expresses that individuals in this nation don't take a stab at the hierarchical rights. Further, as

Organizational Change Management
there is pervasiveness of level authoritative structure in the nation which makes it less
demanding for individuals to specifically their director to comprehend the issue (Burak, et. al.,
2015 68-80).
The following measurement is the independence versus community (IDV) measurement which
discusses how much individuals in a nation incline toward dealing with just themselves and their
close families in the general public. The highlights of collectvism discusses the inclination of
individuals in the general public to think about their relatives and different individuals in a
gathering and give them unquestioning steadfastness too. The freely weave aggregate talks in the
dialect of 'I' and the firmly tightly knitted groups talks in the dialect of 'We'. Further, in the
nation Singapore, individuals do think about their expansive more distant family; they depend on
them also (Olga, Bart, and Aaron 2015 706-741). They score low in this edge as they have
confidence in starting exercises together. Negating to the case in Australia, individuals in this
nation share the sentiment of independence and care for their close family and themselves. These
individuals are self-solid do not favour contingent upon somebody for their typical cost for basic
items or passionate help. Individuals of Singapore are viewed as collectivist though Australians
are called individualists (Su Lin, and Augustine Pang 2017 112-122).
Masculinity alludes to the measurement that speaks to an inclination in the general public for
chivalry, fiscal prizes and accomplishment in the general public. Also, then again, feminism
remains for the inclination for co-activity, humility and minding in the general public. The two
perspectives negate to their works, as masculinity discusses the quantitative development though
feminism discusses personal satisfaction. Ordinarily this perspective is additionally identified
with extreme versus delicate (Jay, Steven, and Yong 2015). Further, Singapore scores 48 for this
situation which implies that the general public is minimal more slanted towards feminism while
on account of Australia, the score is 61. It expresses that the nation is overwhelmed by male area
of the general public. Uncertainty avoidance alludes to the manner by which society roadsters
with the forthcoming unforeseen circumstances. It discusses the manners by which individuals
handle with obscure circumstances going ahead their way. The nation Singapore scores 8 for this
situation where as Australia score 51. The score 8 expresses that the nation completely
withstands the standards and controls shaped for their advancement (Kees, Tanja, and Al 2015,
52-75). Additionally long term orientation alludes to the level of reasoning of individuals to

Organizational Change Management
represent the future development while remembering the past encounters. 72 is scored by
Singapore which says that the nation has faith in methodology long term orientation while
Australia score somewhat less in long term orientation which recommend that individuals of this
nation points on a short term approach. Lastly, indulgence measurement discusses the degree to
which individuals in a nation attempt to control their feelings and driving forces. Australia scores
71 which expresses that individuals of this nation are more liberal where Singapore score 41
which demonstrates that individuals of Singapore are restrained (Ryan, et. al., 2015, 720-745).
Discussing the effect of culture on power, it ought to be noticed that every measurements of
Hofstede's model influence the leadership quality and power of people in a nation. Discussing
power distance in the nation Singapore, it ought to be noticed that the nation is more anticipated
that would have genuine power. The nation uses such sort of intensity in light of the fact that
there is high level of intensity remove in the nation. Though, then again, as Australia has a low
score for this situation so this nation utilizes the intensity of expert or referent. Australia utilizes
this sort of intensity in light of the fact that there is nearness of individuals who go for fairness in
the general public. Specialists or experts of the public are the boss that shapes the exercises of an
association present in the market (Ryan et. al., 2015, 720-745). Additionally, the nation Australia
is an individualistic nation, so the workers of nation need to act financially in order to keep up
the typical cost for basic items themselves; further, a shared relationship is kept up with the
representatives and the leaders present in the public. Therefore, it ought to be noticed that the
experts include satisfactorily underpins the social exercises of the nation, as an individualistic
nation which makes the director to start their capacity so that it give help to the worker to keep
up their everyday exercises. The intensity of experts encourages the administration to effortlessly
take care of the basic issues in the association and help the workers in business functions
frenchtoo. Aside from that, discussing the nation Singapore, it ought to be noticed that the nation
is a solid conviction of collectivist society where all relatives live respectively and bolster each
other with their every day schedule exercises (Lee, I-Chen, Carol, and Te-Yi 2017, 807-831).
The legitimate power works as indicated by the social various levelled routes and as indicated by
the social standards. Under this case, the hierarchical structure gives the ability to the pioneers to
institute diverse exercises in an association. The pioneers under this case have full ideal to force
duties or oblige the representatives as per work issued to them. Relating the instance of real
power with the collectivist culture of the public it ought to be noticed that, as the general

Organizational Change Management
population of this nation are subject to their bosses which starts them to concur on the
confinements forced on them (Loosemore, Lim, Ling, and HZeng 2018 149-159).
With the end goal to execute an adjustment in an association, the most vital element which is
required is control as without sufficient power no leader can settle on their choice successfully in
an association. Organizational change administration alludes to the system that bargains with the
procedure of progress started in an association for the great. Power is the main thing that
influence individuals in an association and propel them to pursue the change also. Further, as
talked about above there are numerous bases in which the power utilized in an association is
separated. It completely and exclusively relies on the way of business life of an association as
per which power ought to be used (Niki, Gabby, and Edric 2018). Like, if legitimate power is
inferred in an individualistic nation then the power would not demonstrate its impact on the
change. In this way it ought to be noticed, the power and culture, both the elements that impact
change program are straightforwardly identified with each. An association needs to control the
correct kind of intensity as per the way of life with the end goal to start changes. In conclusion, it
ought to be noticed that utilization of intensity would be more proficient in Singapore if the
worker have administering expert above them. As indicated by the power distance component of
social measurement, individuals of this nation are more impacted by the ground-breaking and
they require a decision expert above them. Change would be viable in the associations of
Australia if every one of the workers get equivalent appropriate to propose their perspective and
live economically. Exercises like open discussions would start change administration exercises in
Australia (Jay, Steven, and Yong 2015).
Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events, the fact should be noted that the essay explains
the importance of the power in the process organizational change management process. Change
is only effective when the management initiate functions using power in the hands of people.
Without power in the hands of people, the companies find it difficult to initiate change in the
market. Culture of the country also plays the lead role in dividing the power in the society. The
above mentioned essay explains the ways in which power is divided in the societies of Australia
and Singapore on the basis of cultural influences. Australia is individualistic society while
Singapore is collectivist so there is difference in the ways in which power is divided in both the
countries.

Organizational Change Management
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