 Portugal

WHAT ABOUT PORTUGAL?

If we explore the Portuguese culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get
a good overview of the deep drivers of Portuguese culture relative to other world
cultures.

POWER DISTANCE
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it
expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power
Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions
and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed
unequally.

Portugal’s score on this dimension (63) reflects that hierarchical distance is accepted
and those holding the most powerful positions are admitted to have privileges for
their position. Management controls, i.e. the boss requires information from his
subordinates and these expect their boss to control them. A lack of interest towards
a subordinate would mean this one is not relevant in the Organization. At the same
time, this would make the employee feel unmotivated. Negative feedback is very
distressed so for the employee it is more than difficult to provide his boss with
negative information. The boss needs to be conscious of this difficulty and search for
little signals in order to discover the real problems and avoid becoming relevant.

INDIVIDUALISM
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of
interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether
people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies
people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In
Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange
for loyalty.

Portugal, in comparison with the rest of the European countries (except for Spain) is
Collectivist (because of its score in this dimension: 27). This is manifest in a close
long-term commitment to the member ‘group’, be that a family, extended family, or
extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides
most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships
where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist
societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships
are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take
account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management of groups.

MASCULINITY
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven
by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner
/ best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout
organisational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society
are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life
is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The
fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best
(Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).

Portugal scores 31 on this dimension and is a country where the key word is
consensus. So polarization is not well considered or excessive competitiveness
appreciated. In Feminine countries the focus is on “working in order to live”,
managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their
working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such
as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.
An effective manager is a supportive one, and decision making is achieved through
involvement.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals
with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future
or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have
learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members
of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created
beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on
Uncertainty Avoidance.

If there is a dimension that defines Portugal very clearly, it is Uncertainty Avoidance.

Portugal scores 99 on this dimension and thus has a very high preference for
avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty Avoidance maintain rigid
codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas.
In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to
work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision
and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important
element in individual motivation.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own
past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies
prioritise these two existential goals differently. Normative societies. which score low
on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and
norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which
scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage
thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

A low score of 28 shows that Portuguese culture prefers normative thought over
pragmatic. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the
absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for
traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on
achieving quick results.

INDULGENCE
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which
small children are socialized. Without socialization we do not become “human”. This
dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and
impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called
“Indulgence” and relatively strong control is called “Restraint”. Cultures can,
therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.

A relatively low score of 33 indicates that Portugal has a culture of Restraint.

Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and
pessimism. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put
much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People
with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social
norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.

WHAT ABOUT DENMARK?

If we explore the Danish culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a
good overview of the deep drivers of Danish culture relative to other world cultures.

POWER DISTANCE
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it
expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power
Distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions
and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed
unequally.

With a score of 18 points, Denmark is at the very low end of this dimension
compared to other countries. This matches perfectly with what many foreigners in
Denmark express: Danes do not lead, they coach and employee autonomy is
required. In fact, Denmark ranks highest amongst the EU27 countries in terms of
employee autonomy. With a very egalitarian mind-set the Danes believe in
independency, equal rights, accessible superiors and that management facilitates
and empowers. Power is decentralized and managers count on the experience of
their team members. Respect among the Danes is something, which you earn by
proving your hands-on expertise. Workplaces have a very informal atmosphere with
direct and involving communication and works on a first name basis. Employees
expect to be consulted.

INDIVIDUALISM
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of
interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether
people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”. In Individualist societies
people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In
Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange
for loyalty.

Denmark, with a score of 74 is an Individualist society. This means there is a high

preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to
take care of themselves and their immediate families only. It is relatively easy to start
doing business with the Danes. Small talk is kept at a minimum and you do not need
to create relationships first. Danes are also known for using a very direct form of
communication.

MASCULINITY
A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven
by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner
/ best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout
organisational life.

A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society
are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life
is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The
fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best
(Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine).

Denmark scores 16 on this dimension and is therefore considered a Feminine society.

In Feminine countries,i it is important to keep the life/work balance and you make
sure that all are included. An effective manager is supportive to his/her people, and
decision making is achieved through involvement. Managers strive for consensus and
people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are
resolved by compromise and negotiation and Danes are known for their long
discussions until consensus has been reached. Incentives such as free time and
flexible work hours and place are favoured.

UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals
with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future
or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have
learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The extent to which the members
of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created
beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on
Uncertainty Avoidance.

With a score of 23 Denmark scores low on this dimension. This means that that
Danes do not need a lot of structure and predictability in their work life. Plans can
change overnight, new things pop up and the Danes are fine with it. It is a natural
part of their work life. Curiosity is natural and is encouraged from a very young age.
This combination of a highly Individualist and curious nation is also the driving force
for Denmark’s reputation within innovation and design. What is different is
attractive! This also emerges throughout the society in both its humour, heavy
consumerism for new and innovative products and the fast highly creative industries
it thrives in – advertising, marketing, financial engineering.

At the workplace, the low score on Uncertainty Avoidance is also reflected in the fact
that the Danes tell you if you are in doubt or do not know something. It is ok to say “I
do not know” and the Danes are comfortable in ambiguous situations in the
workplace.

LONG TERM ORIENTATION

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own
past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and societies
prioritise these two existential goals differently. Normative societies, which score low
on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and
norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture, which
scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage
thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

A low score of 35 indicates that Danish culture is normative. People in such societies
have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in
their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity
to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.

INDULGENCE
One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which
small children are socialized. Without socialization, we do not become “human”. This
dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and
impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively weak control is called
“Indulgence” and relatively strong control is called “Restraint”. Cultures can,
therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained.
Denmark has a high score of 70 in this dimension, meaning that Denmark is an
Indulgent country. People in societies classified by a high score in Indulgence
generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses and desires with regard to
enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency
towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure
time, act as they please and spend money as they wish.