What About Vietnam?: Power Distance

WHAT ABOUT VIETNAM?
If we explore the Vietnamese culture through the lens of the 6-D Model©, we can get a
good overview of the deep drivers of Vietnamese 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.
Vietnam scores high on this dimension (score of 70) which means that people accept a
hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further
justification. Hierarchy in an organisation is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities,
centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is
a benevolent autocrat. Challenges to the leadership are not well-received.
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.
Vietnam, with a score of 20 is a collectivistic society. 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 overrides most other
societal rules and regulations. Such a society fosters strong relationships, where
everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivistic
societies, offence leads to shame and loss of face. Employer/employee relationships are
perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion 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).
Vietnam scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a Feminine society. 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.
Vietnam scores 30 on this dimension and thus has a low preference for avoiding
uncertainty. Low UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts
more than principles and deviance from the norm is more easily tolerated. In societies
exhibiting low UAI, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and
if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules
are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision
and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening.
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.
Vietnam scores 57, making it a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic

orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and
time. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong
propensity to save and invest. thriftiness and perseverance in achieving 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 low score of 35 on this dimension indicates that the culture of Vietnam is

characterised as Restrained. 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.

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WHAT ABOUT VIETNAM?

Vietnam, with a score of 20 is a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term

Vietnam scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a Feminine society. In

LONG TERM ORIENTATION

Vietnam scores 57, making it a pragmatic culture. In societies with a pragmatic

A low score of 35 on this dimension indicates that the culture of Vietnam is

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