Mexico-Power-Distance-and-Dressing-Code

PowerDistanceIntroduction•Powerdistanceisdefinedastheextenttowhichthelesspowerfulmembersofinstitutionsandorganizationswithinacountryexpectandacceptthatpowerisdistributedunequally•PowerDistanceIndex(PDI)focusesonthedegreeofequality,orinequality,betweenpeopleinthecountry'ssociety.Introduction•AHighPowerDistancerankingindicatesthatinequalitiesofpowerandwealthhavebeenallowedtogrowwithinthesociety.Thesesocietiesaremorelikelytofollowacastesystemthatdoesnotallowsignificantupwardmobilityofitscitizens.•ALowPowerDistancerankingindicatesthesocietyde-emphasizesthedifferencesbetweencitizen'spowerandwealth.Inthesesocietiesequalityandopportunityforeveryoneisstressed.Mexico’sfactofpowerdistance•Inaword:Mexicoisacountrywithhighpowerdistance1.ClearlyDefinedHierarchiesMexicosocialhierarchyaspartofthenaturalorder.Thepowerfulenjoyspecialrightsandprivilegeswithoutguiltandexerciseauthoritywithoutaccountabilitytothosebelow.Withinhigh-distancecultures,thoseatthetopofthehierarchyexpectdeferenceandrespectfromthosebelow,andthosebelowdonotobjectbecausetheyknowtheirplace.2.EmphasisonLeadership•Mexicoattachsignificantimportancetoleadership,inpartbecauseoftheperceptionthatanorganization'sleaderdefinesthecharacteroftheorganizationasawhole.3.RoleofSubordinates•SubordinatesinMexicodonorordinarilyexerciseindependentjudgmentorinitiative,andexpecttheirleadersorbossestoprovideexplicitdirections,Atthesametime,however,aleader'scontroloverhissubordinates'actionsdoesnotmeanhewillacceptresponsibilityforfailure.Instead,hewillordinarilytreatsubordinatesasexpendable,andwillsacrificethemtopreservehisownpositioninthehierarchy.4.LackofSocialMobility•LowsocialmobilityalsocharacterizesinMexico.Anacceptanceofhierarchyalreadynormalizessocialinequality,butsocietalperceptionsofcertainpersonalcharacteristicsmakeitveryunlikelythatindividualscanriseabovetheircurrentstatus.InMexico,aperson'sstatusdependsontheirrace,gender,educationallevelorfamilybackground.SomeexamplesoftheMexicansstyleExample1:•Thereisacommunicationbetweenamanagerandtwosubordinates(oneofthesubordinatesisAmerican,theotherisMexican):•“Howlongwillittakeyoutofinishthisreport?”,themanagerask.Thereaction•TheAmerica:•Themanageraskedmetoparticipate•TheMexican:•Hisbehaviormakesnosense.Heisthemanager.Whydoesn’thetellme?Example2:•Inarestaurant:•InMexico,apersonwithhighpositioncanbeseatedintherestauranteventhoughhedidnothaveareservation.•IntheUnitedStates,however,one’soccupationalrolewillnotensureanyspecialfavorsoutsidethatoccupation.Thehostofthisrestaurantissimplyfollowinghisculture’swayoftreating-thatisequally.Conclusion•Large-Power-Distance.Thisdimensionisreflectedinthevaluesofthelesspowerfulmembersofsocietyaswellasinthoseofthemorepowerfulmembers.Peopleinlarge-power-distancecountiessuchasIndia,Brazil,Singapore,Greece,Venezuela,Mexico,andthePhilippinesbelievethatpowerandauthorityarefactsoflife.Bothconsciouslyandunconsciously,theseculturesteachtheirmembersthatpeoplearenotequalinthisworldandthateverybodyhasarightfulplace,whichisclearlymarkedbycountlessverticalarrangements.Socialhierarchyisprevalentandinstitutionalizesinequality.•Intheorganizationswithinlarge-powerdistanceculturesyoufindagreatercentralizationofpower,greatimportanceplacedonstatusandrank,alargeproportionofsupervisorypersonnel,arigidvaluesystemthatdeterminestheworthofeachjob,andthebypassingofsubordinatesinthedecision-makingprocess.MexicanDressCode•Mexicansarequitestatusconsciousandsuccessfulpeopleareexpectedtolooksuccessful.Dressis,therefore,ofgreatimportanceanditisvitaltolooksmartinbothbusinessandsocialsituations.•BusinessdressinMexicoCitytendstobesomewhatmoreformalthaninotherpartsofthecountry.Suitsareoftenworninthecapitalwhereassmartshirtsandslacksaresufficientintheprovinces.Ifindoubt,checkinadvance.•RememberthatMexicoishot-sotakelightweightclothing