2025 Nora's Blog

  Hofstede Model: Indulgence vs. Restraint Hofstede’s Indulgence versus Restraint dimension explains how different cultures view happiness, enjoyment, and self-control. Indulgent societies encourage people to enjoy life, express emotions freely, and prioritize leisure. Restrained societies, on the other hand, place limits on gratification through strict social rules and discipline. Coming from a Middle Eastern cultural background, I notice many features of restrained societies. In many Middle Eastern cultures, enjoyment and leisure are influenced by social expectations, religion, and family responsibilities. Even though being too open and spending money recklessly is not the norm, I see many Middle Eastern families doing that, but maybe that a biased view. Many people would describe being happy to having good family relashionships which I can relate to, growing up we are tought that family is the most important and to value you them no matter what. Japanese culture also r...

  Shopping Culture in Japan and the World   In Lesson 12, I observed how shopping culture reflects deep-seated social values. Growing up in an Arab family and later living in Canada, I experienced two main types of shopping. Arabic markets, where people bargain and buy necessities, these markets (which are referred to as Bazars) are usually owned by locals and contain daily fresh goods and lots of handmade stuff.  In Canada, my experience in shopping malls was different, as they served more as social spaces to meet my friends and hang out.  Another thing I experienced in Canada is the Farmers Market, which is very similar to  Bazaars except that the location is usually not fixed. In Japan, however, shopping is influenced by the value of harmony. As The Japanese Mind explains, “the concept of harmony, or Wa, became an important factor in Japanese life” (Davies & Ikeno, 2002, p. 10). In stores and shopping malls, employees work to create a calm, orderly, and c...

Hofstede’s Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation In last week’s class, we learned about Hofstede’s Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation, which illustrates how culture perceives time, traditions, and future planning. Long-term oriented societies value perseverance, adaptability, and delayed gratification, while short-term oriented societies emphasize respect for tradition, quick results, and fulfilling social obligations. Although I think Hofstede’s research is outdated and may not be as relevant today. Japan is regarded as a culture that is long-term-oriented. This is reflected through their strong work ethic, long-term company loyalty, careful planning, and their focus on continuous improvement. An example of this is Kaizen, a core principle of the Toyota Production System. As explained by Toyota, “Ka’ means ‘change’ and ‘zen’ means ‘for the better’”(Toyota Blog, 2013). Comparing this to my own Arab culture, I see both differences and similarities. According to Hofstede, Arab culture t...

  Political Culture in Japan and the World Almond’s definition of political culture is “the particular pattern of orientations to political action” (as cited in Welch, 1993, p.2). My own views are shaped by living in very different places. I was born in Syria, lived in Jordan, then in Canada, and now in Japan. An example of political culture I want to discuss is how countries set different legal ages for ‘responsibilities.’ In Japan, individuals can start voting at age 18, but the legal drinking age is 20. Canada also has the voting age at 18, and the drinking age is 18; in some provinces, it’s 19. In my opinion, the drinking age and voting age shouldn’t be the same. A person doesn’t need a fully developed brain to make an informed political decision; many people can learn about government and global issues. However, alcohol can slow down brain development, which continues until the age of 25. Protecting youth health is very different from restricting their political voice. Althoug...

Hofstede's Uncertainty Avoidance     This week's lesson on Hofstede's Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) helped me reflect on cultural responses to ambiguity, especially when I compare Arab culture to Japanese culture. Hofstede defines UA as "the extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations" (Hofstede, 2011). Both Arab and Japanese societies demonstrate relatively high levels of UA; however, they express this in different ways. In Arab culture, uncertainty avoidance often manifests in a respect for tradition and clear social roles. People strongly value family, religion, and customs, which offer stability when there is uncertainty. Although formal rules exist, personal relationships and adaptability can sometimes matter more than following rigid protocols, providing a unique balance between structure and flexibility. Japan also scores high on UA, tends to stick closely to rules and likes things to be predictable. People deeply va...

Business culture in Japan and the world This week's lesson on Business Culture provided me with a clear view of how Japanese workplaces differ from those in Canada. After watching the video “A Day in the Life of a Japanese Retail Worker,” I was surprised by how professional and dedicated the workers were, especially for a retail environment. Every worker’s behaviour was very professional, and they spoke to each other formally. They seemed very structured and cooperative compared to many Canadian retail jobs I've seen, where employees are professional but not to that extent. The main thing that stood out to me was how the manager and staff all went out together after work. In Japan, these after-work gatherings are a normal part of business culture. In Canada, it’s not very common for people to hang out with their coworkers, because it “feels like work” and may seem pointless. Another interesting point is the Japanese concept of Nemawashi, which means preparing decisions quietly ...