Power Distance

Nigeria: 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. Nigeria scores high on this dimension (score of 80) which
means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and
which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization 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.
Germany: 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. Highly decentralised and supported by a strong middle class,
Germany is not surprisingly among the lower power distant countries (score 35). Codetermination rights are comparatively extensive and have to be taken into account
by the management. A direct and participative communication and meeting style is
common, control is disliked and leadership is challenged to show expertise and best
accepted when its based on it.

Individualism
Nigeria: The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of
interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether
peoples 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. Nigeria, with a score of 30 is considered 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 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 employees in-group,

management is the management of groups.
Germany: The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of
interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether
peoples 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. The German society is a truly Individualist one (67). Small families with a
focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most
common. There is a strong belief in the ideal of self-actualization. Loyalty is based
on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. This
is defined by the contract between the employer and the employee. Communication
is among the most direct in the world following the ideal to be honest, even if it
hurts and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes.

Masculinity
Nigeria: 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). Nigeria scores
60 on this dimension and is thus a Masculine society. In Masculine countries people
live in order to work, managers are expected to be decisive and assertive, the
emphasis is on equity, competition and performance and conflicts are resolved by
fighting them out.
Germany: 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). With a score of
66 Germany is considered a Masculine society. Performance is highly valued and
early required as the school system separates children into different types of
schools at the age of ten. People rather live in order to work and draw a lot of self-

esteem from their tasks. Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive.
Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches and technical devices.

Uncertainty Avoidance
Nigeria: 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. Nigeria receives an intermediate score of 55 on this
dimension, which does not show a clear preference.
Germany: 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. Germany is among the uncertainty
avoidant countries (65); the score is on the high end, so there is a slight preference
for Uncertainty Avoidance. In line with the philosophical heritage of Kant, Hegel and
Fichte there is a strong preference for deductive rather than inductive approaches,
be it in thinking, presenting or planning: the systematic overview has to be given in
order to proceed. This is also reflected by the law system. Details are equally
important to create certainty that a certain topic or project is well-thought-out. In
combination with their low Power Distance, where the certainty for own decisions is
not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss, Germans prefer to compensate
for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise.

Long Term Orientation

Nigeria: 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.
Nigeria scores very low (13) on this dimension, meaning that its culture is normative
instead of 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.
Germany: 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.
Germany's high score of 83 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. 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

Nigeria: 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. With a very high score of 84,
Nigerian culture is said to be one of Indulgence. 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.
Germany: 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. The
low score of 40 on this dimension indicates that the German culture is Restrained in
nature. 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.

For the Nigerian, it is a face-threatening act to be very close to, and alone with
another human being at a bus stop and not be able to say "how are you?" (negative
politeness). This is because communal existence generally has supremacy aver
individual existence. Thus, every other human being close by is part and parcel of a
common human bond and brotherhood. This explains why even strange people are
often greeted. This disposition is transferred to interactions with people from other
cultures; hence, the greeting "Guten Tag" to the strange German lady. This greeting
functions as a recognition of a common humanity and a need for recognition,
approval and belonging to this common humanity (positive politeness). In other
words, the greeting is both a negative and positive politeness strategy. To the
particular German lady in question, however, a greeting from a stranger appears to
function as an unwanted intrusion on her interpersonal territorial space. This is
probably attributable to the predominance in the German community, at least in
comparison with Nigeria, of an individual type of existence in which people keep to
themselves and do not want to intrude into the affairs of others. Germans generally
seem to get involved in the affairs of others only when invited to, or when a prior
bond has been initiated. Precisely because he is accustomed to the recognition a
common human and communal bond in all human beings in the neighborhood, the
Nigerian feels free to greet even strangers, especially when there is body contact in
a bus, eye contact in small by-ways and streets, togetherness in an elevator, etc.

Writing specifically in relation to the use of greetings in Nigeria to show politeness,

Adegbija makes some observations that are pertinent to the purpose of this study.
First, he observes that greeting is an almost mandatory politeness strategy used not
only for attracting the attention of a hearer, as Firth rightly notes, but also, is a
salute to a common humanity, a strategy for perpetuating a communal bond, and
an oil for lubricating the channels of communication. Second, the age factor plays a
dynamic role in the exchange of greetings. Thus, when a youth meets an elder, the
youth is normally expected to initiate greetings. This partly relates to Goody's point,
noted above, that greeting is intended to mark and affirm identity and rank. The
Nigerian society is one in which, generally, and normally age commands greater
respect and esteem than higher social status. Western impact has, however,
changed this picture somewhat, although such a change is more noticeable in urban
and industrial centers than in rural areas. In urban contexts, the social status could
sometimes exert a greater impact on greeting norms, especially when the age
difference between a subordinate and superordinate staff is not too wide.
Depending on the extent of the age differences, a youth normally bows, curtsies, or

prostrates when greeting an elder. In a context involving equals in age and social
status, either could initiate greetings. Thirdly, most greetings, especially during a
first meeting in a day or after a long period of absence, tend to be protracted in
nature. They could include enquiries about the addressee's wife, children, etc. In
effect, the propositional content of greetings in Nigeria is, as a common norm,
extended beyond the person being greeted to relations, children and wife.
The German context of greetings, while it may share some of the points above with
the Nigerian, is generally different. First, greeting does not seem to be as
mandatory a politeness strategy as it is in Nigeria. That is, smooth interaction
between interlocutors, though it could be smoothed by greetings, is not necessarily
expected to be hindered by its absence. I have, for instance, frequently taken aback
when some German colleagues that I have not seen for some days simply walk to
my office and begin asking me questions without first exchanging greetings with
Me. In such interactions, I would normally greet first before responding to the
enquiries.
A few general observations may also be made about greetings in Germany. Most
German greetings tend to be much briefer than Nigerian greetings. This may partly
relate to attitude to time, and perhaps, also to the differences in weather. While the
German society seems to be almost obsessively concerned with time and
appointments, the Nigerian society is somewhat more relaxed in the use of time.
Life is not governed by the clock and the stress it tends to create in day to day
interpersonal interactions between Germans and between Germans and foreigners.
Also, while people in Nigeria can afford to stay outside for long almost all the year
round, the terribly cold German weather during the winter places restrictions on
how much time people can spend, for instance, outside a heated room. It is, of
course, also true that the relationships obtaining between interlocutors plays a big
role in determining how much time they spend together in exchanging greetings
and accompanying pleasantries, whether in Germany or Nigeria. While these may
sound as far-fetched explanations, the fact remains that more time is spent on
greetings in Nigeria than in Germany.
Also, age difference does not appear to be a major factor in the exchange of
greetings in Germany, at least not to the extent it is in Nigeria. A young person feels
no cultural obligation initiate greetings with an elder simply because of the
difference in age. A final difference observed between greetings in Nigeria and
Germany is that the propositional content of greetings in the latter is normally more
addressee-specific than it is in Nigeria. That is, while greetings tend to be extended
to enquiries about one's wife, children, relations, etc. in Nigeria, this does not seem
to be the usual case in Germany. However, even in Germany, the propositional
content of greetings could occasionally go beyond the addressee as well, especially
in interactions between close associates.