Importance Of Power Distance In South Africa

Power Distance:
South Africa has a score of 49 on Hofstede Power Distance Index (PDI), meaning that the workforce in the country generally accepts that managers are highly above them. Hierarchal systems are widely popular, people prefer a benevolent autocrat. A benevolent autocrat is a leader who sees himself as a superior father figure who makes all the important decisions and then convinces his subordinates to go along with him/her. In large power distance situations, superiors and subordinates consider themselves as unequals. Whereas in small power distance situations they feel as if they are equal to one another, roles and responsibilities are all that separate them from one another; these can change at any time. In the South African mining industry, it seems as if employees are willing to accept that their boss have has more power very willingly, as is shown with the major difference in the salaries between the two. Surely this huge wage difference should be addressed, as it will seek to improve the relationship between employees and employers. Miners earning a better basic salary would do just that. The extent of power distance can be seen through communication methods between employees and employers. In small power distance situations things like open door policies by managers and open space offices where everybody works in the same workspace could help address power distance issues in organisations with a large disparity. The assignment of team leaders and roles like supervisors can be worked up for small power distance situations, this is to ensure that nobody is slacking, as this can be the case in situations whereby everyone views themselves as equals to one another.
Power distance is seen through forms of communicatio...

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...nity coincidently, could be employing femininity. Femininity deals with notions of people being modest, caring and nurturing. Teamwork and the way in which goals are achieved are addressed. Harmony is created in feminine cultures which in turn help organizations achieve their goals better, and more efficiently. However femininity must not be taken up to quickly, as some masculine ideas are needed to make sure that at the end of the day, the organization does not forget its goals and what it has to achieve. In South Africa due to various employment laws, more and more women are becoming a part of the mining industry, the mining charter states that at least 10 % of a company’s workforce should be women, spread over a variety of occupations within the mine. So in this field masculinity and femininity is being fused which is a good thing.

Collectivism vs Individualism