top of page

E.T. Hall 

 

  • Person is the barer of information not the message itself

  • Very collectivistic

 

As described by Hall, Asian cultures, like Vietnam’s, are high context cultures. They share the same expectations and sense of relationships. Because of their history and traditions, their cultures don’t change too often. They don’t need a lot of background information for day to day tasks and meaning is not contained in words: information is provided through gestures, the use of space, and even silence.  They are much more reliant on nonverbal communication: it is unnecessary to verbalize everything, as so much information is available in the environment. 

“I love you” is rare because the message is conveyed by the context

 

They tend to imply their messages. It is considered rude to directly state what you want. The common relationship and/or situation provide the needed information to get meaning across. 

 

They are more reserved with their gestures and expression of feelings: they do not openly show their emotions and feelings in public.

 

Commitment between people is very strong and deep and responsibility to others takes precedence over responsibility of oneself. Loyalties to families and other members of one’s social and work groups are ling-lasting and unchanging.

 

Have many traditions that govern everyday life. Very easy to determine who is a member of the group and who is nor. Easy to tell who is acting according to cultural norms.

 

Time is viewed as more open and mess structure, more responsive to the immediate needs of people and less subject to external goals and constraints

 

Expect more of others

  • Avoiding eye contact: showing respect to people senior wether age/status/sex

  • Crossing arms is a sign of respect

  • Patting a person’s back is disrespectful

  • Hands in pocket while talking = lack of respect

 

Business Etiquette

  • Greetings are essential but complicated and need to be done correctly. Greetings are dependent on the person’s gender, relationship with the speaker and age difference. Avoiding them is better than making a fool of oneself. 

  • Punctuality in casual meetings is not common, but for meetings it is very important

  • Gifts are commonly exchanged as a sign of repeat, appreciation or gratitude. Should be given at the end of meething/party and should be small (ex: a tie, or book)

  • Will beat around the bush before sitting down to have an earnest talk

 

Very hospitable, and avoid negative attitudes

Place great deal on saving face and will therefore never be direct with you, according to a comparative study done by Y Higuchi, Vietnamese people value saving face even more than the Japanese

  • They never open gifts in front of people and often smile or laugh for no reason at all in order to avoid saying things that might embarrass or offend the person they are speaking to 

 

Time orientation

The Vietnamese culture is a mix of both present and past oriented. They rely on many of their traditional values that are rooted in Confucianism from thousands of years ago but are also moving towards a more market economy, satisfying their needs in the present.

 

 

Geert Hofstede 

 

Power Distance

Vietnam received a rating of 70 for this category which goes to show that power and authority are a facts of life. A hierarchal order is existent and whether consciously or unconsciously, the members within the culture are taught that not everyone is equal but that they have their rightful place in the world.

 

Individualism

Vietnam scored a fairly low 20 here which exemplifies its collectivist culture. There is a long-term loyalty to the members of one’s group and they take precedence before anything else. Greater emphasis is placed on the group rather than the individual.

 

Masculinity

Vietnam scored a 40 here which demonstrates that it is has a feminine culture. This shows that Vietnam values caring and nurturing behaviors. Gender roles are less rigid, and gender equality is more evident. The Vietnamese “work in order to live” and people value equality, solidarity, and quality in their working lives. ( For example: managers are supportive and encourage the involvement of their workers in decision making) Conflicts are often fixed through various negotiations or agreements. Status is often not shown as well-being is of importance.

 

Uncertainty Avoidance

Vietnam scored a 30 which shows low uncertainty avoidance which means  that the Vietnamese culture tends to accept any deviances from the norm or planned. They believe that any rules or laws should be necessary and if they are  of no use, should be tossed out or altered. They are more flexible and therefore don’t value punctuality. Things such as initiative and any innovations are appreciated and accepted rather than turned down.

 

Pragmatism

Vietnam scored a 57 here which shows that truth is found in situation, context and time. They value thriftiness and saving in order to invest and show perseverance towards something.

 

Indulgence

Vietnam scored a low 35 which goes hand in hand with it being pragmatic. They don’t place a lot of importance on leisure time or even  have much control of their desires. They have the perception that indulging is against that of their social norms and therefore wrong.

 

 

bottom of page