Compare and Analyze the Cultures with Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Theory Bangladesh and South Korean Perspective

International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)
Volume 7 Issue 3, May-June 2023 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD55181 | Volume – 7 | Issue – 3 | May-June 2023 Page 256
Compare and Analyze the Cultures with Hofstede's Cultural
Dimensions Theory Bangladesh and South Korean Perspective
Md Abdur Razzaq1
, Mahbub Hasan2
1
Department of International Studies, Dong-A University, South Korea
2
Department of International Studies, Kyung Hee University, South Korea
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to compare and analyze the national cultures of
Bangladesh and South Korea through the lenses of Hofstede's
cultural dimensions model. The study uses both primary and
secondary data sources to examine the cultural differences and
similarities in the two countries. The primary data sources include
surveys and interviews conducted with individuals from both
countries, while the secondary sources include academic articles,
books, and reports on the subject. The paper finds that there are
significant differences in the two cultures in terms of power distance,
individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term
orientation. These differences can be attributed to various factors
such as history, religion, language, education, and political systems.
The study concludes that understanding the cultural differences
between Bangladesh and South Korea is crucial for effective
communication, collaboration, and business relations between the
two countries.
KEYWORDS: culture, nationality, diversity, harmony, development
How to cite this paper: Md Abdur
Razzaq | Mahbub Hasan "Compare and
Analyze the Cultures with Hofstede's
Cultural Dimensions Theory Bangladesh
and South Korean Perspective"
Published in
International Journal
of Trend in
Scientific Research
and Development
(ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-
6470, Volume-7 |
Issue-3, June 2023,
pp.256-261, URL:
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International Journal of Trend in
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Overview of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is located in the North Eastern part of
South Asia. Some distance from the northern border
of Bangladesh is the Himalayan Mountains and the
Bay of Bengal to the south. Bangladesh shares its
border with India's West Bengal to the west, Tripura
to the east, Mizoram state and the hilly areas of
Myanmar as well. Bangladesh is mainly a flat land
surrounded by numerous rivers. The important rivers
of the country are - Padma, Brahmaputra, Surma,
Kushiara, Meghna and Karnaphuli. The natural
beauty and food habits of each region are different.
Bangladesh is the land of the Royal Bengal Tiger
which lives in the Sundarbans. There are also red clay
temples here. Notable tourist areas in the country
include: Srimangal, which has miles of tea
plantations. Archaeological sites include –
Mainamati, Mahasthangarh and Paharpur. Rangamat,
Kaptai and Cox's Bazar are famous for scenic views.
Sundarbans is home to wild animals and world
famous mangrove forests.1
Bangladesh Fast Facts
Official Name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Weekends: Friday and Saturday. Some offices are
open on Saturdays.
International dialing code: +880
International Time Zone: BST (GMT +6 hours)
Population
Population: 160 million (Source: Bangladesh Bureau
of Statistics)
Male: 80 million
Women: 80 million
Education Rate: 63.6%
Language
Bengali (National Language) - 95% of the population
1
http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/site/page/812d94a8-0376-
4579-a8f1-a1f66fa5df5d/ (last accessed on 07 October
2022)
IJTSRD55181

International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
Other languages - 5%
English is commonly used.
Religion
The national monument of Bangladesh
Muslims - 86.6%,
Hindus - 12.1%
Buddhist - 0.6%
Christians - 0.4% and
Others - 0.3%.
Overview of Bangladeshi Culture
The culture of Bangladesh refers to the interaction of
literature, music, dance, food, clothing, festivals, etc.
of the people of Bangladesh, a South Asian country.
The Bengalis of Bangladesh have hundreds of years
of history and tradition. The Bengali culture of
Bangladesh shines in pride due to its unique
characteristics. Bangladesh is one of the countries
with rich culture in the world.
The culture of Bangladesh is deeply intertwined with
the culture of the Bengal region. Basically Bengali
culture refers to the culture of Bangladesh. It has
evolved over the centuries and incorporates the
cultural diversity of various social groups in
Bangladesh. The Bengali Renaissance of the early
eighteenth century, famous Bengali writers, saints,
authors, scientists, researchers, thinkers, music
composers, painters, filmmakers played an important
role in the development of Bengali culture. The
Bengal Renaissance contained the seeds of a nascent
political Indian nationalism that was in many ways a
forerunner of modern Indian artistic and cultural
expression.
M. According to Nazrul Islam Tamiz, a human rights
activist and chairman of the National Human Rights
Society (NHRS), human rights are the most important
part of Bengali culture, and it plays an important role
in the development of Bengali culture.2
Bangladesh's composite culture has been influenced
by Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity for
centuries. It manifests in various forms including
music, dance, drama; Art craft; folklore folklore;
2
https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/1999/1
2/a-national-human-rights-commission-for-
bangladesh.html (last accessed on 07 October 2022)
language literature; philosophy religion; celebration
of festivals; as well as culinary traditions in a distinct
cuisine.
Cultural diversity for harmony and development
of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is beautiful and diverse. There are
Padma-Meghna-Yamuna-Surma rivers, and Sangu-
Maini-Someswari-Seemsang-Chengi rivers. And
since time immemorial there have been people of
various races including Garo, Hajong, Santal, Khasia,
Manipuri, Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Munda, Koch,
Lusai. Here in March 2019, the Ministry of Culture
has recognized 50 indigenous ethnic groups.3
The
International Mother Language Institute found in a
survey, there are 41 languages in the country. Here,
apart from Bengali and Urdu, 39 languages are the
languages of minority ethnic groups. This
government institution says that at least 14 of these
languages are endangered.
Bangladesh is a country of many races, many
languages and many cultures - our country is more
beautiful if we think in this way. The words beauty
and unity in diversity apply to us. How many races,
how many languages, how many colors, how many
cultures we have one world.
The presence of human dignity is important for
preserving and celebrating cultural diversity.
Achieving cultural rights creates the environment to
protect cultural diversity. Again, freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, pluralism of languages, equal
rights in arts, technology and science education play a
role in preserving cultural diversity. When cultural
diversity is respected in society, it facilitates
productive dialogue and encourages creativity. Not
only that, cultural diversity contributes significantly
to the development of social bonds, mutual
cooperation, communication, development and peace
building, relations between government, non-
governmental organizations and civil society.
Therefore it is important to embrace and celebrate
difference and diversity as strengths. Diversity is not
a threat, but beauty should be spread among all. We
have to build a culture of respect for people, people
and nations. Poet Shamsur Rahman wrote in the poem
'Katha Chila', 'I will show everyone the eternal
sunrise.' No one should be deprived and oppressed
because of different religion, different language and
culture. We dream of a beautiful inclusive
Bangladesh, where people of all religions and cultures
participated and gave their lives during the liberation
war.
3
https://moca.gov.bd/site/page/47aed680-99e9-4f69-8c3b-
2c580b9be503 (last accessed on 07 October 2022)

Pohela Boishakh: The Bengali New Year
Pahela Baishakh or Paila Baishakh (1st day of
Baishakh, the first month of Bengali calendar) is the
first day of Bangabd, the Bengali New Year. The day
is the traditional New Year's Day of all Bengali
people. The day is celebrated with special festivities
as New Year in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Bengalis living in Tripura also participate in this
festival. Pahela Boishakh is celebrated as a national
festival in Bangladesh.4
As such it is considered as a
universal folk festival of Bengalis.
According to the Gregorian calendar, this festival is
celebrated on April 14 every year in Bangladesh. This
day is fixed according to the modern Bengali calendar
prescribed by Bangla Academy. In West Bengal,
Pahela Baisakh is celebrated on 15th April according
to the Chandrasaur Bengali calendar.5
The day is also
observed as a public holiday in Bangladesh and West
Bengal. Businessmen of various levels take the day as
an opportunity to start a new business.6
This festival is celebrated with various activities such
as processions, fairs, pantabhat eating, Halkhata
opening etc. The traditional Bengali New Year
greeting is "Shuv Navbarsh". Mars procession is
organized in Bangladesh during New Year. In 2016,
UNESCO declared the festival procession organized
by Dhaka University as "Invaluable Cultural Heritage
of Humanity".7
4
https://thesciencesurvey.com/spotlight/2022/04/21/pohela
-boishakh-the-bengali-new-year/ (last accessed on 07
October 2022)
5
https://bn.banglapedia.org/index.php/(last accessed on 07
October 2022)
6
https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/
04/14/pohela-boishakh-being-celebrated(last accessed on
07 October 2022)
7
https://steemit.com/history/@habiburr15/the-first-of-
baishakh (last accessed on 07 October 2022)
People of Bangladesh are celebrating the Pohela
Baishak
Mars Procession (Mangal Sobhayatra)
A procession is organized to bid farewell to the old
year and welcome the Bengali New Year.8
The main
procession of the Mangal Shobhayatra leaves from
the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University. Apart
from this, processions are taken out to welcome the
New Year in different districts of the country.9
Many
aspects of Bengali culture are highlighted in the
Mangal procession. It is depicted in images, masks
and various symbols. Every year this Mars procession
has a different theme. That essence is protest and
betrayal. Destruction of evil is desired there, called to
the true and beautiful.10
The procession is colorful. Various folk elements of
contemporary Bengal are brought out in this
procession. Various masks, idols, tapa dolls, carved
birds, portraits of various animals are made by hand
on the occasion of the procession. The elements
needed to decorate this procession are taken from the
various types of folk art toys of the country from the
beginning. Apart from this, horses, carved fans,
flowers, butterflies, people, nature are taking place in
the procession.11
Another special aspect of the Mangal Sobhayatra is
that it does not take the help of any commercial
organization to organize it.12
Many art teachers,
students or painters earn money by selling their
8
https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mangal-shobhajatra-on-
pahela-baishakh-01091 (last accessed on 07 October 2022)
9
https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-
entertainment/event/mangal-shobhajatra-intangible-
cultural-heritage-humanity-1561927 (last accessed on 07
October 2022)
10
https://www.dhakatribune.com/dhaka/2022/04/03/manga
l-shovajatra-to-be-brought-out-in-festive-mood-in-2022
(last accessed on 07 October 2022)
11
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/mangal-
shobhajatra-after-two-years-hiatus-402974 (last accessed
on 07 October 2022)
12
https://www.daily-sun.com/post/613914/DU-to-
celebrate-Bengali-New-year-with-Mangal-Shobhajatra-
after-2-years (last accessed on 07 October 2022)

paintings, which is the main source of organizing
Mangal Shobhayatra.13
Earlier masks or various
materials used in the procession were auctioned. The
money that was received from there was later spent
on processions. Now the art teachers-students start
this work a month before. The sale of artworks started
a month ago.14
Mars Procession (Mangal Sobhayatra)
Overview of the South Korean Culture
South Korean culture is derived from ancient culture.
The division of Korea in 1948 resulted in the cultural
differences between North and South Korea.15
Today,
South Korean culture is cutting-edge. Economic and
social development has led to changes in the standard
of living in clothing, cuisine, housing, etc., and thus
the modern culture of South Korea has been created.
Korean culture has become popular in Asia and the
world, so it is called the Korean wave.
The current political division of North and South
Korea has removed modern Korean culture. Yet both
states have a history of over five thousand years and
one of the oldest histories of the world. Human beings
began to live on the Korean peninsula in ancient
times. South Korean culture is derived from ancient
culture. The division of Korea in 1948 resulted in the
cultural differences between North and South Korea.
Today, South Korean culture is cutting-edge.
Economic and social development has led to changes
in the standard of living in clothing, cuisine, housing,
etc., and thus the modern culture of South Korea has
been created. Korean culture has become popular in
Asia and the world, so it is called the Korean wave.16
13
https://www.bssnews.net/news/55808 (last accessed on
07 October 2022)
14
https://thesciencesurvey.com/tag/mangal-shobhajatra/
15
https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto(last
accessed on 07 October 2022)
16
https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Culture-and-the-
Arts(last accessed on 07 October 2022)
South Korean Food Culture and History
From the early eight thousand BC, when we learn
about the existence of potters from the evolution of
kingdoms and states and cities through nomadic
barbarians and isolated tribal villages to the present
civilization, Korea has a colorful history that spans
thousands.
In the Korean foreland, the earliest humans known to
exist were hunter-gatherers who were probably small
family groups and semi-nomadic as they followed
food supplies.17
The growing population led to small
groups becoming tribes and they began to settle in
particular parts of the country, especially around food
sources. These settled tribes then formed villages and
focused on agriculture and domesticated animals.18
Seoul Lanten festival
The Seoul Lantern Festival is an annual festival in
South Korea. This festival is held every year in
November in Seoul, South Korea.19
Hundreds of
brightly colored lanterns are gathered at the
entertainment center Cheonggicheng. Thousands of
people from all over the country enjoy this festival
every year.20
The main attraction of this winter festival is the
lantern. The lanterns of different colors and different
designs capture the attention of everyone present.
There is about 1.2 km from Cheonggi Plaza to Supio
Bridge.21
This colorful festival runs throughout the
region.22
17
https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korean-
Life/Food(last accessed on 07 October 2022)
18
https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korean-Life/Food
19
https://english.visitseoul.net/seoullantern (last accessed
on 07 October 2022)
20
https://bn.eturbonews.com/buddhas-birthday-in-seoul-
1200-year-old-lantern-festival/ (last accessed on 07
October 2022)
21
https://www.koreatravelpost.com/seoul-lantern-festival/
22
https://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Tourism/Major-
Local-Festivals-in-Korea (last accessed on 07 October
2022)

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory
Different countries differ greatly in level of economic
development, political structure, culture, historical
experience, natural and climatic conditions, etc. How
do these facts affect the characteristics of the
organization's culture and the behavior of people?
Hart Hofstede's famous typology of organizational
culture makes it possible to evaluate different national
cultures in terms of parameters such as individualism
and collectivism, power distance, masculinity and
femininity, perception of uncertainty, etc.
Many business organizations operate in different
countries of the world, which are very different from
each other in terms of economic development,
political structure, culture, historical experience,
natural and climatic conditions, etc. It stimulates the
search for answers to the question of how these facts
are reflected in the characteristics of the
organization's culture and, consequently, in human
behavior.23
G. Hofstede in his research explored in identifying
around six characteristic models which is to measure
a culture in cross-country society as well. At the same
time regarding the cultural dimension represents
which has been considered an independent preference
for one of the above circumstances in other countries
that distinguish countries from one another as a
whole.24
Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory,
developed by Geert Hofstede, is a framework used to
understand the differences between cultures across
different countries and in different ways in which
business is done.25
23
https://www.iedunote.com/hofstedes-cultural-
dimensions-theory (last accessed on 07 October 2022)
24
https://hi.hofstede-insights.com/national-culture (last
25
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.ht
m (last accessed on 07 October 2022)
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper has provided a
comprehensive analysis and comparison of the
national cultures of Bangladesh and South Korea.
Through the application of Hofstede's cultural
dimensions model, the study has identified significant
differences in the two cultures, particularly in terms
of power distance, individualism, masculinity,
uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation.
These differences are shaped by various factors such
as history, religion, language, education, and political
systems. Despite these differences, the paper also
notes some similarities between the two cultures, such
as a high context communication style and a strong
emphasis on family and social hierarchy.
Understanding these cultural differences and
similarities is critical for effective communication,
collaboration, and business relations between
Bangladesh and South Korea. The findings of this
study provide insights for individuals and
organizations operating in these two countries and
highlight the importance of cross-cultural competence
in a globalized world.
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