Uncertainty Avoidance

 

Uncertainty avoidance is a component of Hofstede’s cultural dimension’s theory.  Geert Hofstede, a Dutch Social Psychologist,  examined the impact on different culture and values on its members.  Uncertainty avoidance indicates the extent to which a society feels threatened by local cultural aspects or how culturally risk-averse society is.

This might be a cross-cultural check, but I have often found it useful even in the day to day interaction. Since we are living in what is a cross-cultural environmental which is spreading daily, it is only right that we see and share experiences related to that. I have had two distinct experiences with regards cross-cultural shift. One is personal and other on the professional front -

I started working with a regional organizational with about 100 odd employees. The average age in the organization was 35 + with caring work culture. We call it organization 1.  I then moved to work for a recruitment firm made up of 10 odd employees which were result driven with an average age of 22+ years. We call it organization 2.  What I immediately witnessed was a shift in mindset culture and approach. Organization 1 nurtured its employees whereas organization 2 was more result-driven. The communication and employee fit was drastically different as a result.  Organization 1 wasn’t exactly risk-averse but were set in their ways with less scope for change, Organization 2 was fast-paced which took more chances and as they were focused on results, were willing to go an extra mile. Obviously, there is an aspect of systems and procedure. The higher the risk aversion or uncertainty avoidance the better prepared the organizations are to deal with any untoward happening. I was more comfortable in the first organization. It not only gave me a sense of comfort but also security.

The second instance is more personal when we change residence. Our previous residence was based in one of the old localities of Delhi and could only be described by its lane culture. It was congested yet involved. Everyone knew about everyone. We had our own version of  BBC aunty. Then we moved to society in Bangalore. From BBC aunty we upgraded our communication to BBC Add, a mobile app. From involved we were essentially planned. Suddenly events which I had seen being prepared for during school were a part of society preparation. There were rules for everything.  No point for thinking which of my two residences was more risk-averse. Second one. 

Moral of the story

In case of organization 1 risk aversion was a choice. It was a choice because it suited their pace.  They were more certain of themselves being in the business for around 20 plus years.

In case of organization 2, they did not have a choice. They were a startup and had to ensure some calculated risk. Developing a risk-based environment was crucial for its growth.

In case of society 1, it was a personal camaraderie which mattered more than rules or formal planning for events. The level of trust was high so uncertainty avoidance was low.

In case of society 2, since it was a new social housing people from all over India, that connect was required. Hence people came together to volunteer their time and effort to make each event grand. However, with new people, trust levels are low so people prefer structure s like rules and regulations. It means this society avoided uncertainty and prepared accordingly.

One normally takes into consideration the variety they see in their lives and the impact of this choice on their personality. I think I have always known myself to be risk-averse but after writing this blog today I know, why I avoid uncertainty like a plague, so much so that this week’s issue itself was called Certainty.

Having this said, it is a personal choice and I don’t think we can live on either end of the scale. All of us live between extreme certainty and extreme uncertainty and make life work.