Language Studylands

Socio-cultural

Language

According to Studylands, Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. Other common languages spoken by minority groups in Vietnam include Murong, Chinese, Tay, Nung and Hmông. French is still spoken by a number of older Vietnamese as second language. English is gaining popularity and is a mandatory subject in most schools. Chinese and Japanese have also become popular among Vietnamese.

Nonverbal communication plays a significant role in communicating with people in societies with high context culture such as Vietnam and Singapore. Verbal reticence will be highly disconcerting to the Vietnamese and Singaporeans. Hence, in both societies, disturbing information are usually conveyed in non-verbal channels or via third party according to IOR.

Hofstede Measure (Refer to Figure 1)

Power Distance

Vietnam has a high score of 70, slightly lower than Singapore which has a score of 74 on this dimension. This means that people in both societies acknowledge, respect and accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place, and which requires no further justification. (The Hofstede Centre) Decision making processes are leader-centric, top-down; underlings expect clear goals and instructions. Superior and subordinate relationship is paternalistic and the nurturing leader receives compliance, loyalty, and conformity from subordinates. In both societies authoritarian management is used; subordinates are dependent on superior; and initiative taken by subordinate are generally not allowed. (IOR)

Collectivism

Both Vietnam and Singapore, with the same score of 20 are collectivistic societies. Vietnam being a collectivistic society due to it’s Confucian roots, cultivate strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount and overrides most other societal rules and regulations. (The Hofstede Centre) In Vietnam, offence can be taken as personal insult and often leads to humiliation, work relations become like extended family, hiring and promotion decisions are both based on merit and perceived loyalty. Hiring does not necessarily take into account the performance of the workers in both societies. (IOR)

Uncertainty Avoidance

Singapore with a score of 8, has a higher tolerance for uncertainty than that of Vietnam with a score of 30 under uncertainty avoidance factor. The result indicates that both countries are less concern about ambiguity and have more tolerance for a range of opinions. The result also shows that people of both countries have low preference for avoiding uncertainty. (The Hofstede Centre)

Femininity

Vietnam scores 40 on this dimension and is thus considered a Feminine society. On the other hand, Singapore with a score of 48 is in the “middle” of the scale but more on the feminine side. (The Hofstede Centre) In such societies, managers are supportive, people value equality, solidarity, and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation in both countries.