2025 Williams Blog

  Intercultural communication final paper  by William Ludwigs (The Culture Factor Group, 2026) Introduction During this class we have discussed different cultural topics. The core of the topics for conversation comes from the social psychologist Geert Hofstede. Hofstede studied how different cultures measure different aspects of life and gave each nation a score from 1-100. For this paper I will be comparing Japan to my home nation, Sweden.  Power distance When it comes to power distance, the graph show that Japan scores 54, whilst Sweden scores a lower 31 points. Power distance is measured in how concious the society is of hierarchical positioning. Evidence of this can be seen in how employees for example communicates with their boss. Whilst I dont have work experience in Japan, the power distance can also be noticed in school between students and teachers. The way you adress your teachers and older students is of big importance. When it comes to the power distance in Sw...

 Hello guys, Today I will be talking about Hofstede model which compares indulgence and restraint in different cultures.  When it comes to Japan, Hofstede classifies it as a restrained culture. To be more restrained can be shown in multiple different aspects of life. The main parts which we also discussed in class were for example; Happiness & Attitude, Leisure Time, Friendships.  I was not suprised at all by the fact that Hofstede gave Japan a score which reflect the restrained cultures. I think its shown very obvious in living here. Japan has extremely strict social norms which the people follow. When comparing it to a country like USA which is extremely different you see the culture differences very easily. Maybe because tourist are not following the social norms some Japanese hate gaijins D: When comparing to Sweden the differences are also quite big. Swedes are indulgent people. The biggest difference in the previously mentioned examples is for me ...

 Hello guys, When it comes to shopping culture I personally really like it. The people working in the shops are always very nice and are trying to communicate without them speaking english. So that is nice. When it comes to the process of buying stuff, the Japanese way shares a lot of similarities to the Swedish way. In Japan you are not supposed to tip. In Sweden you can tip however its not mandatory like some countries... You also cant bargain in Sweden when shopping. In Japan they scream welcome when entering, in Sweden we dont do that haha however in Sweden you can expect the people working the shop to atleast have a smile on their face and they always wish you a good evening or something like that. What I find most difficult with the shopping culture here is cash. Most of the places take card however if a place only takes cash I feel like ive travelled back in time. In Sweden, the usage of cash is non existent. I havent had cash on me for as long as I can remember. With cash s...