Economic Giants: What Brazil and the U.S. Share

 

Characteristics of American and Brazilian national cultures.

Researchers have regularly used Hofstede's (2011) well-known cultural dimensions to analyze cultural differences in leadership, communication, job performance, work attitudes, sources of guidance, and other elements of organizational behavior (e.g., Athayde & Rocha, 2021; Athayde & Torres, 2020). When studying national culture, it is critical to recognize that culture defines a primary trend in society. Everyone is unique, yet social control guarantees that most people do not depart much from the standard (Smith et al., 2011; Kirkman, Lowe, & Gibson, 2006).
The purpose of this research is to analyze differences in innovation characteristics in light of national cultural characteristics. The Brazilian and American national cultures will be described using four of Hofstede's (2011) national cultural dimensions, which are widely used in cross-cultural studies both nationally and internationally. These scores range from 0 to 100 and are based on the Country Comparison Tool - Hofstede Insights (2021). They will be discussed in further depth below.

Power Distance: This cultural factor describes the level of inequality within a society. 

This indicates that power is inherently distributed unevenly because each individual is unique. Furthermore, this dimension demonstrates how the less powerful expect and accept unequal power distribution. With a score of 69, Brazil depicts a society that values hierarchy and accepts inequities among individuals. With a score of 40, the United States ranks low in this cultural dimension. In American firms, hierarchy is designed for convenience, superiors are approachable, and managers rely on the expertise of employees and teams. Furthermore, communication is generally casual, direct, and participative.
Uncertainty Avoidance: This cultural factor describes how individuals of a culture interpret uncertainty and unpredictability. This means that different civilizations deal with the unknown future with varying degrees of comfort. Furthermore, civilizations protect themselves from uncertainty by developing norms and institutions to alleviate the anxiety and tension that an unpredictable future causes. Most Latin American countries, including Brazil, get high scores for this cultural characteristic (76). These civilizations demonstrate a great demand for norms and legal systems, with bureaucracy, regulations, and rules playing critical roles in making the world a safer place to live. The United States, on the other hand, performs below average in this cultural category (46). In the United States, there is widespread acceptance of new ideas, creative goods, and a readiness to try something new or different.
Individualism vs. Collectivism: This cultural factor concerns how people are integrated into social groups. Individualistic societies tend to lead people toward behavior.
People gaze at themselves and their families. Collectivist societies, on the other hand, are guided by fidelity relationships formed by people as a result of their actions within coherent and united social groups. Brazil gets a 38 on this cultural component, indicating that in business, it is critical for Brazilians to establish trust and long-term partnerships. With 91 points, the United States is one of the world's most individualistic cultures. People are expected to care for themselves and their families without the help of others. In the corporate environment, people are expected to be proactive, and decisions are made on merit.
Masculinity against Femininity: This cultural component refers to the ideals that both sexes provide to society. Masculinity-based societies typically have more competitive and forceful values. In turn, Feminine societies strive for more collaborative principles and prioritize quality of life. Brazil has an intermediate score in this cultural factor (49). The United States scores high (62).

Cultural DimensionBrazil United States

To achieve the primary goal of this study, we used secondary data from the sixth edition of the World Values Survey (WVS) database. Data was collected from the WVS database in 2020, and the sixth edition was the most recent, as the seventh edition had not yet been issued. The World Value poll (WVS) is a poll that has been undertaken since 1981 by a group of social scientists from top universities throughout the world to explore individuals' political and socio-cultural opinions. The WVS questionnaires include a wide range of questions about social, economic, and political beliefs, as well as socioeconomic and demographic data, and are based on rigorous scientific sample processes (WVS, 2021).
The World Value Survey aims to assist scientists and policymakers in understanding changes in people's beliefs, values, and motives around the world. This data has been used by thousands of political scientists, sociologists, administrators, social psychologists, anthropologists, and economists to examine issues such as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, subjective well-being, and trust in large corporations (e.g., Athayde, Coura, & Dias, 2019). The primary technique of data collecting in the WVS is the use of face-to-face questionnaires at respondents' homes, with anonymity guaranteed. The replies are collected using a regular paper-and-pen questionnaire or a Computer-Assisted Personal Interview - CAPI (WVS, 2021). In the WVS version used in this study, the Brazilian sample had 1,486 individuals, whereas the American sample had 2,232 participants.
The variables chosen to represent innovation individual characteristics are: (1) importance of thinking up new ideas and being creative, (2) importance of adventure and taking risks, (3) agreement with the statement "in future changes, more emphasis should be put on technology", and (4) agreement with the statement "science and technology are making our lives healthier, easier, and more comfortable."
This study used IBM® SPSS® 20.0 software for statistical analysis of social sciences data. Tabachnick and Fidell (2013) and Miles and Shevlin (2001) recommended that the variables used for study be evaluated for normal distribution. The normality of data distribution was confirmed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests (Field, 2013). The normality tests revealed that data from the Brazilian and American samples had a non-normal distribution, indicating the necessity to use a non-parametric mean comparison test, which in this study was the Mann-Whitney test for independent samples. Significant variations (p < 0.001) in innovative individual characteristics between Brazil and the United States were examined in relation to national cultural factors. In the following section, the findings will be presented and discussed.