Hierarchy and Participation in Power

The last Hofstede cultural dimension is orientation toward hierarchy and participation. It comes from the relationship to power distance—comfort level with the inequality between those in charge and those who are not. Those that are high on the Hierarchical Orientation are comfortable with subordinates taking direction from leaders and the relationship is more parent/child. The subordinates will be loyal and expect that the leaders will provide security and safety. Participatory orientation expects that leaders and subordinates are on more equal footing, with subordinates having the ability to provide feedback to leaderships. These relationships are less emotional and depend on skills and tasks rather than loyalty.

How does this show up in education? The institution of education in the US has a strong element of hierarchy, with lots of dictation by laws and funding rules. It’s very difficult at times to work with participation in mind. Districts have many decisions made at that level to implement in schools and teacher grade levels. The US also has a strong individual orientation, so those decisions can also feel technical and very impersonal. This can lead to a lot of distress when implementing new initiatives. If an educator operate in a participatory orientation, it will feel oppressive and dismissive in a hierarchical environment.