2025 Zimnako´s Blog

 23 October, 2025 ______ This week we talked about collectivism and individualism. The survey based on Hofstede's theory gave me a good look at the different cultures in our class, we could see who was more collectivism-sided and who was more individualism-sided. As a Dutch person, I think this is true for many other European countries as well, we are taught to live independently from a young age by doing work and school assignments individually. In the Netherlands, teachers often say that you are at school to improve yourself, and that I are the one who decides what your life will be like. I have heard this many times, and it made me realize that I am indeed responsible for my own choices, whether I want higher grades, a better education, or personal improvement. Now that I am older, I understand why teachers emphasized that so much; without that mindset, I might not be the person I am today. During the class, I heard from Japanese students that they have a different way...

 16 October - Week 5 ______________ Today we have learned about school systems in Japan. The school systems aren't really different as the Netherlands but there are some differences. In Japan, the school system is structured and discipline focused compared to the Netherlands. Students wear uniforms, clean their classrooms themselves, and show strong respect for teachers and senior students. School days are longer, and many students attend extra lessons or 'cram schools' after regular classes. Education in Japan is more group-oriented, with an emphasis on harmony, effort, and collective success. In the Netherlands, schools are generally more relaxed and individual-focused, students can express their opinions freely, there’s less hierarchy, and the atmosphere is more informal. Dutch students also have more free time and focus on a healthy balance between school and personal life. But still, both Japan and the Netherlands value education highly and follow a similar structure o...

8 October - Week 4 ____________ Today we looked into Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, focusing on power distance, which is  the extent to which people at the bottom of an organization accept that power is distributed unequally. What stood out to me was the idea that power distance doesn’t actually lie with those at the top, but with those at the bottom. In other words, leaders can only lead if the people below them allow it. This really changed how I view hierarchy, but it is not just about authority, but about acceptance and trust from both sides. Hofstede explained that in large power distance cultures, people think inequality is normal, that is just how society works. In smaller power distance cultures, like in the Netherlands, we believe everyone should be treated fairly, and that power should be used responsibly. I recognize this in Dutch work culture: we call our managers by their first name, and we like to make decisions together instead of just being told what to do. The int...