Does “Social Power Distance” Play a Role in the Business Letter Tone?

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Vol 1, No 7, October 4, 2023.

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It is a universally acknowledged truth that older people deserve respect. This is the case in nearly all cultures worldwide, but the degree differs. Culture varies regarding the level of care accorded older people – from indolent acknowledgment to sheer reverence – depending on what part of the globe you are.

These differences also manifest in the workplace since humans are social animals.

Social power distance plays a pivotal role in the workplace and private lives of nearly everyone, even in technologically advanced countries. As a middle-level manager in Boston, in the US, how you greet the CEO of a $150 billion corporation is different from what you do with your peers.

It, however, takes a frightening dimension in Africa and most parts of Asia and Latin America. Please look at my hilarious experience last month in Abuja, Nigeria.

Not long after I sat on a well-appointed, luxurious, Italian-made sofa in my friend's tastefully furnished office, his mobile phone rang. His demeanor changed swiftly from a highly qualified, exuberant, enthusiastic pediatrician to a submissive, culture-compliant guy.

"Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir; I will attend to it straight away and bring it to your house in the evening," Dr. Fredrick said with such reverence that he epitomized the image of an obedient teenager.

It wasn't just that.

He prostrated three times simultaneously as he spoke on the phone, nearly hitting his head on the edge of the glass table in his office.?

I was amused, confused, and struggled to stifle the laughter exploding inside me. You know, some jokes could make you laugh hysterically for weeks. Done, Dr. Fredrick turned towards me as I jumped up and exhaled with a booming, ricocheting loud laughter like a child in a candy shop whose parents just asked to pick anything.

He told me later that he had just spoken to his 80-year-old benefactor, who happened to be the founder and executive chairman of the hospital where he worked.

It's not uncommon to see someone riding a bike in a Nigerian village prostrating as he greets an older person. Or someone is kneeling or using both hands to greet an older person. It's a different ball game for people of other races in different parts of the world. But having traveled widely within Africa, the EU, Asia, and the US, I know that different cultures honor older people differently.

In some cultures, they bow their head or genuflect.

In the African workplace, subordinates and team members rarely criticize their superiors (constructive or not), even when the leaders are wrong, for fear of a backlash and witch-hunt. As a result, many unscrupulous bosses bounce around and throw their weight about the office like small emperors because no one dares question them. Sometimes, subordinates shy away from contributing to major client meetings for fear of outshining their bosses.

Of course, grave consequences arise from this behavior on productivity in the organization.

Today, we are discussing the impact of Social Power Distance on the Business Letter tone.???

Today's discussion is about writing a business letter to such a benefactor against what transpired in my friend's office as he greeted his 80-year-old benefactor. Or someone else, like a highly respected CEO of a client company or the Marketing Director who awarded your company a $75 million contract last year.

Do you think the tone of that business letter will be affected by the social power distance, like the case of my friend and his 80-year-old benefactor?

Before we go further, what exactly is social power distance?

Hofstede (1985) defines power distance as,

"The extent to which the members of a society accept that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally" (p. 347). Cultures differ in their level of power distance, and those with high power distance justify inequalities in society. In contrast, those with low power distance are more concerned with maintaining equality. The countries with high power distance include Malaysia, Philippines, Mexico, and China, among others, whereas Austria, Israel, Denmark, and New Zealand are some of the countries with the lowest power distance."

In a typical high social power workplace, as in most parts of Africa, subordinates expect to be told what to do, and the boss demonstrates autocratic tendencies.

Now, let's consider the impact areas of high social power distance regarding the business letter's tone.

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• I believe effective communication in the business letter should be improved because of unnecessary reverence. Effective communication in the Business Letter suffers due to the high social power distance. Like I said earlier, imagine Dr. Fredrick writing a business letter to his benefactor. Do you believe he'll be able to point out the anomalies in corporate governance by his 80-year-old founder and chairman? Your guess is as good as mine, but the answer is no if you're still in doubt. He cannot. The degree of reverence you find in countries with high power distance is so vast that those revered are regarded and treated as gods. Where this happens, the losers are effective communication, shared meaning, and shared understanding.

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• High social power distance could lead to a subordinate being unable and unwilling to engage his superior officially, even when the boss is clearly wrong. The business is the first to suffer when there is a breakdown in communication due to the fear of high-power distance. So, instead of the person with a lower power distance standing up for what is suitable for the organization, she glosses over the infractions because of the perceived grave backlash and witch-hunt that would arise. ?

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• High social power distance breeds slavish loyalty, which is unhealthy for the organization. While managing the corporate image of a regional oil and gas company, I was privy to the fact that direct reports kept the Founder and Executive Chairman in the dark concerning project-threatening problems in the field, hoping that somehow the problems would go away. With these severe issues overlooked, most became significant crises, ultimately requiring more resources and costing the corporation thousands of person-hours, resources, and time.

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• Social power distance widens the communication gap between superiors and subordinates because it encourages a culture of silence. According to Tony Manning, the former Chairman and CEO of McCann-Erickson in South Africa, in his book Making Sense of Strategy, published in 2001, “Organizations are managed conversations. People inside them talk to one another all day long about what they must do and how they do it. They also talk to a variety of outsiders - customers, suppliers, government, and so on. If the right people are involved and these conversations are open, honest, constructive, and positive, good things happen. But if people are kept out, and if the conversation is blocked, devious, destructive, or negative, trouble is ensured. 'Nourishing conversation' is vital for success. 'Toxic conversation' guarantees failure."

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Conclusion

The primary goal of this article was to discuss the neglected aspects of the business letter to make executives aware of them. Executives must know these impediments to effective communication in the business letter to function more effectively.

So, when next you write your business letter to a high-profile and powerful client, a very successful, influential, and wealthy boss, or the founder and executive chairman of your corporation, remember the impediments of social power distance. I would like you to do this just as an influential researcher always considers the impact of the researcher's bias.

Next week, we will discuss the last of the Business Letter series, Does “Social Power Distance” Play a Role in the Business Letter Tone? (2)

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