An Empirical Study on Different Tendencies toward Indulgence-Restraint Dimension from the Intercultural Perspective —In the Case of Guangdong Province

Abstract

With the booming development of economic globalization nowadays, intercultural communication becomes more and more important. Based on Hofstede’s indulgence-restraint dimension, this thesis aims to testify whether Hofstede’s opinion that China is largely a restrained country, is correct in Guangdong Province, a coastal area with the largest population of China, and to investigate different groups of people’s different tendencies toward indulgence and restraint. The study is carried out in Guangdong Province, because Guangdong is a special area which is one of the most rapidly developing areas in China and it locates next to Macau and Hong Kong, which may bring it with more different cultures and ideas. After conducting a questionnaire survey in Guangdong with a self-made questionnaire, the author gets the following findings. 1) The subjects generally show a stronger tendency toward indulgence than to restraint through comparing the mean scores of them respectively. 2) With respect to genders, males have fewer tendencies toward indulgence than females and more tendencies toward restraint. 3) Considering age groups, people aged more have more tendencies toward restraint and fewer tendencies toward indulgence. What’s more, people aged from 18 to 60 are generally indulgence-oriented while people aged above 60 years old are generally restraint-oriented. 4) People with different disposable income groups and different educational backgrounds have no significant difference in general. All of them, generally, tend to be indulgent. The results of the study can help both foreign and local people to know more about Guangdong so as to enhance the mutual understanding to improve communication efficiency and help construct a harmonious society.