Power Distance

In recent years after opening its borders, Myanmar has gone from a country with low power distance to one that is
now relatively high. Due to the opening of the borders, the invitation of foreign investments and tourism has made
its way into the country. This of course means there will be a more prominent hierarchy within society as more jobs
become available to the people. The people of Myanmar have become rather accepting of the shift to a more
hierarchical society as shown by the dramatic shift in power distance score which according to a study done in 2006
(before open borders) by Charles Rarick, Ph.D., (2006) the power distance score was only in the low 20-30 range. If
the trend continues, we can expect Myanmar to have a higher power distance value in the coming years as the rest of
the country begins to modernize and industrialize its society.

Collectivism
Myanmar remains in the middle of the collectivism score and what this means is that it is hard to determine if the
country is itself leans towards more individualistic tendencies or collective tendencies. The problem likely arises
from the location in which the study was executed. In more rural areas of Myanmar, collectivism might be more
common especially in villages that are tight knit and reliance on neighbors is high however, in the city where
individual wealth is most likely increased and the hierarchy is much more prominent (rich vs poor), individual
thinking is more likely to take place.
Masculine vs. Feminine
The score for masculinity vs. femininity for Myanmar interestingly enough scores lower rather than higher. Scoring
only 25 in this category, Myanmar values quality of life and is more concerned with the well being of each other.
This means they are a more feminine country despite shifting to a more hierarchical society. One would think that
with the shift in power distance scores being the way they are, that the country would be leaning more towards a
masculine way of thinking however, this isn't the case for Myanmar. The reason could be explained by the primary
religion in Myanmar being Buddhism in which the Four Noble Truths depict greed and desire to cause suffering.
Almost 90% of the country follows this religion and because of this, although power inequality has formed, need to
acquire material goods and money remain low ("Myanmar Religion,"). Whether this value will change is still
uncertain, but one can predict that since the majority of working adults are still of the older generation (pre-border
opening) who are more religious, that once the younger generation who grew up in this more capitalistic society
takes over, they will shift this value towards masculinity due to probably having less reliance on religion.

Uncertainty Avoidance
Risk taking in the country of Myanmar is extremely low and avoidance of uncertainty remains highly important for
the people of Myanmar. To put it in a better way, the people are wary of what is to come and skeptical of change.
This can be credited to the instability they have had in their country where oppression is still rife ("Burmese Wary of
'Democracy' After Decades of Oppression," 2011). Power struggles within the country coupled with bribery of
government officials leaves the citizens feeling that those in charge are not truly helping the people, but instead just
helping themselves. Because of this, they tend to want to avoid uncertainty at least in the controllable aspects of their
lives.

Long Term vs. Short Term

Whether Myanmar is more long term oriented or short term oriented is hard to decide. Near the middle with a score
of 55, one can say that Myanmar is slightly more long term however, because it's so close to the middle, we can't
say with certainty whether or not they truly are more long term. This index number will depend whether the people
turn to tradition or believe in the future of their country. At least according to the numbers, the people of Myanmar
are still deciding what direction they want to take or perhaps have decided the importance of both