wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
日本語

ChinavsBrazil

中国とブラジルCNBR

Seen from China: each line below describes Brazil relative to China.

Swap: see China from Brazil

Culture Map: eight scales

Erin Meyer's eight scales, sorted by how far apart China and Brazil sit, largest gap first.

Filled dot: China, where you are looking fromHollow ring: Brazil

Where you will notice the difference4 scales

  1. Communicating

    Brazil spells things out more explicitly than China (2 steps)

    China +2, Brazil 0, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

  2. Leading

    Brazil keeps less distance between boss and team than China (1 step)

    China +2, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  3. Deciding

    Brazil decides by group agreement more than China (1 step)

    China +2, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Consensual) to +3 (Top-down).

  4. Disagreeing

    Brazil is more willing to disagree openly than China (1 step)

    China +2, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

Where you are close2 scales

  1. Evaluating

    China and Brazil sit on the same step

    China +1, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  2. Trusting

    China and Brazil sit on the same step

    China +2, Brazil +2, on a line from −3 (Task-based) to +3 (Relationship-based).

Not placed2 scales

These scales are left unmarked: either Meyer leaves a country off the scale or no source places it, and drawing it anyway would be guessing.

  • PersuadingMeyer leaves China off this scale and describes its reasoning as holistic
  • SchedulingNo source places China on this scale
Positions are read by eye from Erin Meyer's published charts and rounded to seven steps. A step means “further towards that pole”, not a measured distance. How the positions were read

Hofstede: six dimensions

Scores from 0 to 100, sorted by the gap between China and Brazil. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Long-term orientation

    Brazil scores 49 points lower than China (28 against 77)

    China 77, Brazil 28, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  2. Uncertainty avoidance

    Brazil scores 46 points higher than China (76 against 30)

    China 30, Brazil 76, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  3. Indulgence

    Brazil scores 35 points higher than China (59 against 24)

    China 24, Brazil 59, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

  4. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Brazil scores 17 points lower than China (49 against 66)

    China 66, Brazil 49, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  5. Power distance

    Brazil scores 11 points lower than China (69 against 80)

    China 80, Brazil 69, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

  6. Individualism

    Brazil scores 7 points lower than China (36 against 43)

    China 43, Brazil 36, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).Source: The Culture Factor — Country comparison tool (2026).About the Hofstede dimensions

What the sources say, theme by theme

Entries for China and Brazil, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

China3 claims

Brazil2 claims

Failure & risk

China2 claims

Brazil1 claim

Feedback & code review

China3 claims

Brazil3 claims

  • The training company Talaera, citing Meyer, writes that negative feedback tends to be wrapped in warmth and delivered in private, and that public criticism easily damages relationships. The behavioral descriptions rest mainly on the authors' own observations.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-1

  • In an HR magazine interview, Erin Meyer names Latin America as one of the "really indirect" parts of the world for negative feedback.

    Attested1 source2014Datedbr-feedback-2

  • Talaera says that instead of a plain "no," phrases such as "we can try" or "I'll do my best" can signal concern or refusal.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-3

Hierarchy & decisions

China2 claims

Brazil2 claims

Communication & docs

China4 claims

Brazil2 claims

  • A summary of Meyer's Culture Map places Brazil on the side where trust is built through personal relationships, close to China and Saudi Arabia. Small talk at the start of a meeting is described as part of the work.

    Thin1 sourcebr-communication-1

  • Talaera says written English tends to be on the formal side and asynchronous replies tend to be long and warm, and it recommends video calls over audio-only calls.

    Thin1 source2026br-communication-2

Work & careers

China4 claims

Brazil4 claims

Open source & community

China5 claims

Brazil3 claims