Cultural differences in the concept ofself and others, and related perceptions of power are important in understanding the social expectations and conventions which underlie language use and are used to interpret linguistic meaning in a given interaction.

Important intercultural communication research in this area has focused on the notions of power relations (e.g. Searle 1995; Fairclough 1989; Foucault 1978, 1980; Giddens 1982, 1993), stereotyping and group marking (Scollon & Scollon 2001; Tajfel 1982) and includes Hofstede's work on the characterisation of national cultural differences (e.g. Hofstede 1980, 1983, 1991).

Hofstede (1991:5)defines culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another’. He further suggests that this collective programming can be manifested in a variety of different ways when people interact with each other (Hofstede 1998:10).

However, as El-Dash and Busnardo (2001) point out, any categorisation of a group results in some level of stereotyping. Thus, while linking certain characteristics to different cultures serves as a useful guide in understanding power relations and linguistic communication, such categorisations may lead to some level of overgeneralisation.

HOFSTEDE AND THE DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE

Hofstede's work (1980, 1983, 1991, 1998) has been highly influential in the study of national cultural differences. Hofstede's research is based on information gained from studies of a multinational corporation (IBM) in 64 countries. He has also conducted subsequent studies concerning students in over 20 countries and ‘elites’ in 19 countries (Hofstede 1998:11).