I think power imbalance leads to passive aggression much more than the Hint or Ask character of the culture.
But that is largely the same thing. The classical boss-subordinate relationship is ask (order) down, guess up. Passive-aggression is extreme (angry, upset) guess, active aggression is extreme (angry, upset) ask/order.
When whole cultures are all-ask or all-guess that is probably a sign of egalitarianism—within that subset.
The classical boss-subordinate relationship is ask (order) down, guess up.
It’s more complicated. Ask/tell is simpler, faster, and more efficient so in the workplace (where status and power relationships are largely formalized) it tends to dominate anyway.
Also, as anecdata, I know a girl who is a very pronounced Hint/Guess person, but she’s a manager and has underlings. She quite successfully manages them mostly on the Hint/Guess basis (within reason, of course).
But that is largely the same thing. The classical boss-subordinate relationship is ask (order) down, guess up. Passive-aggression is extreme (angry, upset) guess, active aggression is extreme (angry, upset) ask/order.
When whole cultures are all-ask or all-guess that is probably a sign of egalitarianism—within that subset.
It’s more complicated. Ask/tell is simpler, faster, and more efficient so in the workplace (where status and power relationships are largely formalized) it tends to dominate anyway.
Also, as anecdata, I know a girl who is a very pronounced Hint/Guess person, but she’s a manager and has underlings. She quite successfully manages them mostly on the Hint/Guess basis (within reason, of course).