Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
- Power Distance. This dimension expresses the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect...
- Individualism. The Individualism/Collectivism dimension is about the relative importance of individual versus group...
- Masculinity. The Masculinity/Femininity dimension is about what values are considered more important...
What are Geert Hofstede's five cultural dimensions concepts?
Geert Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture
- Power Distance. Power distance is the willingness of a culture to accept status and power differences among its members.
- Uncertainty Avoidance. Uncertainty Avoidance is referring to a lack of tolerance for ambiguity and a need for formal rules and policies.
- Masculinity vs. Femininity. ...
- Individualism vs. Collectivism. ...
- Long vs. Short Term Orientation. ...
What is Hofstede model of Culture?
These cultural dimensions by Hofstede were based on extensive research conducted through a decade. Based on this research, he published his model near the end of the 70s. In his model, he has defined culture as the collective programming of the mind distinguishing a group from another.
What is Hofstede insights?
What is Hofstede insight? Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, developed by Geert Hofstede, is a framework used to understand the differences in culture across countries and to discern the ways that business is done across different cultures. ... The aim of the study was to determine the dimensions in which cultures vary.
What is Hofstede theory?
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory was developed by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede in 1980. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural communication. To create his theory, Hofstede analyzed the results of a global survey of IBM employees to determine the dimensions in which different cultures vary.
What are Hofstede's four dimensions of cultural differences that work attitudes?
The original theory proposed four dimensions along which cultural values could be analyzed: individualism-collectivism; uncertainty avoidance; power distance (strength of social hierarchy) and masculinity-femininity (task-orientation versus person-orientation).
What are the 5 Hofstede's cultural dimensions?
He identified five dimensions or 'problem areas' which represent differences among national cultures (Hofstede, 1997): power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity and long-term orientation.
What is the fourth dimension of culture?
4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) This dimension describes how well people can cope with anxiety. In societies that score highly for Uncertainty Avoidance, people attempt to make life as predictable and controllable as possible.
What are the four dimensions of Hofstede's cultural typology quizlet?
Originally Hofstede identified four dimensions: individualism versus collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, masculinity versus femininity.
What are the 4 types of culture?
4 Types of Corporate CultureClan Culture.Adhocracy Culture.Market Culture.Hierarchy Culture.
How does Hofstede define culture?
Geert Hofstede has defined “culture” as: The collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.In 1980 he published his book “Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values.
Why are Hofstede's dimension important?
Hofstede developed this cultural model primarily on the basis of differences in values and beliefs regarding work goals. Hofstede's framework is especially useful because it provides important information about differences between countries and how to manage such differences.
What is individualism in Hofstede?
Hofstede Individualism Traits. Hofstede: Individualism / Collectivism. This dimension focuses on the relationship between the individual and larger social groups. As mentioned earlier, cultures vary on the amount of emphasis they give on encouraging individuality / uniqueness or on conformity and interdependence.
What are the different dimensions of culture?
These studies identified nine dimensions that describe differences in national cultures. These dimensions are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, performance orientation, assertiveness, future orientation, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, and gender egalitarianism.
What are Hofstede's cultural dimensions quizlet?
This refers to the degree of inequality that exists - and is accepted - between people with and without power. A high PDI score indicates that a society accepts an unequal, hierarchical distribution of power, and that people understand "their place" in the system.
What do Hofstede's dimensions measure quizlet?
Explain Geert Hofstede's dimensions of culture: individualism-collectivism, uncertainty-avoidance, power distance. Individualism-collectivism: the idea that cultures can be usefully distinguished according to how much they expect individuals to look after themselves.
What is indulgence and restraint?
INDULGENCE VERSUS RESTRAINT (IVR) Indulgence stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.
What is Hofstede's work?
Hofstede’s work is a major resource in fields like cross-cultural psychology, international management, and cross-cultural communication.
What is individualistic society?
Individualistic societies stress personal achievement and individual rights, focus on personal needs and those of immediate family. In individualistic societies, people choose their own affiliations and groups and move between different groups.
What dimension does Hofstede add?
In 2010, Hofstede added a sixth dimension, indulgence versus self-restraint . Hofstede's work established a major research tradition in cross-cultural psychology and has also been drawn upon by researchers and consultants in many fields relating to international business and communication.
When was Hofstede's model developed?
Hofstede developed his original model as a result of using factor analysis to examine the results of a worldwide survey of employee values by IBM between 1967 and 1973. It has been refined since.
Why is the six dimension model important?
The six-dimension model is very useful in international marketing because it defines national values not only in business context but in general . Marieke de Mooij has studied the application of Hofstede's findings in the field of global branding, advertising strategy and consumer behavior.
How does cultural dimension affect negotiation?
If applied properly, an understanding of cultural dimensions should increase success in negotiations and reduce frustration and conflicts. For example, in a negotiation between Chinese and Canadians, the Canadian negotiators may want to reach an agreement and sign a contract, whereas the Chinese negotiators may want to spend more time for non-business activities, small-talk and hospitality with preferences for protocol and form in order to first establish the relationship.
Who is Geert Hofstede?
Geert Hofstede is perhaps the best known sociologist of culture and anthropologist in the context of applications for understanding international business. Many articles and research papers refer to his publications, with over 26,000 citations to his 2001 book Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations (which is an updated version of his first publication ). The five dimensions model is widely used in many domains of human social life, and particularly in the field of business. Practical applications were developed almost immediately.
Where is long term orientation found?
High long-term orientation scores are typically found in East Asia, with South Korea having the highest possible score of 100, Taiwan 93 and Japan 88. They are moderate in Eastern and Western Europe, and low in the Anglo countries, Africa and in Latin America. However, there is less data about this dimension.
When did John Dewey conduct a national values survey?
Between 1967 and 1973, he executed a large survey study regarding national values differences across the worldwide subsidiaries of this multinational corporation: he compared the answers of 117,000 IBM matched employees samples on the same attitude survey in different countries.
What is Hofstede's dimension of cultural differences?
Hofstede’s Dimensions of Cultural Differences. The word “culture” may seem similar but can be described in many different ways depending on which part of the world, this is due to how people behave in their community and organization. When using the findings from Hofstede’s study of the Cultural Differences it can be noted ...
What is the third dimension?
The third dimension is described as the extent in which a society may feel threatened or intimated when it comes to uncertain situations that result in needing to create such beliefs in order to help try to avoid such situations.
What is individualism in social theory?
On one side the individualism is defined as the society which people are believed to be looking after themselves including any of their immediate families unlike the collectivism dimension whereas people belong to collectivities where they are in charge for looking after them in exchange for loyalty.
What is Hofstede's cultural dimension?
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions. Cultures around the world are getting more and more interconnected and the business world is becoming increasingly global. For managers this means that they should be able to work with a large variety of people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. However, since most people are so strongly immersed in ...
What is individualism and collectivism?
The Individualism/Collectivism dimension is about the relative importance of individual versus group interests. The high side of this dimension, called individualism, can be defined as a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families. Its opposite, collectivism, represents a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. A society’s position on this dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “we.” The USA is considered as one of the most individualistic countries in the world.
Which countries have a more pragmatic approach to education?
Countries with cultures that scores high on this dimension on the other hand take a more pragmatic approach: they are future oriented and encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future. Asian countries such as China and Japan are known for their long term orientation.
Which countries have a high power distance index?
In societies with low Power Distance, people strive to equalise the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power. China and Saudi Arabia are countries with a high Power Distance index.
Is society at large more competitive?
Its opposite, femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. In the business context Masculinity versus Femininity is sometimes also related to as “tough versus tender” cultures.
What is Hofstede's sixth dimension?
Hofstede's sixth dimension, discovered and described together with Michael Minkov, is also relatively new, and is therefore accompanied by less data. Countries with a high IVR score allow or encourage relatively free gratification of people's own drives and emotions, such as enjoying life and having fun.
When was the Cultural Dimensions model published?
Psychologist Dr Geert Hofstede published his cultural dimensions model at the end of the 1970s, based on a decade of research. Since then, it's become an internationally recognized standard for understanding cultural differences.
How do cultural norms play a role in interpersonal relationships?
When you grow up in a certain culture, you take the behavioral norms of your society for granted, and you don't have to think about your reactions, preferences and feelings, provided that you don't deviate too much from the central tendency in your society.
What is the gap between men and women?
The gap between men's and women's values is largest in Japan and Austria, with MAS scores of 95 and 79 respectively. In both countries, men score highly for exhibiting "tough," masculine values and behaviors, but, in fact, women also score relatively highly for having masculine values, though on average lower than men.
Which countries have the lowest IDV score?
Application: Central American countries Panama and Guatemala have very low IDV scores (11 and six, respectively). In these countries, as an example, a marketing campaign that emphasizes benefits to the community would likely be understood and well received, as long as the people addressed feel part of the same group.
Is modesty a virtue?
In feminine societies, however, there is a great deal of overlap between male and female roles, and modesty is perceived as a virtue. Greater importance is placed on good relationships with your direct supervisors, or working with people who cooperate well with one another.
Power Distance Index
Individualism vs. Collectivism
- The individualism vs. collectivism dimension considers the degree to which societies are integrated into groups and their perceived obligations and dependence on groups. 1. Individualism indicates that there is a greater importance placed on attaining personal goals. A person’s self-image in this category is defined as “I.” 2. Collectivism indicates that there is a grea…
Uncertainty Avoidance Index
- The uncertainty avoidance index considers the extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are tolerated. This dimension considers how unknown situations and unexpected events are dealt with. 1. A high uncertainty avoidance index indicates a low tolerance for uncertainty, ambiguity, and risk-taking. The unknown is minimized through strict rules, regulations, etc. 2. A low uncerta…
Masculinity vs. Femininity
- The masculinity vs. femininity dimension is also referred to as “tough vs. tender,” and considers the preference of society for achievement, attitude towards sexuality equality, behavior, etc. 1. Masculinity comes with the following characteristics: distinct gender roles, assertive, and concentrated on material achievements and wealth-building. 2. Femininity comes with the follo…
Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation
- The long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation dimension considers the extent to which society views its time horizon. 1. Long-term orientation shows focus on the future and involves delaying short-term success or gratification in order to achieve long-term success. Long-term orientation emphasizes persistence, perseverance, and long-term growth. 2. Short-term orientati…
Indulgence vs. Restraint
- The indulgence vs. restraint dimension considers the extent and tendency for a society to fulfill its desires. In other words, this dimension revolves around how societies can control their impulses and desires. 1. Indulgence indicates that a society allows relatively free gratification related to enjoying life and having fun. 2. Restraint indicates that a society suppresses gratification of nee…
Country Comparisons: Hofstede Insights
- Hofstede Insights is a great resource to understand the impact of culture on work and life. It can be accessed hereto understand how the different dimensions differ among countries under the Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory.
Overview
Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It shows the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior, using a structure derived from factor analysis.
Hofstede developed his original model as a result of using factor analysis to e…
History
In 1965 Hofstede founded the personnel research department of IBM Europe (which he managed until 1971). Between 1967 and 1973, he executed a large survey study regarding national values differences across the worldwide subsidiaries of this multinational corporation: he compared the answers of 117,000 IBM matched employees samples on the same attitude survey in different countries. He first focused his research on the 40 largest countries, and then extended it to 50 c…
Dimensions of national cultures
• Power distance index (PDI): The power distance index is defined as "the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally". In this dimension, inequality and power is perceived from the followers, or the lower strata. A higher degree of the Index indicates that hierarchy is clearly established and executed in society, without doubt or reason. A lower degree of the Index signifies that people q…
Applications of the model
Instead of the convergence phenomena experts expected with information technology proliferation (the "global village culture"), cultural differences are still significant today and diversity has tended to increase. So, in order to be able to have respectful cross-cultural relations, we have to be aware of these cultural differences.
With this model, Geert Hofstede shed light on these differences. The tool can be used to give a g…
Limitations of Hofstede's model
Even though Hofstede's model is generally accepted as the most comprehensive framework of national cultures values by those studying business culture, its validity and its limitations have been extensively criticized.
The most cited critique is McSweeney. Hofstede replied to that critique and McSweeney responded. Also Ailon deconstructed Hofstede's book Culture's Consequences by mirroring it ag…
See also
• Cross-cultural communication
• Cultural relativism
• GLOBE study on Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness
• Intercultural communication
Further reading
• Culture, leadership, and organizations: the GLOBE study of 62 societies (1st ed.). SAGE Publications. 29 April 2004. ISBN 978-0-7619-2401-2., Read it
• Alvesson, M. & Deetz, S. (2006). Critical Theory and Postmodernism Approaches to Organizational Studies. In S. Clegg, C. Hardy, T. Lawrence, W. Nord (Eds.). The Sage Handbook of Organization Studies (2nd ed). London: Sage, 255–283.
External links
• Geert Hofstede's academic website
• The Hofstede Centre