Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions • Individualism-collectivism • Masculinity-femininity

• Power distance • Uncertainty avoidance

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions (cont’d) • Work-related value dimensions • Most influential effort to group by cultural values • Surveyed over 116,000 employees in more than 70 countries

• Created maps of pairs of dimensions

Individualism-Collectivism • Self-perception as individual or part of a group • Most widely studied • Most complex • Dimensions different across cultures – i.e., Asian vs Latin American collectivism

Individualism-Collectivism (cont’d) Individualism

Collectivism

• High value on autonomy

• High value on group – Family, clan, organization

• Individual achievement

• Loyalty

• Privacy

• Devotion

• Conformity

Masculinity-Femininity Describes Importance of Achievement versus Relationships • Success

• Equality of genders

• Assertive acquisition of money/power

• Caring for disadvantaged

• achievement

• harmony

Power Distance Acceptance of differences in power

High-Power Distance

Low-Power Distance

• Accept position

• Avoid concentration of authority

• Follow authority

• Concentrated & centralized authority • Hierarchical

• Decentralized • Fewer layers of management

Uncertainty Avoidance Reaction to ambiguous events Low Uncertainty Avoidance

High Uncertainty Avoidance

• Embrace unpredictable

• Threatened by ambiguity

• Less adherence to rules, procedures, or hierarchies

• Need stable & predictable workplace

• Risk taking desirable

• Reliance on rules

Cultural Maps • Individualism-Collectivism & Power Distance • Uncertainty Avoidance & MasculinityFemininity • Uncertainty Avoidance & Power Distance

Individualism-Collectivism & Power Distance • Large power distance and collectivism – Asia and Latin America

• Small power distance and individualism – Northern Europe and Anglo countries

Culture Map for Power Distance and Individualis m

Uncertainty Avoidance & Masculinity-Femininity • Achievement oriented-weak uncertainty avoidance & masculine values • Security Motivation-high uncertainty avoidance & masculinity • Social Motivation-feminine values & high uncertainty avoidance

Culture Map for Uncertainty Avoidance and MasculinityFemininity

Uncertainty Avoidance & Power Distance • Family-large power distance & weak uncertainty avoidance • Pyramid of People-large power distance & strong uncertainty avoidance • Well-Oiled Machine-small power distance & strong uncertainty avoidance

• Village Market-small power distance & low uncertainty avoidance

Culture Map for Power Distance and Uncertaint y Orientatio n

Limitation of Hofstede’s Dimensions • Missing countries – Estimates values

• Ignores differences within clusters

Trompenaars’s Alternative Dimensions • Focus on values and relationships • Survey of – 15,000 managers – Over 10-year period – From 28 countries

• Bipolar cultural dimensions

Trompenaars’s Alternative Dimensions (cont’d) • Outer-directed—Inner-directed • Universalism—Particularism

• Neutral—Emotional • Specific—Diffuse • Achievement—Ascription • Individualism—Communitarianism