Hofstede has indicated that culture of individualism reflects a selfish side of
people who only take care of their own interests and free to choose their own actions in individualistic society Respected collectivism in society, people must consider the interests of others and has a spiritual obligation and loyalty for their organisation . At a score of 20 China is a highly collectivist culture where people act in the interests of the group and not necessarily of themselves. In-group considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as family) are getting preferential treatment. Employee commitment to the organization (but not necessarily to the people in the organization) is low. Whereas relationships with colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal relationships prevail over task and company. The abnormally low IDV score is shown through very close and committed member groups, be they family, work or sport teams. Loyalty is a highly regarded trait in a society where relationships are strong and is, therefore, of paramount importance to most Chinese people. The collectivist thinking of a culture such as China also tends to be extremely parochial, with people and businesses not changing suppliers lightly for fear of the impact on relationships. In other words, if all the members of my family shop at a certain store, then I, too, should shop there). However, once a change is made, the new relationship will enjoy loyalty.
Masculinity/Femininity (MAS)
According to Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions, people in the societies of
masculinity and femininity have different perceptions on different cultures. He indicates that roles of gender are very clear in masculine societies. Men should be self-confidence, determination, and materialistic. And, women are modest, gentle and pursuing on quality of life . The culture of masculinity emphasises on equity, competition and job performance. In contrast, in feminine societies, gender roles are usually overlap. Both of men and women are not only modest and gentle, but also focusing on life quality . People resolve conflicts by reconciliation and negotiation in organisation . The culture of femininity is equality and solidarity. A high score (Masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life. A low score (Feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A Feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (Masculine) or liking what you do (Feminine). At 66 China is a Masculine society success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will
sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as
hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Leisure time is not so important. The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in order to obtain better work and pay in the cities. Another example is that Chinese students care very much about their exam scores and ranking as this is the main criteria to achieve success or not. This is the one dimension in which China most aligns itself to the rest of the world, and yet, it is often totally missed by Western businessmen, who think that the women in China are, for the most part, ignored. To the contrary, I have met some of Chinas business leaders who are very powerful and inspiring women. Do not always shake the males hand first!