Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions

Individualism-collectivism

Masculinity-femininity
Power distance Uncertainty avoidance

Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions (contd)

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 (contd)
Individualism
High value on autonomy
Individual achievement Privacy

Collectivism
High value on group
Family, clan, organization

Loyalty
Devotion Conformity

Masculinity-Femininity Describes Importance of Achievement versus Relationships

Success Assertive acquisition of money/power achievement Equality of genders Caring for disadvantaged harmony

High-Power Distance
Accept position
Follow authority Concentrated & centralized authority Hierarchical

Power Distance Acceptance of differences in power

Decentralized

Low-Power Distance
Avoid concentration of authority Fewer layers of management

Uncertainty Avoidance Reaction to ambiguous events

Low Uncertainty Avoidance Embrace unpredictable High Uncertainty Avoidance Threatened by ambiguity

Less adherence to rules, procedures, or hierarchies

Risk taking desirable

Need stable & predictable workplace

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 Hofstedes Dimensions

Missing countries
Estimates values

Ignores differences within clusters

Trompenaarss Alternative Dimensions

Focus on values and relationships

Survey of
15,000 managers Over 10-year period From 28 countries

Bipolar cultural dimensions

Trompenaarss Alternative Dimensions (contd)

Outer-directedInner-directed

UniversalismParticularism
NeutralEmotional SpecificDiffuse AchievementAscription IndividualismCommunitarianism