Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions

Individualism-collectivism

Masculinity-femininity
Power distance
Uncertainty avoidance
Long-term versus Short-term Orientation
Indulgence versus Restraint

Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions

(contd)
Work-related value dimensions

Most influential effort to group by cultural

values
Surveyed over 116,000 employees in more
than 40 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

Collectivism

High value on
autonomy

High value on group

Individual achievement

Loyalty

Privacy

Devotion

Family, clan, organization

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
Risk taking desirable

Need stable &

predictable workplace
Reliance on rules

Long-term versus Short-term

People in a culture with long-term orientation
look to the future and value thrift, persistence
and tradition.
In short-term orientation people value the
here and now; they accept change more
readily and dont see commitments as
impediments to change

Indulgence versus Restraint

Indulgence is the degree to which it is alright
for people to enjoy life, have fun, and fulfill
natural human desires.
Restraint is the extent to which there are
social norms governing the gratification of
basic human desires and people behaviour.

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
Individualism

Uncertainty Avoidance & MasculinityFemininity

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
Uncertainty
Orientation

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