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

Collectivism

High value on
High value on group
autonomy
Family, clan,
organization
Individual achievement
Loyalty
Privacy
Devotion
Conformity

Masculinity-Femininity
Describes Importance of
Achievement versus Relationships

Success

Equality of genders

Assertive acquisition of Caring for

money/power
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 Decentralized

authority
Fewer layers of
management
Hierarchical

Uncertainty Avoidance
Reaction to ambiguous events
Low Uncertainty
Avoidance
Embrace unpredictable
Less adherence to
rules, procedures, or
hierarchies
Risk taking desirable

High Uncertainty
Avoidance
Threatened by
ambiguity
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 & 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