Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Understanding Different Countries

Imagine this scenario: Sayid's boss has asked him to manage a large, global team. In this new
role, he'll be working closely with people in several different countries. He's excited about the
opportunities that his connectedness will present, but he's also nervous about making cross-
cultural faux pas.

He knows that cultural differences can act as a barrier to communication, and that they could
affect his ability to build connections and motivate people. So, how can he begin to understand
these differences and work effectively with people from different cultures?

In this article, we'll explore how you can use Hofstede's Six Dimensions of Culture to work
effectively with people from a range of cultural and geographic backgrounds.

Hofstede's Six Dimensions of Culture

Psychologist Dr Geert Hofstede published his cultural dimensions model at the end of the 1970s,
based on a decade of research. Since then, it's become an internationally recognized standard for
understanding cultural differences.

Hofstede studied people who worked for IBM in more than 50 countries. Initially, he identified
four dimensions that could distinguish one culture from another. Later, he added fifth and sixth
dimensions, in cooperation with Drs Michael H. Bond and Michael Minkov. These are:

1. Power Distance Index (high versus low).

2. Individualism Versus Collectivism.

3. Masculinity Versus Femininity.

4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (high versus low).

5. Long- Versus Short-Term Orientation.

6. Indulgence Versus Restraint.

Note: in the original version of the book "Long- Versus Short-Term Orientation" was described
as "Pragmatic Versus Normative."

Hofstede, Bond and Minkov scored each country on a scale of 0 to 100 for each dimension.

When Hofstede analyzed his database of culture statistics, he found clear patterns of similarity
and difference along the four dimensions. And, because his research focused solely on IBM
employees, he could attribute those patterns to national differences, and minimize the impact of
company culture.

Tip:
By its nature, a theory like this only describes a central tendency in society. Different
organizations, teams, personalities, and environments vary widely, so make sure that you're
familiar with cultural leadership , intelligence  and etiquette , and do extensive research into
the country you'll be working in (our Managing in… articles will help here).
Let's look at the six dimensions in more detail.

1. Power Distance Index (PDI)

This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – between people with and
without power.

A high PDI score indicates that a society accepts an unequal, hierarchical distribution of power,
and that people understand "their place" in the system. A low PDI score means that power is
shared and is widely dispersed, and that society members do not accept situations where power is
distributed unequally.

Application: According to the model, in a high PDI country, such as Malaysia  (100), team

members will not initiate any action, and they like to be guided and directed to complete a task.
If a manager doesn't take charge, they may think that the task isn't important.

PDI Characteristics Tips

 Acknowledge a leader's
status. As an outsider, you
 Centralized organizations.
may try to circumvent his or
 More complex her power, but don't push back
hierarchies. explicitly.

 Large gaps in  Be aware that you may

compensation, authority and need to go to the top for
respect. answers.
High PDI

Low PDI  Flatter organizations.  Delegate as much as

possible.
 Supervisors and
employees are considered  Ideally, involve all those
 PDI Characteristics Tips

in decision making who will

be directly affected by the
almost as equals. decision.

2. Individualism Versus Collectivism (IDV)

This refers to the strength of the ties that people have to others within their community.

A high IDV score indicates weak interpersonal connection among those who are not part of a
core "family." Here, people take less responsibility for others' actions and outcomes.

In a collectivist society, however, people are supposed to be loyal to the group to which they
belong, and, in exchange, the group will defend their interests. The group itself is normally
larger, and people take responsibility for one another's well-being.

Application: Central American countries Panama and Guatemala have very low IDV scores

(11 and six, respectively). In these countries, as an example, a marketing campaign that
emphasizes benefits to the community would likely be understood and well received, as long as
the people addressed feel part of the same group.

IDV Characteristics Tips

 High value placed on

people's time and their need  Acknowledge individual
for privacy and freedom. accomplishments.

 An enjoyment of  Don't mix work life with

challenges, and an expectation social life too much.
of individual rewards for hard
 Encourage debate and
work.
expression of people's own
 Respect for privacy. ideas.
High IDV

Low IDV  Emphasis on building  Wisdom is important.

skills and becoming master of
 Suppress feelings and
something.
emotions that may endanger
 IDV Characteristics Tips

harmony.

 Avoid giving negative

feedback in public.

 Saying "No" can cause

 People work for intrinsic
loss of face, unless it's
rewards.
intended to be polite. For
 Maintaining harmony example, declining an
among group members invitation several times is
overrides other moral issues. expected.

3. Masculinity Versus Femininity (MAS)

This refers to the distribution of roles between men and women. In masculine societies, the roles
of men and women overlap less, and men are expected to behave assertively. Demonstrating
your success, and being strong and fast, are seen as positive characteristics.

In feminine societies, however, there is a great deal of overlap between male and female roles,
and modesty is perceived as a virtue. Greater importance is placed on good relationships with
your direct supervisors, or working with people who cooperate well with one another.

The gap between men's and women's values is largest in Japan  and Austria, with MAS scores
of 95 and 79 respectively. In both countries, men score highly for exhibiting "tough," masculine
values and behaviors, but, in fact, women also score relatively highly for having masculine
values, though on average lower than men.
Application: As we've highlighted, Japan has the highest MAS score of 95,
whereas Sweden has the lowest measured value of five. Therefore, if you open an office
in Japan, you should recognize you are operating in a hierarchical, deferential and traditionally
patriarchal society. Long hours are the norm, and this, in turn, can make it harder for female
team members to gain advancement, due to family commitments.
At the same time, Japan is a culture where all children (male and female) learn the value of
competition and winning as part of a team from a young age. Therefore, female team members
are just as likely to display these notionally masculine traits as their male colleagues.

By comparison, Sweden is a very feminine society, according to Hofstede's model. Here, people
focus on managing through discussion, consensus, compromise, and negotiation.
 MAS Characteristics Tips

 Be aware of the
possibility of differentiated
gender roles.

 A long-hours culture may

be the norm, so recognize its
opportunities and risks.
 Strong egos – feelings of
 People are motivated by
pride and importance are
precise targets, and by being
attributed to status.
able to show that they
 Money and achievement achieved them either as a
are important. group or as individuals.
High MAS

 Success is more likely to

be achieved through
negotiation, collaboration and
input from all levels.

 Avoid an "old boys' club"

mentality, although this may
still exist.

 Workplace flexibility and

work-life balance may be
important, both in terms of job
 Relationship design, organizational
environment and culture, and
oriented/consensual.
the way that performance
 More focus on quality of management can be best
life. realized.
Low MAS

4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)

This dimension describes how well people can cope with anxiety.
In societies that score highly for Uncertainty Avoidance, people attempt to make life as
predictable and controllable as possible. If they find that they can't control their own lives, they
may be tempted to stop trying. These people may refer to "mañana," or put their fate "in the
hands of God."

People in low UAI-scoring countries are more relaxed, open or inclusive.

Bear in mind that avoiding uncertainty is not necessarily the same as avoiding risk. Hofstede
argues that you may find people in high-scoring countries who are prepared to engage in risky
behavior, precisely because it reduces ambiguities, or in order to avoid failure.

Application: In Hofstede's model, Greece tops the UAI scale with 100, while Singapore scores

the lowest with eight.
Therefore, during a meeting in Greece, you might be keen to generate discussion, because you
recognize that there's a cultural tendency for team members to make the safest, most
conservative decisions, despite any emotional outbursts. Your aim is to encourage them to
become more open to different ideas and approaches, but it may be helpful to provide a relatively
limited, structured set of options or solutions.

UAI Characteristics Tips

 Conservative, rigid and

 Be clear and concise
structured, unless the danger
about expectations and goals,
of failure requires a more
and set clearly defined
flexible attitude.
parameters. But encourage
 Many societal creative thinking and dialogue
conventions. where you can.

 People are expressive, and  Recognize that there may

are allowed to show anger or be unspoken "rules" or
emotions, if necessary. cultural expectations you need
to learn.
 A high energy society, if
people feel that they are in  Recognize that emotion,
control of their life instead of anger and vigorous hand
feeling overwhelmed by life's gestures may simply be part of
vagaries. the conversation.
High UAI

Low UAI  Openness to change or  Ensure that people remain

innovation, and generally focused, but don't create too
 UAI Characteristics Tips

much structure.
inclusive.  Titles are less important,
 More inclined to open- so avoid "showing off" your
knowledge or experience.
ended learning or decision
Respect is given to those who
making.
can cope under all
 Less sense of urgency. circumstances.

5. Long- Versus Short-Term Orientation

This dimension was originally described as "Pragmatic Versus Normative (PRA)." It refers to the
time horizon people in a society display. Countries with a long-term orientation tend to be
pragmatic, modest, and more thrifty. In short-term oriented countries, people tend to place more
emphasis on principles, consistency and truth, and are typically religious and nationalistic.

Application: The U.S. has a short-term orientation. This is reflected in the importance of short-
term gains and quick results (profit and loss statements are quarterly, for example). It is also
reflected in the country's strong sense of nationalism and social standards.

PRA Characteristics Tips

 People often wonder how

to know what is true. For
example, questions like
 Behave in a modest way.
"What?" and "How?" are
asked more than "Why?"  Avoid talking too much
about yourself.
 Thrift and education are
seen as positive values.  People are more willing to
 Modesty. compromise, yet this may not
always be clear to outsiders;
 Virtues and obligations this is certainly so in a culture
Long-Term are emphasized. that also scores high on PDI.
Orientation

Short-Term  People often want to  Sell yourself to be taken

 PRA Characteristics Tips

know "Why?"

 Strong convictions.
seriously.
 As people tend to oversell
themselves, others will assess  People are less willing to
their assertions critically. compromise as this would be
seen as weakness.
 Values and rights are
emphasized.  Flattery empowers.
Orientation

6. Indulgence Versus Restraint (IVR)

Hofstede's sixth dimension, discovered and described together with Michael Minkov, is also
relatively new, and is therefore accompanied by less data.

Countries with a high IVR score allow or encourage relatively free gratification of people's own
drives and emotions, such as enjoying life and having fun. In a society with a low IVR score,
there is more emphasis on suppressing gratification and more regulation of people's conduct and
behavior, and there are stricter social norms.

Application: According to the model, Eastern European countries, including Russia, have a low

IVR score. Hofstede argues that these countries are characterized by a restrained culture, where
there is a tendency towards pessimism. People put little emphasis on leisure time and, as the title
suggests, people try to restrain themselves to a high degree.

PDI Characteristics Tips

High  Optimistic.  Don't take life too

Indulgence seriously.
 Importance of freedom of
speech.  Encourage debate and
dialogue in meetings or
 Focus on personal decision making.
happiness.
 Prioritize feedback,
coaching and mentoring.
 PDI Characteristics Tips

 Emphasize flexible
working and work-life
balance.

 Avoid making jokes when

engaged in formal sessions.
Instead, be professional.
 Pessimistic.
 Only express negativity
 More controlled and rigid about the world during
High behavior. informal meetings.
Restraint
Tip:
Visit Hofstede's website for more detailed information about his research.
Note:
To reflect upon your personal cultural value preferences, take the Culture Compass. To learn
more about cultural fit in the workplace, see our article, Understanding Workplace Values .
Key Points
Cultural norms play a large part in interpersonal relationships at work. When you grow up in a
certain culture, you take the behavioral norms of your society for granted, and you don't have to
think about your reactions, preferences and feelings, provided that you don't deviate too much
from the central tendency in your society.

However, when you step into a foreign culture, things suddenly seem different, and you don't
want to cause offense. By using Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions as a starting point, you can
evaluate your approach, your decisions, and your actions, based on a general sense of how
people in a particular society might think and react.

Of course, everybody is unique, and no society is uniform, but you can use this model to make
the unknown less intimidating, avoid making mistakes, and to provide a much-needed
confidence boost when you're working in an unfamiliar country.
Apply This to Your Life
Take some time to review your own country's scores, and those of the countries or cultures that
you deal with regularly. Think about some interactions you've had with people from those
countries. Were you involved in critical events, and do they now make more sense, given your
additional insights?
Challenge yourself to learn more about one culture in particular, compare Hofstede's scores with
what you discover, and determine their accuracy and relevance for yourself.

The next time you work with a person from a different culture, make notes about your approach,
what you should be prepared to discuss, and why you feel the way you do. Also, read specific
information about that culture (the "Culture Shock!" books and recommended reading section
of this article will help). Afterward, evaluate your performance and carry out further research for
next time.
Above all, make cultural sensitivity a daily part of your life. Learn to value people's differences,
and how to respect the things that make people who they are.

1. Gender
2. All Boys, All Girls, Co-Ed Schooling
3. Science VS Non science
4. Single Child
5. Working Family VS Business Family
6. Sports Vs Non Sports
7. Living in same city VS lived in several cities
8. Hostler VS Day Scholar
9. Nuclear VS Joint Family
10. Fresher VS Work Experience