GlobalMedia: Intercultural Com: Hofstede’s Dimensions of Value Orientation (W6-P5) Sp16

Geert Hofstede during the 1980s surveyed over 100,000 workers in multinational corporations in forty countries.

He found 4 main dimensions along which countries/cultures differ. Each country was ranked according to his dimensions.

• 1. Individualism - Collectivism
• I versus We
• e.g., “Squeaking wheel gets the greasy.”
• e.g., “The nail that sticks up gets pounded down.”
• Indiv. (e.g., U.S. & Australia) <--------> Coll (e.g., Taiwan & Peru)

• 2. Uncertainty Avoidance
• The extent to which a culture feels threatened by the unknown.
• Hi-U.A. cultures try to avoid uncertainty.
• Hi UA (e.g., Greece & Japan) <---> Low UA (e.g. U.S. & Denmark )

A high uncertainty avoidance person or culture would want to avoid any uncertainty.
If a person or generally a group of people have high uncertainty avoidance, would they be more future oriented or more past oriented?
Which would be more likely to take risks?  Hi-UA or low-UA?

• 3. Power Distance
• The extent to which a culture accepts inequality.
• Hi-P.D. cultures accept inequality in relationships.
• Hi PD (e.g. Philippines & India) <----> Low PD (e.g. Sweden & N.Z.)

• 4. Masculinity and Femininity
• Masculinity = assertiveness, ambition, possessions...
• Femininity = caring and nurturing...
• M (e.g., Japan & Italy) <-----------> F (e.g., Norway & Denmark)

Share this post with others. See the Twitter, Facebook and other buttons below.
Please follow, add, friend or subscribe to help support this blog.
See more about me at my web site WilliamHartPhD.com.