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EnglischUnt - Hofstede-on-Cultural-Awareness
EnglischUnt - Hofstede-on-Cultural-Awareness
Power Distance
In short this cultural dimension looks at how much a culture does or does not value
hierarchical relationships and respect for authority.
A country with a high Power Distance score both accepts and perpetuates inequalities
between people. An example of such a society would be one that follows a caste system
and in which upward mobility is very limited.
Examples of cultures with high PDI scores include Arabic speaking countries, Russia,
India and China.
A low Power Distance indicates that a society does not emphasize differences in people’s
status, power or wealth. Equality is seen as the collective aim of society and upward
mobility is common.
In a country that scores highly on the individualism scale the following traits are
common:
If a country has a high Individualism score, this indicates that individuality and individual
rights are dominant. Individuals in these societies tend to form relationships with larger
numbers of people, but with the relationships being weak.
Individualist cultures include the United States and much of Western Europe, where
personal achievements are emphasized.
In a country that scores low on the individualism scale the following traits are
common:
A low Individualism score points to a society that is more collectivist in nature. In such
countries the ties between individuals are very strong and the family is given much more
weight. In such societies members lean towards collective responsibility.
Collectivist cultures, such as China, Korea, and Japan, emphasize the group such as the
family and at work this manifests in a strong work group mentality.
Uncertainty Avoidance
This dimension concerns the level of acceptance for uncertainty and ambiguity within a
society. In essence this cultural dimension measures a country or culture's preference for
strict laws and regulations over ambiguity and risk.
Below are some of the common traits found in countries that score highly on the
uncertainty avoidance scale:
A country with a high Uncertainty Avoidance score will have a low tolerance towards
uncertainty and ambiguity. As a result it is usually a very rule-orientated society and
follows well defined and established laws, regulations and controls.
According the Hofstede's findings Greece is the most risk-averse country. Catholic,
Buddhist and Arabic speaking countries tend to score high in uncertainty avoidance.
Some of the common traits found in countries that score low on the uncertainty
avoidance scale include:
A low Uncertainty Avoidance score points to a society that is less concerned about
ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance towards variety and experimentation.
Such a society is less rule-orientated, readily accepts change and is willing to take risks.
Masculinity
This dimension pertains to the degree societies reinforce, or do not reinforce, the
traditional masculine work role model of male achievement, control, and power.
Masculinity is one of the least understood as many people tend to associate it with
masculinity literally. In essence it looks at the degree to which ‘masculine’ values like
competitiveness and the acquisition of wealth are valued over ‘feminine’ values like
relationship building and quality of life.
Hofstede never meant to describe how gender empowerment differs in a culture but
rather uses the term ‘masculinity’ to capture certain propensities. If one looks at the
cultures with a low masculinity rating they will notice that many also have low gender
equality, i.e. Middle East. The terms relate to nurturing (feminine) versus assertive
(masculine) behaviours and ideals.
Below are some of the common traits found in countries that score low on the
masculinity scale:
• In life the main priorities are the family, relationships and quality of life
• Conflicts should ideally be solved through negotiation
• Men and women should share equal positions in society
• Professionals "work to live”, meaning longer vacations and flexible working hours
A low Masculinity score means a society has a lower level of differentiation and inequity
between genders. In these cultures, females are treated equally to males in all aspects of
the society.
Sweden was the most feminine with a rating of 5. "Feminine" cultures include Spain,
Thailand, Korea, Portugal and the Middle East.
Below are some of the common traits found in countries that score high on the
masculinity scale:
A high Masculinity score indicates that a country experiences a higher degree of gender
differentiation. In such cultures, males tend to dominate a significant portion of the
society and power structure.
From Hofstede’s research Japan was found to be the world's most masculine society, with
a rating of 95. Other examples of "masculine" cultures include the USA, the Germany,
Ireland and Italy.
Intercultural Scores for Select Countries of the Western Hemisphere
Power
100
90
80
Power Distance Index
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Country
Individualism
100
90
Individualism Index
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Country
Uncertainity Avoidance
120
100
80
UA Index
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Country
Masculinity
80
70
Masculinty Scale
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Country