ThomasGraviett

IMS3310.002
ProfessorWoldu

AnAmericanManagerinRussia

Hofstedesculturaldimensionstheoryisaframeworkforbetterunderstanding
crossculturalcommunication.Itismostoftenusedtoevaluateculturaldifferencesbetween
nationstounderstandthechallengesandthedifferentculturalaspectsthatmaybeencountered
whiledoingbusinessacrossinternationalboundaries.AsolidunderstandingofHofstedestheory
canassistinternationalmanagersbetterunderstandtheintricaciesofdoingbusinessinother
countriesbyunderstandingthecountryscustomsandvaluesthatitholds.(Builtjens)Thefive
culturaldimensionsthatHofstedeutilizesbasedoffofstudiedcharacteristicsare:thepower
distanceindex,individualismvs.collectivism,uncertaintyavoidance,masculinityvsfemininity,
longtermorientationvsshorttermorientation.Tobetterunderstandtheseguidelines,Iwill
comparethedifferencesbetweentheRussianculturedynamicstotheAmericanculturedynamics
acrossHofstedesfivedimensions.
Thepowerdistanceistheextenttowhichthelesspowerfulmembersofinstitutionsand
organisationswithinisacountryexpectandacceptthatpowerisdistributedunequally.(The
HofstedeCenter)RussiascoresnearlydoubleonHofstedespowerdistanceratingata93versus
Americasscoreof40.WhatthismeansinconsiderationsofbusinessisthattheRussianculture
isthattherearecertainexpectationsplacedonthestatusofthosewithpowertoprovideclear
mandatesforanytask.Americasscorebeingsignificantlysuggeststhattherelationshipspower
shouldbemoreevenlydistributedacrossallparties.ForanAmericangoingtoRussiatocarry
outbusiness,thiswouldbeadifferencethatwouldnotablyinfluencehowtasksarecarriedout.
Asamanager,hewouldhavetoleadwithastronginfluenceandensurethattherelationship
maintainstheexpectedpowerdynamicstoremaininfluential.

ThomasGraviett
IMS3310.002
ProfessorWoldu

Theindependenceversuscollectivismdynamicindicatesthedegreeofinterdependence
asocietymaintainsamongitsmembers.(TheHofstedeCenter)Russiascoreda39ontheindex
comparedtoAmericasscoreof91.Tothisregard,anAmericanmanagerwouldbewisetofully
considerandplacehighvalueonrelationshipsasheimmersesintheRussiancultureasitcanbe
akeygatewaytoopeningmanydoorsforbusiness.Inthemasculinityversusfemininityarea,
thedistanceismuchlessbroad,Russiascored36toAmericasscoreof62,howeveritshould
stillbekeptinmindthatRussiashigheremphasisonfemininitymeansthattheRussianculture
placesahigheremphasisonmodestyandalessdominantroleininteractionsamongstpeers.
Uncertaintyavoidanceis,theextenttowhichthemembersofculturefeelthreatenedby
ambiguousorunknownsituationsandhavecreatedbeliefsandinstitutionsthattrytoavoid
these.(TheHofstedeCenter)WhencomparingAmericasscoreof46toRussiasscoreof95,it
veryimportanttokeepinmindthatcomparedtoAmericans,Russiansverymuchdislike
ambiguityandprefertohaveplentyofcontextandbackgroundinformationandformalityis
consideredasignofrespect.Longtermversusshorttermorientationreferstothewaythateach
culturechoosestoeitherfocusonthefutureorthenearerterminregardstoplanningandgoal
orientation.BothRussiaandAmericaarelongtermoriented(Moorehead),thisshouldbe
beneficialinconductingbusinessasbothoftheirviewsalignandwillenablebusiness
relationshipsandplanningtohavecomparativelyequalweightplacedonitbybothcultures.
Managingabusinessonaninternationalscale,especiallyconsideringthediverse
relationshipsbetweencountrieslikeAmericaandRussiawillbeachallengetosucceedin.Any
AmericanmanagerattemptingtobridgetheculturalgapinRussiaandleadanorganizationto

ThomasGraviett
IMS3310.002
ProfessorWoldu

successofaventurewoulddowellbyplacinghighvalueonhierarchyanditsimplicationson
therolesinleadership,ensuringthatrelationshipsamongpeersarehumbleandthatpeersare
consideredequals,ensuringthathighvalueisplacedonteamefforts,andkeepinginmindthe
longtermorientationofthesociety.KeepinginmindHofstedesfivedimensionsofculture
woulddefinitelybeconsideredabenefittoanyindividualattemptingtobusinessinacultureas
vastlydifferentinsomanyaspectsastheRussiantoAmerican.

ThomasGraviett
IMS3310.002
ProfessorWoldu

Sources
Builtjens,RichardP.M.,andNielsG.Noorderhaven."TheInfluenceofNationalCultureon
StrategicDecisionMaking:ACaseStudyofthePhilippines."
FEW/TilburgUniversity,Faculty
ofEconomicsandBusinessAdministration
731(1996):n.pag.Web.
<
http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=3406
>.

"THEHOFSTEDECENTRE."
Russia
.N.p.,n.d.Web.04Mar.2014.
<
http://geerthofstede.com/russia.html
>.

Moorhead,Gregory,andRickyW.Griffin.
OrganizationalBehavior:ManagingPeopleand
Organizations
.Boston:HoughtonMifflin,1992.Print.