Hofstede’s cultural dimensions for Malaysia

Power Distance : The extent to which less powerful members of a society accept that power is
distributed unequally.

 Malaysia with a score of 100 is a high power distance society.

 High score indicates that Malaysian society is very respectful towards authoritarion figures and
is more likely to accept unequal distribution of power.
 Junior employees prefer to be told what to do and are less likely to question authority in an
organisation.

Uncertainty Avoidance : The level of society’s tolerance towards uncertainty.

 Malaysia with a score of just below 40 has a low preferance towards uncertainty avoidance
 Low scores in uncertainty avoidance means that Malaysians are more entrepreneurial as they
are more willing to take risks and welcome innovation.
 Low score also implies that Malaysians exhibit more relaxed attitudes and prefer flexible
working schedules in an organisation
 Societies with low score in uncertainty avoidance prefers less beauracracy and commits to
hardwork only when necessary.

Individualism vs. Collectivism : The level of interdepence between members of society.

 With a score of 26, Malaysia is a collectivistic society.

 Collevtivistic society prefers working as a group than individually and promotes selflessness.
  Loyalty is a common trait in collectivistic societies.

Masculinity vs. Feminity : The relationship between gender and work roles.

 With a score of 50, it cannot be determined whether Malaysia is a masculine or feminine

society. It can be said that Malaysia has a neutral score in this dimension.