# Hofstede’s model criticism:

1) Hofstede’s methodology has been criticized. To begin with, the way in which the questionnaire was
developed has been described as haphazard (Orr & Hauser, 2008).

2)Critics also point out that Hofstede’s conclusions are based on insufficient samples McSweeney, 2002).
Although 117,000 questionnaires were administered, only the results from 40 countries were used.

3)Critics have also been skeptical about the assumption that IBM employees are representative of
national cultures as a whole. And even within IBM, the surveys were administered only to certain
categories of workers, i.e., “marketing-plus-sales,” leaving out many other employee categories,
including blue-collar workers, full-time students, retired employees, etc. (McSweeney, 2002).

4)Hofstede’s theory has also been faulted for promoting a largely static view of culture (Hamden-Turner
& Trompenaars, 1997). Indeed, over the years, attempts by many researchers to replicate Hofstede’s
findings have not been very successful (Orr & Hauser, 2008).

Country Individualism Power Masculine vs Time Indulgence Vs

Name Vs Collectivism Distance Feminine Perspective Restraint
Ind Col PDI M F TP Indul Res

Japan √ ᵪ High √ ᵪ High ᵪ √

Rassia ᵪ √ High ᵪ √ High ᵪ √

Germany √ ᵪ Low √ ᵪ High ᵪ √

Australia √ ᵪ Low √ ᵪ Low √ ᵪ

United √ ᵪ Low √ ᵪ Low √ ᵪ

state

# Hofstede’s model criticism:

1) Hofstede’s methodology has been criticized. To begin with, the way in which the questionnaire was
developed has been described as haphazard (Orr & Hauser, 2008).

2)Critics also point out that Hofstede’s conclusions are based on insufficient samples McSweeney, 2002).
Although 117,000 questionnaires were administered, only the results from 40 countries were used.

3)Critics have also been skeptical about the assumption that IBM employees are representative of
national cultures as a whole. And even within IBM, the surveys were administered only to certain
categories of workers, i.e., “marketing-plus-sales,” leaving out many other employee categories,
including blue-collar workers, full-time students, retired employees, etc. (McSweeney, 2002).
 4)Hofstede’s theory has also been faulted for promoting a largely static view of culture (Hamden-Turner
& Trompenaars, 1997). Indeed, over the years, attempts by many researchers to replicate Hofstede’s
findings have not been very successful (Orr & Hauser, 2008).

# Trompenaars cultural model criticism:

¹) This model does not recognize the impact of personal characteristics on behavior. It considers mostly
the way of behavior determined by the culture in a particular society, its customs generated by the time
and other factors, for example, religion, political regime etc.

2) This theory differentiates various cultures, but does not elaborate recommendations on how to
act with specific cultures.
3) It is not defining an individual by their associated cultures character but rather their own set of
rules and behaviors.
4) It assumes that everyone from a specific cultural background is exactly the same and possesses
the same types of values and behavioral norms can lead to negative stereotyping.

Country Universalism Individualism Neutral Specific Achievement

versus versus versus versus diffuse versus
Particularism Communitarianis emotional ascription
m
U P I C N E S D Ach As

Mexico √ x x √ x √ √ x x √

Germany √ x x √ √ x √ x √ x

India x √ x √ x √ x √ x √

Brazil √ x x √ √ x √ x √ x

China x √ x √ √ x √ x x √