Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework
for cross-cultural communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior, using a structure derived from factor analysis. The theory has been widely used in several fields as a paradigm for research, particularly in cross-cultural psychology, international management, and cross- cultural communication. Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Individualism-collectivism Masculinity-femininity Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions (contd) Work-related value dimensions Most influential effort to group by cultural values Surveyed over 116,000 employees in more than 70 countries Created maps of pairs of dimensions Individualism-Collectivism Self-perception as individual or part of a group Most widely studied Most complex Dimensions different across cultures i.e., Asian vs Latin American collectivism Individualism-Collectivism (contd) Individualism Collectivism High value on High value on group autonomy Family, clan, organization Individual achievement Loyalty Privacy Devotion Conformity Masculinity-Femininity Describes Importance of Achievement versus Relationships Success Equality of genders Assertive acquisition Caring for of money/power disadvantaged achievement harmony Power Distance Acceptance of differences in power High-Power Distance Low-Power Distance Accept position Avoid concentration of authority Follow authority Decentralized Concentrated & centralized authority Fewer layers of management Hierarchical Uncertainty Avoidance Reaction to ambiguous events Low Uncertainty High Uncertainty Avoidance Avoidance Embrace Threatened by unpredictable ambiguity Less adherence to Need stable & rules, procedures, or predictable workplace hierarchies Reliance on rules Risk taking desirable Cultural Maps Individualism-Collectivism & Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance & Masculinity- Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance & Power Distance Individualism-Collectivism & Power Distance Large power distance and collectivism Asia and Latin America
Small power distance and individualism
Northern Europe and Anglo countries Culture Map for Power Distance and Individualis m Uncertainty Avoidance & Masculinity-Femininity Achievement oriented-weak uncertainty avoidance & masculine values Security Motivation-high uncertainty avoidance & masculinity Social Motivation-feminine values & high uncertainty avoidance Culture Map for Uncertainty Avoidance and Masculinity- Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance & Power Distance Family-large power distance & weak uncertainty avoidance Pyramid of People-large power distance & strong uncertainty avoidance Well-Oiled Machine-small power distance & strong uncertainty avoidance Village Market-small power distance & low uncertainty avoidance Culture Map for Power Distance and Uncertaint y Orientatio n Limitation of Hofstedes Dimensions Missing countries Estimates values
Ignores differences within clusters
Trompenaarss Alternative Dimensions Focus on values and relationships Survey of 15,000 managers Over 10-year period From 28 countries
Bipolar cultural dimensions
Trompenaarss Alternative Dimensions (contd) Outer-directedInner-directed UniversalismParticularism NeutralEmotional SpecificDiffuse AchievementAscription IndividualismCommunitarianism