Hofstede’s Five Dimensions

of Culture
Introduction

 Comprehensive study of how values in the

workplace are influenced by culture
Power Distance (PD)

 Degree of inequality that exists- and is

accepted- among people with and without
power
Characteristics of PD

High • Centralised
• Large gap in compensation and authority

• Flatter organizations
Low • Supervisors and employees are almost equal
Application

 High PD country like Malasia (104), you

would send reports only to top management
and have closed door meetings where only a
select few, powerful leaders are in
attendance
 The world avg is 56.5
Individualism vs collectivism (IDV)

 Refers to strength of ties people have to

others in a community
Characteristics of IDV

• Respect for privacy

High • Enjoyment of challenges, and an expectation
of rewards for hard work

• Emphasis on building skills and becoming

Low masters at something
• Work for intrinsic awards
Application

 Malaysia has a score of 26. It is a collectivist

society. The world avg. is 45
 People specialize in their field of work to
complete a task
Masculinity vs feminity (MAS)

 Refers to how much a society sticks with, and

values , traditional male and female roles
 Masculine culture emphasis status derived
from wages and position; a feminine culture
emphasizes human relations and quality of
life
Characteristics of MAS

High • Well defined distinction between men’s work

and women’s work

• A woman can do anything a man can do

• Powerful and successful women are admired
Low and respected
Application

 Malaysia has a highly masculine score of 50

whereas Sweden has the lowest score of 5
 If you are to open a office, it would be
advisable to have a male CEO than a woman
 In Sweden aim for a team that is balanced in
terms of skill and gender
 World avg. is 51
Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI)

 Relates to degree of anxiety members feel

when in uncertain or unknown situations
Characteristics of UAI

• Very formal business conducted with lots of

rules and policies
High • Need and expect structure
• Differences are avoided

• Informal business attitude

• More concern with long term strategy than
Low business on daily level
• Accept change and risk
Application

 Malaysia has score of 36.

 When discussing a project in Malaysia, it is
sufficient to present a limited number of
choices and information
 World avg. is 65
Long term orientation (LTO)

 Refers to how much society values long

standing as compared to short term
traditions and values
Characteristics of LTO

• Strong work ethic

High • High value placed on education and training
• Hesitant to introduce changes

• High creativity and mindset to introduce

Low change
Application

 USA (29), UK (25) have low LTO scores

 People in US and UK don’t value tradition as
much as us and are willing to go ahead to
innovative and creative ideas.
 World avg. is 48