Hofstede’s Dimensions

Of National Culture and

International Comparison
Name : Aaliya Nashat
Course : MBA-PS (Healthcare and Hospital
Management)
Roll No : 31
Semester : First
Session : 2020-2022
Subject : Management Skills and Ethos
 INTRODUCTION
 The theory developed by Geert Hofstede is a
framework to understand differences in
culture across countries and assess their
impact on a business setting.
 Based on a research of the value system of
employees at IBM between the years 1967
and 1973, Psychologist Geert Hofstede
Professor Geert Hofstede
published his cultural dimensions model at 2 October 1928 – 12 February 2020
the end of the 1970s.
 The aim of the study was to determine the
dimensions in which cultures vary and
HOFSTEDE’S SIX CULTURAL
DIMENSIONS
INTERNATIONAL
COMPARISON ON
CULTURAL
DIMENSIONS:
 South Korea (Eastern
Region)

 United States (Western

Region)
 SOUTH KOREA
 South Korea, a country in East Asia
occupies the southern portion of the Korean
peninsula. It has a mixed economic system
which includes a variety of private freedom,
combined with centralized economic
planning and government regulation.
 Korean culture is steeped in Confucianism,
which emphasizes group harmony, respect
for elders and authority, the importance of
family, friendship and ancestors, and also
tradition. Confucian principles pervades not
 1. POWER
DISTANCE
 This dimension deals with the fact that all
individuals in societies are not equal.
 It is the extent to which the less powerful
members of institutions & organizations
within a country expect and accept that power
is distributed unequally.
 At an intermediate score of 60 South Korea is
a slightly hierarchical society.
 FEATURES OF SOCIETIES WITH
HIGH PDI
 Autocracy in leadership.

 A number of hierarchy levels.

 The acceptance of the privileges that comes

with power.

 A lot of supervisory staff.

 An expectation of power differences and

inequality.
 2. INDIVIDUALISM VS
COLLECTIVISM
 The fundamental issue addressed by this
dimension is the degree of interdependence a
society maintains among its members.
 It has to do with whether people´s self-image
is defined in terms of “I” or “We”.
 South Korea, with a score of 18 on
individualism is considered a collectivistic
society.
 SOUTH KOREA-A
COLLECTIVISTIC SOCIETY
 Fosters strong relationship.

 Sharing of resources and readiness to give up

personal interest keeping in mind the collective
interest.

 Increased concern regarding in-group members.

 Emphasis on harmony and hierarchy within

group.
 3. MASCULINITY VS FEMININITY
 The Masculinity side of this dimension
represents a preference in society for
achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and
material rewards for success.
 Femininity, stands for a preference for
cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and
quality of life.
 South Korea scores 39 on the masculinity
dimension and is thus considered a Feminine
 CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMININE
CULTURE
 In Feminine countries, the focus is on “working in
order to live” .

 The dominant values in a Feminine society are

caring for others and quality of life.

 Emphasis is on well-being; status is not shown.

 Overlapping of social gender roles.

 Focus on the non-materialistic angles of success.

 4. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
 The Uncertainty Avoidance dimension
expresses the degree to which the members
of a society feel uncomfortable with
uncertainty and ambiguity.
 The score on Uncertainty Avoidance
reflects the extent to which the members of
a culture feel threatened by unknown
situations and have created beliefs &
institutions that try to avoid such situations.
 At 85 South Korea is one of the most
 SOUTH KOREA – HIGH
UNCERTAINTY INDEX
 Countries exhibiting high Uncertainty
Avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and
behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox
85
behavior and ideas.

 Low tolerance for uncertainty, ambiguity, and

risk-taking.

 Requirement for predictability highlighting the

significance of planning.
 5. LONG TERM ORIENTATION VS SHORT
TERM ORIENTATION
 Measures the tendency of perseverance or
quick results.
 Long Term Orientation stands for the
fostering of virtues oriented towards future
rewards while Short Term Orientation
stands for the fostering of virtues related to
the past and present.
 At 100, South Korea scores as one of the
most pragmatic, long-term oriented
societies.
 LONG-TERM ORIENTED
SOCIETIES
 A futuristic, dynamic mentality;

 Emphasis on persistence and

perseverance.

 Stress on long-term success over short-

term gratification or profit.

 Stress on thrift.

 Positive association with economic

 6. INDULGENCE VS RESTRAINT
 This dimension is defined as the extent to
which people try to control their desires
and impulses.
 In contrast to Indulgent societies, Restraint
societies do not put much emphasis on
leisure time and control the gratification of
their desires.
 With a low score of 29, South Korean
society is shown to be one of Restraint.
 KOREA – A RESTRAINT SOCIETY
 Restraint indicates that a society
suppresses gratification of needs and
regulates it through stringent social
norms.

 Lower percentage of happy people.

 Low importance of leisure.

 Low importance of having friends.

 High moral discipline.

 SOUTH KOREA - KEY TAKEAWAY
 South Korea’s Index values are:
PDI= 60;
IDV= 18;
MAS= 39;
UAI= 85;
LTO= 100;
IVR= 29.
 South Korea’s highest Hofstede Dimension is Long
Term Orientation (LTO) at 100 – The society prefers
fostering values for the future.
 The country’s lowest Hofstede Dimension is
Individualism (IDV) at 18 - The society is collectivist
laying importance on the group.
UNITED
STATES
United
 The United States of America (USA),
States
commonly known as the United
States (U.S), is a country primarily
located in central North America and
is the world’s third largest country.
 The culture of the United States of
America is primarily of Western
origin, but is influenced by a
multicultural ethos making it and
1. POWER
DISTANCE  This dimension deals with the fact that all
individuals in societies are not equal.

 It expresses the attitude of the culture toward

these power inequalities amongst us.

 Defined by the extent to which the less

powerful members within a country expect
and accept that power is distributed
unequally.

 At 40 United States sits in the lower

SMALL POWER DISTANCE
FEATURES
 Participative or consultative style of
management.

 Flat structure of organizations.

 Supervisory staff small in proportion.

 Questioning the authority and lack of

acceptance.

 Consciousness of rights.
2. INDIVIDUALISM VS
COLLECTIVISM
 The fundamental issue addressed by this
dimension is the degree of interdependence a
society maintains among its members.
 United States scores 91 in this dimension of the
Hofstede’s model.
 Individualism indicates that there is a greater
importance placed on attaining personal goals. A
person’s self-image in this category is defined as
“I.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALISTIC
CULTURES
 Fostering contractual relationships.
 Stress on horizontal relationships.
 The society is loosely-knit in which the
concentration is on self or most dear
ones.
 In-groups which hardly have any
influence on their lives.
 Communication is informal, direct and
participative to a degree.
3. MASCULINITY VS FEMINITY
 Masculinity implies a society’s
preference for assertiveness, heroism,
achievement and material reward for
attaining success.
 Femininity represents a preference for
modesty, cooperation, quality of life
and caring for the weak.
 United States scores 62 on the
masculinity dimension and is thus
considered a Masculine society.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MASCULINE CULTURE

 The society is driven by competition,

achievement and success.

 Clearly distinct gender roles.

 Benevolence has little or no significance.

 Men are expected to be tough and assertive

with a concentration on material
achievements.

 Success is defined by the winner / best in

4. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
 The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance
has to do with the way that a society
deals with the fact that the future can
never be known.

 Should we try to control the future or just

let it happen?

 The US scores below average, with a low

score of 46, on the Uncertainty
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW UNCERTAINTY
AVOIDANCE INDEX
 Weak UAI societies maintain a more
relaxed attitude in which practice counts
more than principles.

 Flexibility.

 Undertaking risks.

 Tolerance toward differing opinions and

behaviors.

 Americans do not require a lot of rules.

5. LONG TERM ORIENTATION VS SHORT TERM
ORIENTATION
 This dimension indicates the time-
orientation of a society.
 Measures the tendency of
perseverance or quick results.
 This stands for the fostering of virtues
related to the past and present (STO)
or future (LTO).
 The United States scores normative on
the fifth dimension with a low score
of 26.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SHORT TERM
ORIENTATION
 Orientation towards past and present.

 Short-term orientation emphasizes quick

results.

 A comparatively static, more conventional

mentality.

 Emphasis on personal steadiness.

 Care more about immediate gratification than

6. INDULGENCE VS SELF RESTRAINT
 This revolves around the degree to
which societies can exercise control over
their impulses and desires.
 Indulgence stands for a society that
allows relatively free gratification of
basic and natural human drives related to
enjoying life and having fun.
 United States is an Indulgent society
with a score of 68.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY THAT
PRACTICES INDULGENCE
 Higher percentage of happy people.

 High importance of leisure.

 High importance of having friends.

 Smiling is a norm.

 Less moral discipline.

 UNITED STATES - KEY TAKEAWAY
U.S Cultural Dimension Values are:
PDI= 40;
IDV= 91;
MAS= 62;
UAI= 46;
LTO= 26;
IVR= 68.
Country’s highest Hofstede Dimension is Individualism
(IDV) at 91 – indicating greater importance placed on
attaining personal goals.
The country’s lowest Hofstede Dimension is Long Term
Orientation (LTO) at 26 – indicating focus on the present,
delivering short-term success.
CONCLUSION
Comparison of Eastern and Western Cultures
120

100
100
91
80 85
National Scores

60 68
60 62

40 46
40 39
20 26 29
18
0
Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainirty Long Term Orientation Indulgdence
Avoidance

Cultural Dimensions
SOUTH KOREA UNITED STATES
THANK
YOU