Worthy, Lavigne and Romero - Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions

19/03/2022, 22:18 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions – Culture and Psychology
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CULTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY
CONTENTS
Hofstede’s Cultural
Dimensions
Hofstede’s cultural values provide a framework that describes the effects of
culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behav-
ior. Hofstede’s work is a major resource in fields like cross-cultural psycholo-
gy, international management, and cross-cultural communication.
Hofstede conducted a large survey (1967-1973) that examined value differ-

ences across the divisions of IBM, a multinational corporation. Data were
collected from 117,000 employees from 50 countries across 3 regions. Using
factor analysis, a statistical method, Hofstede initially identified four value di-
mensions (Individualist/Collectivist, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance,
and Masculinity/Femininity). Additional research that used a Chinese devel-
oped tool identified a fifth dimension: Long Term/Short Term orientation
(Bond, 1991) and a replication, conducted across 93 separate countries, con-
firmed the existence of the five dimensions and identified a sixth known as
Previous: Products of Culture
Indulgence/Restraint (Minkov, 2010). The five values are discussed in detail
below. Next: Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chapter/hofstedes-cultural-dimensions/ 1/5
Masculinity and Femininity (task orientation/person orientation) refers to

the distribution of emotional roles between the genders. Masculine cultures
value competitiveness, assertiveness, material success, ambition, and power.
Female cultures place more value on relationships, quality of life and greater
concern for marginalized groups (e.g., homeless, persons with disabilities,
refugees). In masculine cultures differences in gender roles are very dramat-
ic and much less fluid than those in feminine cultures where women and
men have the same values that emphasize modesty and caring. Masculine
cultures are also more likely to have strong opinions about what constitutes
men’s work versus women’s work, while societies low in masculinity permit
much greater overlap in social and work roles of men and women.
Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) addresses a society’s tolerance for uncertainty

and ambiguity. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt
to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty. Another, more simplified,
way to think about UA is how threatening change is to a culture. People in
cultures with high UA tend to be more emotional, try to minimize the un-
known and unusual circumstances and proceed with carefully planned
steps and rules, laws and regulations. Low UA cultures accept and feel com-
fortable in unstructured situations or changeable environments and try to
have as few rules as possible. People in these cultures tend to be more toler-
ant of change. Students from countries with low uncertainty avoidance
don’t mind it when a teacher says, “I don’t know.”
Power Distance (strength of social hierarchy) refers to the extent to which

the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like a family)
accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. There is a certain de-
gree of inequality in all societies, notes Hofstede; however, there is relatively
more equality in some societies than in others. Individuals in societies that
exhibit a high degree of power distance accept hierarchies to which every-
one has a place without the need for justification. Societies with low power
distance seek to have an equal distribution of power. Cultures that endorse
low power distance expect and accept relations that are more consultative
or democratic – – we call this egalitarian.
Countries with lower PDI values tend to be more egalitarian. For instance,
there is more equality between parents and children with parents more like-
ly to accept
Previous: it if children
Products of Culture argue with them, or “talk back” to use a common
expression. In the workplace, bosses are more likely to ask employees for in-
Next: Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
put, and in fact, subordinates expect to be consulted. On the other hand, in

countries with high power distance, parents expect children to obey without
questioning. People of higher status may expect obvious displays of respect
from subordinates. In the workplace, superiors and subordinates are not
likely to see each other as equals, and it is assumed that bosses will make
decisions without consulting employees. In general, status is more impor-
tant in high power distance countries.
Individualist and Collectivism refers to the degree to which individuals are

integrated into groups. Individualistic societies stress personal achievement
and individual rights, focus on personal needs and those of immediate fami-
ly. In individualistic societies, people choose their own affiliations and groups
and move between different groups. On the other hand, collectivistic soci-
eties put more emphasis on the importance of relationships and loyalty. In-
dividuals in collectivist societies belong to fewer groups and they are de-
fined more by their membership in particular groups. Communication is
more direct in individualistic societies but more indirect in collectivistic
societies.
Long Term (LT) and Short Term (ST) describes a society’s time horizon; the
degree to which cultures encourage delaying gratification or material, social,
emotional needs of the members: LT places more importance on the future,
pragmatic values, oriented toward rewards like persistence, thrift, saving,
and capacity for adaptation. Short term values are related to the past and
the present (not future) with emphasis on immediate needs, quick results,
and unrestrained spending often in response to social or ecological
pressure.
The cultural value dimensions identified by Hofstede are useful ways to

think about culture and to study cultural psychology; however, Hofstede’s
theory has also been seriously questioned. Most of the criticism has been di-
rected at the methodology of the study beginning with the original instru-
ment. The questionnaire was not originally designed to measure culture but
rather workplace satisfaction (Orr & Hauser, 2008) and many of the conclu-
sions are based on a small number of responses (McSweeney, 2002). Al-
though 117,000 questionnaires were administered, the results from 40 coun-
tries were used and only six countries had more than 1000 respondents.
Critics alsoProducts
Previous: question the representativeness of the original sample.
of Culture
The study was conducted using employees of Ethnocentrism

Next: a multinational corporation
and Cultural Relativism
(IBM) who were highly educated, mostly male, who performed what we call
‘white collar’ work (McSweeney, 2002). Hofstede’s theory has also been criti-
cized for promoting a largely static view of culture (Hamden-Turner &
Trompenaars, 1997; Orr and Hauser, 2008) that does not respond to changes
or influences of other cultures. It is hard to deny that the world has changed
in dramatic ways since Hofstede’s research began.
Material and nonmaterial aspects of culture can vary subtly from region to
region. As people travel, moving from different regions to entirely different
parts of the world, certain material and nonmaterial aspects of culture be-
come dramatically unfamiliar. As we interact with cultures other than our
own, we become more aware of our own culture, which might otherwise be
invisible to us, and to the differences and commonalities between our cul-
ture and others.
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19/03/2022, 22:18 Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions – Culture and Psychology

Home Read Sign in

CULTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY

Hofstede conducted a large survey (1967-1973) that examined value differ-

Masculinity and Femininity (task orientation/person orientation) refers to

Uncertainty Avoidance (UA) addresses a society’s tolerance for uncertainty

Power Distance (strength of social hierarchy) refers to the extent to which

put, and in fact, subordinates expect to be consulted. On the other hand, in

Individualist and Collectivism refers to the degree to which individuals are

The cultural value dimensions identified by Hofstede are useful ways to

The study was conducted using employees of Ethnocentrism

LICENSE SHARE THIS BOOK

Culture and Psychology by L D Worthy;

Previous: Products of Culture

Next: Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism

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