HOFSTEDEs CULTURAL
DIMENSION THEORY
Presented By:Nikhil Satija
Meetu Thakran
Priyanka Sahu
Mohit Batra
Adi
Geert Hofstede
Geert Hofstede , (born 2 October
1928 in Haarlem, Netherlands) is
an influential Dutch researcher in
the fields of organisational
studies, organisational culture,
cultural economics and
management. He is a well-known
pioneer in his research of crosscultural groups and organisations.
INTRODUCTION:Comprehensive study of how values in the
workplace are influenced by culture.
CULTURE DEFINED:-
CULTURE
Features of Culture:Culture is shared.
Culture is intangible.
Culture is confirmed by others.
Importance of Culture:Impacts the way strategic moves are presented.
Influences the management, decision making,
negotiations.
Culture makes international business difficult or
easy.
Hofstedes Cultural 6D Theory
Uncertainity
Avoidance
Power Distance
High and Low
Context Culture
Individualism and
Collectivism
Masculinity and
Femininity
Long Term/ Short
term Orientation
UNCERTAINITY AVOIDANCE:
To what extent people feel threatened by ambiguous situations ;
create beliefs/institutions to avoid such situations.
It also reflects the level of tolerance for uncertainty and
ambiguity within the society and the extent to which people
avoid uncertainty by creating laws, rules, regulations and
controls in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty.
Uncertainty Avoidance:Typical opinions of people in a high
uncertainty avoidance culture
Uncertainty is an inevitable; therefore it is
a constant threat of life.
Typical opinions of people in a low
uncertainty avoidance culture
Lifes uncertainty is inevitable; therefore,
accepting it should be easier.
I feel anxious and stressed.
I feel peaceful. I do not experience stress.
I feel an inner imperative to work.
Hard work is not a value in itself.
I find peoples deviant tendencies and
ideas threatening lack of tolerance.
I do not treat deviance as a threat tolerance.
I do not trust young people.
I am friendly to young people.
I am unwilling to take risks.
I am ready to take risks.
I need strict rules and regulations.
The fewer rules, the better.
Experts knowledge is the source of my
convictions.
My convictions are shaped by my own
common sense.
POWER DISTANCE:Degree of inequality that exists and is accepted among
people with and without power.
High vs. Low Power Distance:Features of High Power Distance
Cultures
Features of Low Power Distance
Cultures
Members accept power distance as part
of social order, it determines what is right
and wrong.
Power is exerted only where it is
necessary.
More powerful members of society
perceive their subordinates as unequal.
People are equal, they consider social
inequalities obsolete.
Subordinates fear the more powerful
members.
Cooperation should be based on the
principle of solidarity.
There is not much trust among coworkers.
Subordinates are considered as older,
more experienced colleagues.
Majority of people are dependent on
others.
Co-workers are prone to trust one
another.
Subordinates are blamed for mistakes.
The system is blamed for mistakes.
There is a strong conflict between the
strong and the weak members.
Everyone should have equal rights.
Social inequalities are accepted; every
Strong and weak members coexist in
person has a high or low place in the social harmony.
order and is protected by law.
Features of Low Power
Distance Cultures:-
Features of High Power Distance
Cultures:-
HIGH Vs LOW CONTEXT CULTURES:High-context cultures :They are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and
contemplative. This means that people in these
cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships.
High-context communication tends to be more
indirect and more formal. Flowery language,
humility, and elaborate apologies are typical.
Low-context cultures :They are logical, linear, individualistic, and actionoriented. People from low-context cultures value
logic, facts, and directness. Solving a problem
means lining up the facts and evaluating one after
another.
This is very different from communicators in highcontext cultures who depend less on language
precision and legal documents.
HIGH Vs LOW CONTEXT CULTURES:Features of High Context Culture:-
Features of Low Context Cultures:-
Communicate through high context
messages.
Communicate through low context
messages.
Many things are left unsaid, allowing the
culture to explain.
The communicator needs to be much
more explicit.
People feel responsible for their family
and their subordinates at work.
Independence and individualism is
emphasized.
The concept of face, i.e. strong public
image.
No concept of face.
If a members face is threatened, the
whole groups honour is in danger.
Everyone is responsible for themselves.
Features of high context cultures.
Features of low context cultures.
Communicate through high context
messages.
Communicate through low context
messages.
Many things are left unsaid, allowing the
culture to explain.
The communicator needs to be much
more explicit.
Individualism VS Collectivism:-The
extent to which people feel they are supposed to look after
themselves, immediate family or organizations they belong to.
-Focuses on the degree the society reinforces individual or
collective in term of achievement or interpersonal relationship.
Individualism VS Collectivism:Features of individualistic cultures
Features of collectivistic cultures
Everyone has the right to have their own
opinions.
Opinions are shaped by the group.
A persons commitments include: their own
interest, self-education, their own debts.
Commitments towards the family: harmony,
respect, family honor and loyalty.
Education is a lifelong process, one learns
how to learn and acquire useful information
and skills.
Education is for young people, one learns how
to behave.
People are expected to care for themselves and Everyone is a part of a larger group and is
their immediate family.
expected to be loyal and care for its well-being.
People have high self-awareness and are
independent.
Group awareness precedes, mutual
relationships and ties are emphasized.
Friendship is a basic human need.
Friendships are determined by group
membership.
Decisions are made individually and are
influenced by peoples beliefs and opinions
The group makes all decisions.
Features of individualistic cultures
Features of collectivistic cultures
MASCULINITY Vs FEMININITY:Masculine cultures value success, money and material
possessions, whereas feminine cultures place more value on
relationships and quality of life. In masculine cultures, the
differences between gender roles are more rigid and less fluid than
in feminine cultures.
Interestingly, masculine cultures are those that used to be at war
often, while feminine cultures are those in which men and women
had to support each other in order to persevere in harsh life
conditions.
MASCULINITY Vs FEMININITY:Typical opinions of people from a
masculine culture:Mens role is to rule, womens role is to
raise up children.
Typical opinions of people from a
feminine culture:Men are also involved in childrens up
bringing.
Gender roles are explicit and concrete.
Gender roles are interchangeable.
Men should dominate in a society.
Genders should be treated equally.
Independence is the highest ideal.
Mutual dependence is the highest ideal.
People who achieve success are worthy
of admiration.
Ambitions lead to action.
People who handle adversity deserve
appreciation.
Service is the greatest motivator to action.
The great and the fast are beautiful.
The little and the slow are beautiful.
You live to work.
You work to live.
LONG TERM ORIENTATION Vs SHORT TERM
ORIENTATION:This refers to how much society values long-standing - as opposed to
short term traditions and values.
This is the fifth dimension that Hofstede added in the 1990s after
finding that Asian countries with a strong link to confucian
philosophy acted differently from western cultures.
LONG TERM ORIENTATION Vs SHORT TERM
ORIENTATION:Long term Orientation
Short Term Orientation
Basic orientation towards
time that
values patience.
Value action and attitude
Building strong
Respect the tradition
Reliable
Normative statement
Lasting relationship
Immediate stability
Ordering relationships by
status
Protecting ones own face
Having a sense of shame
Tend to save money
Affected by the past
INDIAs Hofstede Cultural
Dimension
INDIA
Orientation (LTO)
Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)
61
40
Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS)
Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV)
Power Distance (PDI)
56
48
77
