HOFSTEDE'S FIVE DIMENSIONS

Hofstede's Five Dimensions

The most influential studies analyzing cultural differences and

synthesizing cultural similarities are those performed by Geert

Hofstede, a Dutch researcher who studied 116,000 people 

working for IBM in dozens of different countries.

Hofstede’s work identified five important dimensions along

which people seem to differ across cultures. These dimensions

are shown in Figure 4.3.

FIGURE 4.3

Hosfstede’s five dimensions of

National culture

Social Orientation

•   Social orientationis a person’s beliefs about the relative importance of the individual and the groups to which that person belongs.

•   Two type of social orientation (see Table 4.3).

•   Individualism is the cultural belief that the person comes first. Key values of individualistic people include a high degree of self-respect and independence.

•   Collectivism, the opposite of individualism, is the belief that the group 

Power Orientation

•       Power orientation refers to the beliefs that people in a culture hold about the appropriateness of power and authority differences in hierarchies such as business organizations.(Table 4.4.)

•       Power respect; means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their superiors simply on the basis of the superiors’ positions in the hierarchy.

•       Power toleranceattach; these people are more willing to question a decision or mandate from someone at a higher level or perhaps even refuse to accept it.

•       Persons from power-tolerant cultures believe that hierarchies exist to solve problems and organize tasks within organizations.

•       When social orientation and power orientation are superimposed, individualistic and power-tolerant countries seem to cluster, as do collectivistic and power-respecting countries (see Figure 4.4)

Uncertainty Orientation

•        Uncertainty orientationis the feeling people have regarding uncertain and ambiguous situations.(Table 4.5)

•         Uncertainty acceptanceare stimulated by change and thrive on new opportunities.

•         Uncertainty avoidandce dislike ambiguity and will avoid it whenever possible

Goal Orientation

•        Goal orientation, is the manner in which people are motivated to work toward different kinds of goals.

•        One extreme on the goal orientation continuum is aggressive goal behavior (see Table 4.6).

•        People who adopt passive goal behavior-place a higher value on social relationships, quality of life, and concern for others.

    

•        In cultures characterized by extremely aggressive goal behavior, men are expected to work and to focus their careers in traditionally male occupations; women are generally expected not to work outside the home and to focus on their families. If they do work outside the home, they are usually expected to pursue work in areas traditionally dominated by women.

Time Orientation

•         Time orientation, is the extent to which members of a culture adopt a long-term versus a short-term outlook on work, life, and other aspects of society.